009. Coffee
It was just an innocent cup of coffee.
Black, no cream, no sugar. I liked my coffee strong in the morning, it helped me wake up, especially on those super lazy days when you don't want to wake up but have no choice but to. The coffee shop I always went to knew me by name, since I go there three or more times a day, seven days a week...literally. A morning cup at around 7 in the morning, a lunch cup with a bagel sandwich at noon, and a winding down cup with a scone on the side at around 8PM. This was my routine, one that I actually liked. I stuck with this schedule - it was a pretty strict schedule if you ask me - because there were no distractions.
That is, until I met him.
He simply waltzed into the shop, immediately coming into my view. He, with his curly and unruly hair, black skinny jeans, and a simple dress shirt had managed to catch my attention, even if it was for a second. There was something about him that just made him stand out from the others. Maybe it was his pale skin, his chocolate eyes, or it's could've been the way he held himself : head held high and a posture that exhaled pride in his body. Never mind that, I couldn't take my eyes off of him.
I was never one to admire from afar, but he was a different case. The window at which I was seated at had an extra seat next to it and I couldn't help but wish that this - somewhat, mind you - attractive boy would plop down next to me and maybe strike up a conversation. My coffee and scone sat next to me, their scents silently begging me to consume them. Needless to say, I gave in and began nibbling on my scone, my eyes not leaving the newcomer for a second.
While going into relaxation mode, I saw another body slump down into the seat next to me. I, being an annoyingly curious person, peeked at the other and quietly thanked the gods. There he was, hair askew, shirt collar loose, with a coffee on the table next to him. He sat quietly, looking out the window, lost in thought. I cursed myself for not having the ability to conjure up a decent topic to discuss.
"Do you liked the city?" The question popped out of nowhere, like a random shooting star in a starless sky. I looked around, wondering who was asking. Turning my attention back to its original position, the new boy was chuckling, his eyes twinkling towards me. He was asking ME this whole time?!
Was to look like a loser, Hyukjae.
"Oh! Uh...well. I-I-I guess it's alright. But I like a little peace and quiet d-during the night," I stuttered, unable to meet his gaze. Instead, my eyes looked outside toward the night's sky, where you couldn't see many stars thanks to the blinding city lights. The boy sighed and settled deeper into the cushioned chair.
A moment of silence passed between the conversation before he spoke again. "Maybe if the stars weren't so afraid of city lights, this place would be perfect. Too bad they're in hiding," he muttered, taking a sip from his cup.
I frowned. What the hell do I say to that? Oh, well if you go out down the hills far enough, the stars will welcome you? Nah, that probably won't work. Deciding in order to save myself from humiliation, I kept my mouth shut before anything else came out of my mouth. It's only been ten minutes and my tongue is tied along with my heart beating at a hundred miles per minute.
"You dance?" the same voice asked again. I attempted to meet his eyes but right when they made contact, I adverted my eyes back to the window. I nodded and leaned forward, trying to show interest in the conversation. Of course, I would interested in any talking matter if it included him. He smiled and continued talking, engaging me into an actual conversation.
Eleven o' clock rolled around and we were still talking about dancing, music, singing, everything of the sort. It was about two cups of coffee, three scones, and four bathroom breaks did I realize how late it was getting. Honestly, those three hours felt like thirty minutes in my world.
"Oh! Look at the time," I sighed, taking a quick look at my watch. I gulped down the rest of the coffee I had left in the cup and grinned at the other man. A look of disappointment shot across his face when I stood up and looked at him. Then, his question that we hadn't bothered to ask before came up.
"What's your name?" he asked, his head slightly cocked to side as he looked at me with big eyes.
"Lee Hyukjae. But you can call me Eunhyuk."
He smiled, silently mouthing my name. "Lee Hyukjae," he said, testing it out on his tongue. "I'm Lee Donghae."
Lee Donghae. The name stuck to me right when it left his mouth. It was glued to my brain, not wanting to get out. After our farewells and goodbyes, we had agreed to meet again at the coffee shop.
Like I said, it was just an innocent cup of coffee.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ♥
Two weeks passed since our first late-night encounter at the coffee shop. Donghae and I had grown considerably close, which made me jump for joy at the end of each day. Yes, those same feelings still lingered since that day and sometimes they go into overdrive whenever we sit and talk. Whether it be at the coffee shop or at the park, the conversation went along smoothly, like a ship cruising towards a peaceful sunset.
