4 drabbles / 3 taoris + 1 kaisoo
kaisoo
There are days when Kyungsoo finds himself sitting in the cosy cafe two streets down, ordering the same things over and over again -- spending his daily allowances on coffee and cake. He doesn't regret it when the barista over the counter raises an eyebrow, throwing the tablecloth over to the back and sends him a knowing smile.
"Let me guess," fingers hovering above the register. "Espresso, double-shot?"
Kyungsoo nods shyly, all words flying out of the tempered glass door. "And a carrot cake, please."
He hands over exactly seven dollars and forty cents, before realizing that his usual seat had been taken by a couple of girls on their laptops. Kyungsoo frowns, glancing about and decided to take the table in the corner -- though unable to hide his disappointment in being unable to see the barista for once.
It's kind of a daily thing; caffeine wakes you up, he tells himself. Kyungsoo usually stays for about an hour or two -- savoring the cake --- and sometimes, he would let his eyes stray over to the cute barista at the front counter. Kyungsoo likes to think that he knows of the barista's schedule (not exactly), where he has already clocked in by two, and six was his break. At seven, the barista would take over kitchen duty, and his smiley colleague would step out till it was nine. Kyungsoo doesn't even know how long he has been coming in for -- but if the barista could now remember his orders, he must be some sort of regular, wasn't he?
"Kyungsoo?" An uncertain voice calls out, feet shuffling coming to an entire halt.
Looking up, Kyungsoo sees the same barista balancing a tray whilst his notebook was placed beside the cup of coffee. "You left it on the counter," he says, glancing down to the orange booklet.
"Ah."
Chuckling, the barista places Kyungsoo's orders on the table, before turning to walk away.
Then again, there are times when Kyungsoo can't help but throw shade at himself for missing out on chances. The cute barista was just right in front of him, and it was no one else's fault that he couldn't will the bravery to say something -- anything -- other than 'ah'.
God fucking damn it 'ah'.
Kyungsoo sighs, picking up his tiny cup of espresso before sighing and placing it down, leaving it untouched. The giant 'Do Kyungsoo' written over the cover of his book was with all courtesies done by Baekhyun, and Kyungsoo really wasn't sure if having the cute barista read the cutesy messages left by Chanyeol all over (next to the giant scribble) was embarrassing, or if the way his name left the other's lips was kind of a compliment.
A torn piece of paper flew out of his book when Kyungsoo flips it open, landing right on top of his carrot cake. A soft whine makes their way out of the college student, before he realizes what was written on the paper.
You really do like your espresso... I've noticed you for the past few months.
Is there anyway we can talk a little more? ;) - Kai
And Kyungsoo decides that maybe, just maybe, the week isn't going that bad after-all, when he notices the cute barista smiling back at him.
Kai.
-
taoris
001.
Tao has never looked back on trusting the other; the world was so wide and the sky so vast. He knows that his eyes shimmers with hope and a pit-full of wishes that would never be fulfilled, but things were more complicated than it seemed.
"Let me take you away," Kris whispers one day.
"We'll leave this place full of judgement and not to ever return."
Tao looked into his eyes and decides to never regret his choice because he swears-at that moment...
They were invincible.
002.
"Give me your hand."
The day Kris understands how perfectly their hands fitted each other… It may or may not have too late. Wrists atop of the other, fingers sliding and entwining. Was it a little saddening to know that the chance had been blown, and such a beautiful being could never belong to him?
Tao no longer looks at him with lovestruck eyes-something Kris had grown to love over time-but there was never a choice to begin with. He feels iffy with Chanyeol right beside him, but just for the moment...
"Does your smile reflect your heart, or is it all just a show?" Kris finds himself braving up and asking.
"If it does… I'm sorry. I never meant to lead you on." he whispers.
The chuckle Tao lets out came off as bitter - broken, even.
"Go."
"Bu-"
"I don't ever want to see your face again." Tao inhales a shaky breath, tears falling as his lips quaked.
"Go!"
Kris leaves, but he doesn't miss the way Tao falls onto his knees with a padded 'thud', and the muffled cries he covers with his hands. He would have apologized, but was it really worth the try when Tao wouldn't have bothered to listen? Kris still finds himself mumbling 'I'm sorry' as he runs out of the building…
Realizing that...
