Bad weather, bad coffee for thechenesis
For: thechenesis
Title: Bad Weather, Bad Coffee
Pairing(s): Chanyeol/Chen
Rating: PG-13
Length: 2.5k
Summary: Chanyeol doesn’t have any luck with the weather, but he does have some with the cute barista where he performs on Saturdays.
Author’s note: I ,,, had such a struggle with this. There was a couple of times where everything went wrong-from my internet breaking to my laptop just plain not working BUT I DID IT and i hope you like it !! i strayed from the prompt a little bit,,,, but i hope everyone enjoys this !! (also thanks to the mods for being so patient with me ;;;;; )
It’s Saturday again when Chanyeol pushes his way into the cafe on the corner, guitar case on his back and messenger bag held above his head to shield the rain away from his face. He wipes his feet on the welcome mat and waves to a couple who recognise him before making his way over to the makeshift stage the cafe has set up for situations like this.
He places his guitar case and bag on the floor, glancing over his shoulder towards the register. He’s not there-yet-but Junmyeon is. Chanyeol walks over to him and waves when Junmyeon smiles. Junmyeon’s an old friend from secondary school, and when the elder had mentioned a free spot for a certain musician on weekends, Chanyeol couldn’t resist.
“Good afternoon, Chanyeol. Is the rain bad?” Junmyeon asks, voice soft as he focuses on making someone’s drink.
“It’s not too bad, just a slight drizzle, but I think it’ll get worse as the day goes on I think,” Chanyeol replies, leaning against the short counter. The cafe is Junmyeon’s own, and he designed it after his own aesthetic.
The walls are a neutral cream, and the back wall is a pastel pink shade. All of the chairs and tables match, but the cushions on the sofas and pictures hung on the walls are all personal to the cafe and, by default, Junmyeon himself. Chanyeol’s even in one of them, an old polaroid of them both in college pinned up on a corkboard. There’s signed CD albums of bands Junmyeon doesn’t listen to anymore and nice messages written to him pinned up alongside the pictures. It makes Chanyeol feel happy everytime he visits, whether it’s for work or just on his own time.
Junmyeon hums, nodding his head slightly. “I see, that’s unfortunate. You didn’t bring an umbrella again, did you?”
Chanyeol grins sheepishly, and Junmyeon rolls his eyes, affectionate. “You dope, you can borrow mine. Give me a second,” He says, picking up the drink he finished making before walking off with it, presumably to the customer who ordered it.
Chanyeol waits at the counter, glancing around the cafe some more. Everytime he looks, there seems to be something he’d missed and hadn’t seen before.
“I’m finally in one of those,” A voice says, and Chanyeol snaps his head around to face whoever spoke.
“Excuse me?” Chanyeol asks, swallowing. It’s him. The cute barista Junmyeon had hired just a month ago. He works weekends and Chanyeol always sees him, even if he tries not to.
“The pictures,” The man points with a washcloth towards the corkboard of polaroids. “Yixing took one of me when he came in, and Junmyeon decided I looked pretty enough to match his aesthetic,”
“I’m not sure piercings are Junmyeon’s aesthetic,” Chanyeol says, and regrets it a second later.
The man, however, barks out a laugh, eyes crinkling cutely in the corners. “Yeah, me neither, guess I got lucky with that one,”
The man in question has his septum pierced. It’s not the only visible piercing he has-he has some on his ears too-but the rest are covered by his unruly brown hair. Chanyeol thinks he looks like a poodle, but Baekhyun says he looks like a packet of dry instant noodles.
“Sorry, I see you every week but we never talk. I’m Jongdae,” The man-Jongdae-says, holding his hand out over the counter.
“Chanyeol,” He says, taking Jongdae’s hand and shaking it. “Sorry, I don’t normally stay too long after,”
“I know,” Jongdae smirks, looking awfully feline. “I never get chance to offer you a drink,”
“I don’t drink coffee,” Chanyeol barely has time to reply before Junmyeon walks back over, smiling at both of them.
“Ah, you’ve finally met,” Junmyeon comments, standing next to Jongdae. Jongdae’s not much taller, but he holds himself straighter than Junmyeon, whose’ spine is permanently shaped like an ‘S’ from all the paperwork he fills out.
Chanyeol also notices that Jongdae’s thinner, his waist is smaller and his legs are less bulky than Junmyeon’s. Although, Chanyeol can vaguely make out some muscle on Jongdae’s arms under his uniform.