Not the greatest analogy, but hey. When your mind is overcome with these thoughts, anything goes.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ♥
At the end of each day, I would step inside the familiar coffee shop and breathe in the scents of strong coffee, sweet scones and hot chocolate, and maybe a little bit of blueberry muffins in the kitchen. The sounds of cups clinking, blenders humming, and the small murmurs of conversation somehow made me relaxed, not matter how stressed I was. The seats Donghae and I usually sat in were hardly ever seen with a person sitting in them, which gave me relief. It was nice to know that our "spot" was rarely invaded during our absence.
I order the same thing every time I visit the shop : a black coffee no sugar or cream with a blueberry muffin on the side. If I was feeling a little out there, a cup of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows would be in my hands when I sat down and relaxed. I usually stay like this for a couple of minutes before a finger pokes me in the cheek and another body sits across from me.
This is how Donghae makes an entrance. He would smile, his straight and white teeth glistening in the somewhat dim lighting of the room. His hair was always messy or ruffled up, the same look when you just got out of bed and don't have time to look in the mirror. But on him, it was just...what's the word? Gorgeous. Everything about him was, if I was honest.
The hours spent with him were never ones, they were pretty much the best party of my day. I could sit and talk with him, both of us with content looks on our faces as we looked out the window. Talking wasn't necessarily a difficult thing to do. We were talkers; it's what we do.
Most of our days went like this, casual conversation, two guys lounging around after a long day's work. But there was one day that stuck out from all the other days. I don't think I'll let this memory fade like a photograph. No, I'll keep it in my pocket and remember it forever.
I didn't expect the events to happen that day.
I don't think Donghae did either.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ♥
Sleep. Eat. Work. Dance. Coffee.
That's basically what my day was like. The same thing over and over, not going out of sync and not getting off track. Everyday I started with coffee and I ended it with coffee...plus Donghae.
The moment I walked into the shop, a sudden rush of adrenaline ran through me. I shivered for a second and looked around. The atmosphere in the room was different, but everything else was the same. Workers were still scrambling to put in orders, customers were lounging around, and the same songs were still playing. I wondered what was so different that night.
Quickly taking my coffee and muffin, I made my way to the room where our seats were. No one came into the room often, probably because it was in the back and a little hard to find. But when you look out the window, you can see everything: the shops across the street, the park with the huge fountain, everything. I always liked this spot, because it helped me open my eyes to the outside world.
I stepped into the room and immediately stopped in my tracks. There he was, sitting alone with a book in his hands, his hair not as untamed as before, a dress shirt unbuttoned to the fourth button, and a soft tune playing in the background.
Donghae.
I felt a breath of air leave my lips when he looked up and noticed me standing there. He stood up and smiled that bright smile of his at me once I regained my senses and walked back to the table. The world seemed quiet whenever I was with Donghae; it felt like it was just the two of us alone, with no one to bring us back to reality.
Like we were in our own fantasy world.
I couldn't help but wonder if he had the same thoughts as me. When you get that feeling of immense happiness, you can't stop smiling, your heart beats like crazy, and finally you feel like everything is perfect. That's how I feel when I'm with Donghae. He's the perfect ending to my days, with his loud laugh, perfect smile, and fish-like features. It's just us two, Hyukjae and Donghae, alone in our world.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ♥
"Hyukkie?"
I was looking at him, but not really. Sure, my eyes were practically boring holes into his, but my mind was somewhere else, pondering what made tonight so different from previous nights.
Maybe it was his aura, he seemed nervous but with a slight flicker of excitement. His hugs were a few moments longer than before, his smiles were brighter, and a sudden rush of adrenaline would come whenever he touched my hand.
"HYUKJAE!" Donghae is practically screaming my name. I shook my head and came back to reality. Donghae shoots me another smile that makes me feel all warm on the inside.
"let's go on a walk, Hyukkie," he said, as he took my hand in his, dragging me out of the door and into the city's streets. The lighting difference from the dim shop and the tremendously bright lights forces me to squint; but I don't need to see because Donghae's hands are leading me to our new destination. He led us down the busiest streets of the city before turning into the park. Here, there weren't as many lights. Here, you could see every star twinkling in the night's sky.
I smiled as I remembered what I told Donghae before. "The park is always a nice place to go if you wanna be alone with someone. And if you go at night, you get to see almost every star shining down on you." He ate it all up and changed the subject before I could ask him why.
ANd now, here were were. Donghae led me to the swings and let go of my hand before settling down into the swing set. He gestured to the swing next to him and asked, "Hyuk, do you remember what I asked you? About a good place for a night to look up at the sky and just be free?" He looked at me, then back up at the full moon.
I nodded, taking another look at him. He seemed so peaceful and content with everything when he looked up at the moon. "I asked you that because I wanted to bring you here," he whispered into the air. "I need to tell you something."