Life was filled with ups and downs, injustice will never be redressed, and that broken hearts may be mended - but stitches would never be able to cover up the scars.
That...
He was probably just as broken as Tao was.
And that...
He just might love him.
003.
"I've heard that they only live for twenty-four hours." Tao whispers over to the other, as the fireflies continue to fly about in circles. "They look just like shooting stars." he mumbles.
If it were possible, Zi Tao would love to sit out in the open and watch the little lightning bugs soar around. 'If you watch them from a distance, they actually look like tiny links for constellations.' , someone had told him once.
"They're just bugs." Kris laments, swatting away a couple of them as they flew near him. "And it's so warm. Whoever told you it was a good idea to sit out at night, in the middle of summer deserves to be killed."
"Special bugs, and will it really hurt to just enjoy a moment of peace and quiet?"
"They sound just like crickets!"
God.
Kris doesn't forget to chuckle as Tao turns his head away while he lets out a snort. He reaches over to wrap his hands around the younger boy's shoulder, pulling him in. As warm as the night was, Kris couldn't deny the fact that having Tao's head leaning on his shoulders was something of utter bliss.
"I just realized something." Kris starts, letting his free hand point at the sky. "There's a similarity between you and the fireflies."
"That I light up your life?" Tao rolls his eyes, "You're so predictable." he scoffs.
"No, no. I was about to say that both sound just like crickets and are a pain in the ass, but I guess tha-" Kris wasn't able to finish his words as Tao pushes him off with a look of horror plastered on his face.
"I am going to beat you." Tao utters in a monotonous voice.
"Just kidding!" Kris exclaims, unable to hold in his laughter. "Or not." he adds at the end, but mouths another 'kidding!' when the other glares at him.
But at the end of the night as Kris leans in for a light kiss with the younger boy beneath the blanket of fireflies, he couldn't help but but pull away with a smile.
"Yeah." he mumbles against Tao's lips.
You lighten up my life.
004.
'Anything for you.'
Maybe a phrase as simple as that was being overused-but it never did get old.
Tao realizes that Kris may or may not have been kidding, when he said that he would jump off a building to prove his love. He didn't jump off, of course, but the mere thought of living the rest of his days without Kris was just... horrible.
Their noses lightly rubbed against the other, arms tightly wrapped around clothed skin. "I knew you wouldn't let me fall." Kris says obnoxiously.
Tao rolls his eyes and pushes him off. "Only because it'll be a hassle cleaning your mess." He mutters, unable to hide the slight tug up on his lips.
"Whatever you say." Kris reaches out to pull Tao into another hug, lips leaning in to capture him for another kiss... and another...
and another...
and another...
"Disgusting."
'till Ren barges in with an unwilling Baekho in tow.
Tao sticks his tongue out at the intruding pair, loosening his grip on Kris and shifted to share a brief hug with Ren. As much as Tao disliked entertaining company, the younger boy in his arms would always be an exception. It just wouldn't be the same without a little chatterbox around and clinging to him-much to Baekho and Kris's dismay-but hey.
"You." Ren says, eyes squinting at the tallest person around. "I don't like you."
Kris scoffs, shaking his head in exasperation. "And what makes you think that I like you?"
"You've got no choice because I'm your boyfriend's best friend."
"Well princess, news flash! I'm Tao's boyfriend, and it's time for you to live with it!" Kris exclaims, hand pointing out to the door.
Tao only laughs before pulling Ren onto the couch, the both of them chattering about the latest gossip they had gotten from the hair salon, leaving Kris to glare at the same spot they had just been at moments ago.
A pat by Baekho on his back knocks him back to reality. "How do you even deal with that?" Kris says, "No- Wait. That was a rhetorical question."
"The same way you deal with yours."
"Fuck you."
Which was true, and both of them agrees that love was indeed blind. After all the tantrums thrown by the other, they would still end up going back to how they were from the start. They would continue with their daily talks, the little intimate touches, and subtle sexual innuendos in the public.
Because sometimes, they realize that by the end of the day... They would still be waiting for each other, cherishing their company for the rest of their lives.