“Shouldn’t you be getting started, Chanyeol?” Junmyeon asks, snapping Chanyeol out of his thoughts. He stumbles, nodding and spewing a string of a affirmations as he makes his way over to the stage. His cheeks are burning and he doesn’t dare look back at Jongdae.
Music doesn’t make Chanyeol any less clumsy, but it does make him more focused. Chanyeol’s just naturally long-limbed and he throws his weight around whenever he’s excited, and music won’t ever fix that. However, it does relax him and calms him to a level that he can operate at. His fingers shake less and his voice doesn’t waver as much.
He doesn’t play for long, only a couple of songs, but he opens his eyes to find Jongdae staring at him. The confidence fades and he smiles shyly at the barista, smile only growing as Jongdae gives him a double thumbs up.
“Are you staying for a coffee this time?” Jongdae asks when Chanyeol walks over, bag slung over his shoulder and carrying his guitar case.
“I told you, I don’t like coffee,” Chanyeol answers, smiling when Jongdae looks up at him.
“Can I take you out for a drink tonight, then?” Jongdae counters, pressing a lid onto a takeout coffee cup.
Chanyeol’s smile tightens, and he sighs through his nose before replying. “I’m can’t tonight, sorry,”
Jongdae’s confidence doesn’t waver though, and he shrugs a shoulder. “I’ll ask again next week, don’t book anything. Here’s the tips you got today,”
Chanyeol watches as Jongdae gathers the notes and coins that were left for him and puts them in a small sea green envelope. Chanyeol doesn’t miss how Jongdae’s fingers rest on Chanyeol’s open palm for a second longer than normal.
“See you next week,” He says, ending the conversation by calling out the name of the customer who had ordered a drink. Chanyeol forgets Junmyeon’s umbrella.
X
Chanyeol does see Jongdae next week, and sooner than he’d expected.
Chanyeol walks into the cafe on a Tuesday, eyes widening in surprise when he notices Jongdae working the counter.
“I didn’t expect to see you back so soon,” Jongdae says when Chanyeol stops in front of him. He dusts his hands off on his apron and smiles up at the taller man.
“I was in the neighbourhood,” Chanyeol shrugs a shoulder nonchalantly, looking to the side to avoid Jongdae’s sharp eyes and feline smile.
“I see, so, what can I do for you?”
“A regular hot chocolate to go, please,” Chanyeol says, digging in his pocket to pull out a single note. He receives the change from Jongdae but then instantly returns it to the tip jar, not missing the small glint in Jongdae’s eyes.
Chanyeol waits as Jongdae busies himself with Chanyeol’s order. He uses this time to check out the barista some more, letting himself be more obvious this time.
Jongdae’s got his back turned to Chanyeol, and Chanyeol shamelessly lets his eyes linger on the man’s thighs and ass. Junmyeon doesn’t seem to be around at the moment, so there’s no one to stare disapprovingly at him.
“Here you are,” Jongdae announces, spinning around on his heels. He presses a lid onto Chanyeol’s cup and smiles sweeter than the drink he ordered. “Have a nice day,”
“You too,” Chanyeol nods, waving to Jongdae as he exits the cafe.
He only notices it when he gets home, but Jongdae had written something else on his cup alongside his name.
“XXXXX-XXX-XXX
‘,:3c”
Chanyeol snorts a laugh out of his nose, shaking his head at the cute face Jongdae had added. He places the cup down on his coffee table and fishes his phone out of his back pocket. Using the number on the cup as a reference, Chanyeol quickly types out a message and sends it without too much worry.
To: Jongdae
‘,:3c
really
also hi its chanyeol lol
The number doesn’t respond for a while, and Chanyeol waits until his phone locks itself naturally before standing and continuing on with the rest of his day plans.
He checks his phone a couple of hours later, when he’s sat at his desk and taking a short break from working on a new composition. It’s around 5pm and Jongdae had texted him back less than 15 minutes ago, so Chanyeol can only guess that it’s the end of Jongdae’s shift.
From: Jongdae
What,,,,its cute
And i know its u i dont exactly give out my numbers to strangers on styrofoam cups too often
To: Jongdae
but you still do? do i have competition??
From: Jongdae
Why ,r u interested?