My breath was caught in my throat. The way he said that made me feel nervous, like I did something wrong and I still don't know that it was. But those thoughts were dismissed when he stood in front of me with a smile.
A moment of silence passed. I squirmed in my seat, wondering what was going to happen next. "Lee Hyukjae, I love you."
I swear I was going to pass out because my heart was beating so fast. Luckily I didn't, he still had more to say.
"I get this..feeling whenever I'm around you, it's kinda like butterflies in my stomach. But multiply that by like, ten. And whenever you laugh, Hyukkie, god it makes me crazy. Even when you're just looking out into space, I still have that rush of emotion. And then at the end of the day, I realize that I'm crazy for you and that I'm actually in love.
"And you know, you're like a cup of coffee. You keep me going through the day because I know, at every end, I get to see you. You're like the sun and I'm the moon, without you, I can't shine in the night," he said, letting the words slip off his tongue and into my ears. A smile breaks out onto his face. "Crazy, huh?"
Laughing, I stood up and made my way over to where he was. I smiled at him and pulled him close. "Not at all, Hae. Because you know, the stars? They shine for you. The sun gives the moon its light and the moon just has so much light from it, the stars reflect it back to the sun to give it their thanks," I mumbled, not entirely sure if that made sense or not. "Except in this case, you're the sun and I happen to be the moon."
He chuckled and pressed his forehead to mine. Humming a lullaby, he took my hands and intertwined ours together. We stood there, swaying in the park, the moon's light shining down on us.
"I love you Hyukjae," he mumbled, leaning closer to me, his face just centimeters from mine. I close the gap between us, letting our lips touch lightly. And oh god, his lips were so soft when they touched mine.
"I love you Hae."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ♥
Maybe this is how our world works. There is that one person out there, who will love you for you, who will see your imperfections and turn them into your best features, and who will be your best friend whenever the world turns its back on you. It's that one person who is your world, no one else.
And when you find them, you have your own world where everything is just right. I've found the other half of my heart.
Lee Donghae, I love you from the bottom of my heart. Saranghaeyo.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ♥
A/N. OMG YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUZ!
eunhae ftw. :D failed!fluff, so sad i know. ;________; this turned out longer than i expected, but whatever. (;
PART OF THE 100SUJUFANFICCHALLENGE ! <3
comment if you love EUNHAE ^^
Black, no cream, no sugar. I liked my coffee strong in the morning, it helped me wake up, especially on those super lazy days when you don't want to wake up but have no choice but to. The coffee shop I always went to knew me by name, since I go there three or more times a day, seven days a week...literally. A morning cup at around 7 in the morning, a lunch cup with a bagel sandwich at noon, and a winding down cup with a scone on the side at around 8PM. This was my routine, one that I actually liked. I stuck with this schedule - it was a pretty strict schedule if you ask me - because there were no distractions.
That is, until I met him.
He simply waltzed into the shop, immediately coming into my view. He, with his curly and unruly hair, black skinny jeans, and a simple dress shirt had managed to catch my attention, even if it was for a second. There was something about him that just made him stand out from the others. Maybe it was his pale skin, his chocolate eyes, or it's could've been the way he held himself : head held high and a posture that exhaled pride in his body. Never mind that, I couldn't take my eyes off of him.
I was never one to admire from afar, but he was a different case. The window at which I was seated at had an extra seat next to it and I couldn't help but wish that this - somewhat, mind you - attractive boy would plop down next to me and maybe strike up a conversation. My coffee and scone sat next to me, their scents silently begging me to consume them. Needless to say, I gave in and began nibbling on my scone, my eyes not leaving the newcomer for a second.
While going into relaxation mode, I saw another body slump down into the seat next to me. I, being an annoyingly curious person, peeked at the other and quietly thanked the gods. There he was, hair askew, shirt collar loose, with a coffee on the table next to him. He sat quietly, looking out the window, lost in thought. I cursed myself for not having the ability to conjure up a decent topic to discuss.
"Do you liked the city?" The question popped out of nowhere, like a random shooting star in a starless sky. I looked around, wondering who was asking. Turning my attention back to its original position, the new boy was chuckling, his eyes twinkling towards me. He was asking ME this whole time?!
Was to look like a loser, Hyukjae.
"Oh! Uh...well. I-I-I guess it's alright. But I like a little peace and quiet d-during the night," I stuttered, unable to meet his gaze. Instead, my eyes looked outside toward the night's sky, where you couldn't see many stars thanks to the blinding city lights. The boy sighed and settled deeper into the cushioned chair.
