A Thing Going On
Donghae sat at the tiny café table, idly doodling shapes on the hardwood table with his index finger. The atmosphere in the little coffee shop was warm and quiet, a direct contrast to the torrents of rain pouring out side. Soft strains of music from the jukebox in the corner mixed with the pitter patter of droplets on the window to create a song for those who listened. The scent of coffee in the air was strong, but with time, the aroma would fade from the senses.
Donghae’s eyes swept across the shop, empty save for himself and an elderly man with a newspaper. His eyes did not linger long on anything; he’d studied the shop so many times that the image of the interior was permanently indented into his mind. Pausing with his drawings, he picked up his now cold cup of coffee and took a sip, nose wrinkling slightly as the bitter liquid hit his tongue. As he set his cup down, he turned his wrist to view his watch. 6:30P.M.
A jingling noise indicated that the door had been opened, and not a couple seconds later, a cold breeze blew through the shop, robbing it of all its prior warmth. Donghae shivered slightly and closed his eyes, counting slowly in his head. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. On the last count, there was the sound of a chair scrapping on the floor opposite of him. Donghae opened his eyes slowly.
“Hey,” greeted Eunhyuk, eyes brighter than the lamp hanging above their table. He shrugged off his coat, pausing to hang it on the back of the chair before taking a seat.
“Hey,” Donghae returned, drinking in the sight of the man before him.
Eunhyuk brushed his damp bangs out of his eyes, shaking his head in a manner that resembled a dog. “I don’t think it has ever rained this hard before,” he commented. “The traffic was agonizing. There was an accident down on Main.”
“Wasn’t so bad when I came.”
A barista came and placed two fresh cups of coffee in front of the two before whisking Donghae’s finished one away. Eunhyuk smiled gratefully as he picked up his cup to warm his fingers. Donghae watched the steam escape from the little hole in the lid, swirling into disappearance. Eunhyuk took one huge gulp of his drink, sighing with satisfaction as he swallowed.
“There’s nothing like a hot cup of coffee after a long day,” he mused.
The corners of Donghae’s lips quirked upwards, and he nudged his cup towards Eunhyuk. “Here. Have mine.”
Eunhyuk raised an eyebrow at Donghae. “Are you sure? Don’t you want it?”
Donghae shook his head, propping up his chin on a hand. “I’ve been trying to lay off the caffeine. Besides, you’d probably end up stealing it anyways.”
“You know me too well,” Eunhyuk chuckled. He finished his cup and quickly moved on to the second one. He finished that in record time also. “I swear, this place makes the best coffee.”
Donghae smirked and shook his head. “Any caffeine will do for you.” Eunhyuk conceded with an incline of his head. The two sat in familiar silence, broken only by soft notes of music, not compelled to discuss any frivolities.
Donghae stared at Hyukjae’s face, eyes tracing every curve, every dip, until he reached his eyes. Eunhyuk’s eyes were staring straight back, gentle. The song playing transitioned to a new one.
“Do you remember this song?” Eunhyuk broke the silence at last.
“Our favorite song, how can I forget?” Donghae hummed along a bit, music swaying him side to side. Eunhyuk grinned and imitated the movement, both their bodies in perfect synchronization. Donghae smiled at that, struck by a desire to pull Eunhyuk out of his chair and pull him flush against his body for a slow dance. But he didn’t.
Instead, Donghae reached across the table, taking Eunhyuk’s left hand. His hand was warm as always and fitted perfectly into his own. Eunhyuk smiled at the action, giving Donghae’s hand a small squeeze. Donghae stared at Eunhyuk’s hand, brushing his thumb over the indent on Eunhyuk’s finger. Donghae felt Eunhyuk’s hand tense up a bit, and he stroked the latter’s knuckles soothingly.
“One day, we will go somewhere together, somewhere tropical,” stated Eunhyuk.
“I’ve heard Tahiti is a nice place,” Donghae offered, shifting his eyes to Eunhyuk’s.
“Hmm, Tahiti would be great. We could just sit in the sun all day, not doing anything.”
“Sipping those drinks with mini umbrelllas.”
Eunhyuk laughed. “Yeah, those little umbrellas.”
There was a jingling noise as the door opened again. Eunhyuk abruptly jerked his hand from Donghae’s, glancing surreptitiously at the door. Once he ascertained that it was simply the elderly man leaving, he turned back with an apologetic grin.
“What was I saying again?”
“Tahiti. Doing nothing. Mini umbrellas,” Donghae prompted.
“Oh, right. One day,” said Eunhyuk.
Donghae stretched his fingers, slowly losing the heat of Eunhyuk’s hand. “Maybe.”
Turning his wrist over, Eunhyuk glanced at his watch. “Huh, 7 P.M. already. Time does fly.” He tossed a couple of bills onto the table. They both got up from their table, each shrugging on their respective coats as they headed towards the door.
“It’s still raining cats and dogs,” Eunhyuk observed, looking out the window. He turned back to Donghae, concern evident on his face. “Do you want a ride home today? You shouldn’t walk in the rain.”
“It’s alright,” Donghae declined, taking his umbrella from the stand next to the door. “I’m used to it.”
“Are you sure?” Eunhyuk prodded.
“I said it’s fine,” snapped Donghae, a tad bit testily. He immediately regretted it.
Eunhyuk looked slightly taken aback, but accepted Donghae’s silent apology. “I was just worried you might catch a cold, that’s all.” He made to open the door, but then stopped, smiling sheepishly at Donghae. “Oh, almost forgot.” Eunhyuk dug into his coat pocket and emerged with a simple gold band. Unable to tear his gaze away, Donghae watched as Eunhyuk slipped it onto his own finger, fitting it snugly into the indent.
“Alright then.” Eunhyuk picked up his own umbrella from the stand. “Take care.” He opened the door.
“Eunhyuk,” Donghae blurted out before he could stop himself. Eunhyuk paused, giving Donghae a questioning gaze. Donghae stared at Eunhyuk, mouth slightly opened, weighing the consequences of saying the words that tugged at his heart.
“Donghae?” Eunhyuk prompted when the younger did not continue.
Stay with me, don’t go, even if it’s just five more minutes, screamed Donghae’s mind. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” his mouth choked out.
The confusion on Eunhyuk’s face smoothed out into a small smile. “Same time, same place as always,” he agreed. Opening his umbrella, he stepped out the door and into the rain. “Good night, Donghae.”
Donghae watched as Eunhyuk ran across the parking lot to get to his car, taking with him the tatters of Donghae’s heart. “Good night,” he whispered. He lingered at the door for a moment, eyes following as Eunhyuk’s car pulled out of the parking lot and onto the busy, wet streets. Once he could no longer see the vehicle, Donghae unfurled his umbrella and walked the other way.
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A/N: Inspired by Me and Mrs. Jones by Michael Buble.