A moment of silence passed between the conversation before he spoke again. "Maybe if the stars weren't so afraid of city lights, this place would be perfect. Too bad they're in hiding," he muttered, taking a sip from his cup.
I frowned. What the hell do I say to that? Oh, well if you go out down the hills far enough, the stars will welcome you? Nah, that probably won't work. Deciding in order to save myself from humiliation, I kept my mouth shut before anything else came out of my mouth. It's only been ten minutes and my tongue is tied along with my heart beating at a hundred miles per minute.
"You dance?" the same voice asked again. I attempted to meet his eyes but right when they made contact, I adverted my eyes back to the window. I nodded and leaned forward, trying to show interest in the conversation. Of course, I would interested in any talking matter if it included him. He smiled and continued talking, engaging me into an actual conversation.
Eleven o' clock rolled around and we were still talking about dancing, music, singing, everything of the sort. It was about two cups of coffee, three scones, and four bathroom breaks did I realize how late it was getting. Honestly, those three hours felt like thirty minutes in my world.
"Oh! Look at the time," I sighed, taking a quick look at my watch. I gulped down the rest of the coffee I had left in the cup and grinned at the other man. A look of disappointment shot across his face when I stood up and looked at him. Then, his question that we hadn't bothered to ask before came up.
"What's your name?" he asked, his head slightly cocked to side as he looked at me with big eyes.
"Lee Hyukjae. But you can call me Eunhyuk."
He smiled, silently mouthing my name. "Lee Hyukjae," he said, testing it out on his tongue. "I'm Lee Donghae."
Lee Donghae. The name stuck to me right when it left his mouth. It was glued to my brain, not wanting to get out. After our farewells and goodbyes, we had agreed to meet again at the coffee shop.
Like I said, it was just an innocent cup of coffee.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ♥
Two weeks passed since our first late-night encounter at the coffee shop. Donghae and I had grown considerably close, which made me jump for joy at the end of each day. Yes, those same feelings still lingered since that day and sometimes they go into overdrive whenever we sit and talk. Whether it be at the coffee shop or at the park, the conversation went along smoothly, like a ship cruising towards a peaceful sunset.
Not the greatest analogy, but hey. When your mind is overcome with these thoughts, anything goes.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ♥
At the end of each day, I would step inside the familiar coffee shop and breathe in the scents of strong coffee, sweet scones and hot chocolate, and maybe a little bit of blueberry muffins in the kitchen. The sounds of cups clinking, blenders humming, and the small murmurs of conversation somehow made me relaxed, not matter how stressed I was. The seats Donghae and I usually sat in were hardly ever seen with a person sitting in them, which gave me relief. It was nice to know that our "spot" was rarely invaded during our absence.
I order the same thing every time I visit the shop : a black coffee no sugar or cream with a blueberry muffin on the side. If I was feeling a little out there, a cup of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows would be in my hands when I sat down and relaxed. I usually stay like this for a couple of minutes before a finger pokes me in the cheek and another body sits across from me.
This is how Donghae makes an entrance. He would smile, his straight and white teeth glistening in the somewhat dim lighting of the room. His hair was always messy or ruffled up, the same look when you just got out of bed and don't have time to look in the mirror. But on him, it was just...what's the word? Gorgeous. Everything about him was, if I was honest.
The hours spent with him were never ones, they were pretty much the best party of my day. I could sit and talk with him, both of us with content looks on our faces as we looked out the window. Talking wasn't necessarily a difficult thing to do. We were talkers; it's what we do.
Most of our days went like this, casual conversation, two guys lounging around after a long day's work. But there was one day that stuck out from all the other days. I don't think I'll let this memory fade like a photograph. No, I'll keep it in my pocket and remember it forever.
I didn't expect the events to happen that day.
I don't think Donghae did either.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ♥
Sleep. Eat. Work. Dance. Coffee.
That's basically what my day was like. The same thing over and over, not going out of sync and not getting off track. Everyday I started with coffee and I ended it with coffee...plus Donghae.
The moment I walked into the shop, a sudden rush of adrenaline ran through me. I shivered for a second and looked around. The atmosphere in the room was different, but everything else was the same. Workers were still scrambling to put in orders, customers were lounging around, and the same songs were still playing. I wondered what was so different that night.
Quickly taking my coffee and muffin, I made my way to the room where our seats were. No one came into the room often, probably because it was in the back and a little hard to find. But when you look out the window, you can see everything: the shops across the street, the park with the huge fountain, everything. I always liked this spot, because it helped me open my eyes to the outside world.
I stepped into the room and immediately stopped in my tracks. There he was, sitting alone with a book in his hands, his hair not as untamed as before, a dress shirt unbuttoned to the fourth button, and a soft tune playing in the background.
Donghae.
I felt a breath of air leave my lips when he looked up and noticed me standing there. He stood up and smiled that bright smile of his at me once I regained my senses and walked back to the table. The world seemed quiet whenever I was with Donghae; it felt like it was just the two of us alone, with no one to bring us back to reality.
Like we were in our own fantasy world.
I couldn't help but wonder if he had the same thoughts as me. When you get that feeling of immense happiness, you can't stop smiling, your heart beats like crazy, and finally you feel like everything is perfect. That's how I feel when I'm with Donghae. He's the perfect ending to my days, with his loud laugh, perfect smile, and fish-like features. It's just us two, Hyukjae and Donghae, alone in our world.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ♥
"Hyukkie?"
I was looking at him, but not really. Sure, my eyes were practically boring holes into his, but my mind was somewhere else, pondering what made tonight so different from previous nights.
Maybe it was his aura, he seemed nervous but with a slight flicker of excitement. His hugs were a few moments longer than before, his smiles were brighter, and a sudden rush of adrenaline would come whenever he touched my hand.
"HYUKJAE!" Donghae is practically screaming my name. I shook my head and came back to reality. Donghae shoots me another smile that makes me feel all warm on the inside.
"let's go on a walk, Hyukkie," he said, as he took my hand in his, dragging me out of the door and into the city's streets. The lighting difference from the dim shop and the tremendously bright lights forces me to squint; but I don't need to see because Donghae's hands are leading me to our new destination. He led us down the busiest streets of the city before turning into the park. Here, there weren't as many lights. Here, you could see every star twinkling in the night's sky.
I smiled as I remembered what I told Donghae before. "The park is always a nice place to go if you wanna be alone with someone. And if you go at night, you get to see almost every star shining down on you." He ate it all up and changed the subject before I could ask him why.
ANd now, here were were. Donghae led me to the swings and let go of my hand before settling down into the swing set. He gestured to the swing next to him and asked, "Hyuk, do you remember what I asked you? About a good place for a night to look up at the sky and just be free?" He looked at me, then back up at the full moon.
I nodded, taking another look at him. He seemed so peaceful and content with everything when he looked up at the moon. "I asked you that because I wanted to bring you here," he whispered into the air. "I need to tell you something."
My breath was caught in my throat. The way he said that made me feel nervous, like I did something wrong and I still don't know that it was. But those thoughts were dismissed when he stood in front of me with a smile.
A moment of silence passed. I squirmed in my seat, wondering what was going to happen next. "Lee Hyukjae, I love you."
I swear I was going to pass out because my heart was beating so fast. Luckily I didn't, he still had more to say.
"I get this..feeling whenever I'm around you, it's kinda like butterflies in my stomach. But multiply that by like, ten. And whenever you laugh, Hyukkie, god it makes me crazy. Even when you're just looking out into space, I still have that rush of emotion. And then at the end of the day, I realize that I'm crazy for you and that I'm actually in love.
"And you know, you're like a cup of coffee. You keep me going through the day because I know, at every end, I get to see you. You're like the sun and I'm the moon, without you, I can't shine in the night," he said, letting the words slip off his tongue and into my ears. A smile breaks out onto his face. "Crazy, huh?"
Laughing, I stood up and made my way over to where he was. I smiled at him and pulled him close. "Not at all, Hae. Because you know, the stars? They shine for you. The sun gives the moon its light and the moon just has so much light from it, the stars reflect it back to the sun to give it their thanks," I mumbled, not entirely sure if that made sense or not. "Except in this case, you're the sun and I happen to be the moon."
He chuckled and pressed his forehead to mine. Humming a lullaby, he took my hands and intertwined ours together. We stood there, swaying in the park, the moon's light shining down on us.
"I love you Hyukjae," he mumbled, leaning closer to me, his face just centimeters from mine. I close the gap between us, letting our lips touch lightly. And oh god, his lips were so soft when they touched mine.
"I love you Hae."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ♥
Maybe this is how our world works. There is that one person out there, who will love you for you, who will see your imperfections and turn them into your best features, and who will be your best friend whenever the world turns its back on you. It's that one person who is your world, no one else.
And when you find them, you have your own world where everything is just right. I've found the other half of my heart.
Lee Donghae, I love you from the bottom of my heart. Saranghaeyo.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ♥
A/N. OMG YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUZ!
eunhae ftw. :D failed!fluff, so sad i know. ;________; this turned out longer than i expected, but whatever. (;
PART OF THE 100SUJUFANFICCHALLENGE ! <3
comment if you love EUNHAE ^^