‘,:3c
To: Jongdae
not if you keep using that face
From: Jongdae
‘.:3c
,’:3c
*Wiggles eyebrows*
To: Jongdae
wow youre a dork
They continue texting, and Chanyeol practically forgets about his work until Jongdae starts asking about what he does. Chanyeol learns a lot about Jongdae in the hours that they spend texting. Like that he’s working part time for Junmyeon until he starts his actual job-audio technician for musical stages-the following year. He also learns that Jongdae enjoys singing as a hobby, and he would have pursued it if it weren’t for the fact that he didn’t believe it was stable enough.
From: Jongdae
Like
Im fine with not doing it as a job i still sound bomb as hell yknow
Better to do smth else boring 4 a job and them BAM u whack out ur dope ass singing skills and woo everyone
They continue to text from then on, from the moment they both wake up, and then sporadically throughout the day when they have free time, to when they’re both back at home and relaxing. Chanyeol doesn’t have time to visit the cafe every day, and Jongdae definitely whines about it, but relents only slightly at the reminder that Chanyeol will be there on Saturday.
It isn’t too long before Chanyeol’s pushing his way into the cafe, hair soaked from the rain the following weekend.
“Afternoon, Chanyeol,” Jongdae greets him, already grinning. “Is it raining?”
“A little bit,” Chanyeol huffs, trudging over as water drips from his hair and onto his nose. “It should calm down later, apparently,”
“Aw, I hope so. I hate the smell of wet dog,”
Chanyeol groans, turning his body away from Jongdae as the latter cackles, voice squeaking slightly at the end.
“Is Junmyeon here?” Chanyeol asks, setting up his guitar and plucking at the strings.
“He’s in the back, restocking,” Jongdae replies, leaning over the counter to hear Chanyeol better over the background noise of the rain and people in the cafe chatting. “Should be out soon, in time to hear you play,”
Chanyeol nods, looking up. Jongdae’s eyes are soft and Chanyeol’s frozen for a moment as he processes the emotion behind Jongdae’s cool gaze.
“Right, right. Well-uh-i’m just about ready now,”
“I look forward to it,” Jongdae says, controlled as always.
Chanyeol’s more nervous now, and he closes his eyes as much as he can when he performs. Other time he just casts his eyes downwards or focusses on someone else in the audience, but he doesn’t want to risk looking at Jongdae and reading too much into his facial expression. His heart beats faster at the thought.
For his last song, Chanyeol sings a cover. He thinks he’s gotten it right, because when he finishes, Jongdae’s beaming and clapping the loudest.
“Radiohead? How’d you know,” Jongdae breathes when Chanyeol makes his way over.
“Know what?” He feigns innocence, sticking his hands in his jean pockets. “I just thought it’d be a good note to end it on,”
“Whatever, loser,” Jongdae grumbles, but there’s still a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.
“If the offer still stands,” Chanyeol begins clearing his throat. “I’d like to take you up on that offer for a drink,”
“But not coffee?” Jongdae stares at him, eyes crinkling in anticipation of a smile.
“Not coffee,” Chanyeol affirms, nodding his head. “In fact, any drink aside from coffee would be great,”
“Explain,” Is all Jongdae says, leaning his elbow on the counter.
“Well,” The nerves are coming back, and Chanyeol rocks on the balls of his feet. “I was thinking we could go out and grab a drink later tonight. At a bar, preferably. Or we could go to mine and drink herbal tea and watch a movie. Or we could go out tomorrow somewhere and drink bubble tea,”
Jongdae stares for a moment longer before smiling, expression soft. “All three consecutively sound pretty good to me,”
That surprises a noise out of Chanyeol and Jongdae’s smile only widens.
“Ah, cute. Did you not expect that?”
“Not exactly,” Chanyeol admits, glancing around the cafe. Everyone’s minding their own business and it suddenly feels much too intimate to be standing there with Jongdae.
“Here’s another thing,” Jongdae faux whispers, not waiting for Chanyeol to reply before he sticks his tongue out of his mouth. The silver bar in Jongdae’s tongue glints in the light.
“How many piercings do you have?” Chanyeol asks, mouth dry as he watches Jongdae clink his teeth on the metal ball.
“I have a couple more that I can’t show you-” Jongdae pauses. “-in public,”
Chanyeol really, really needs that drink.
X
Chanyeol holds the door open for an elderly couple before entering the cafe himself. His messenger back is slung over his shoulder and his hair is tied up, keeping it out of his face.
“Good morning Chanyeol,” Junmyeon greets him with a wide smile. “How’s the weather?”
“Really good, they say it should be sunny all week,” He replies, scanning the updated menu, even though he already knows what he’s going to order.
Junmyeon makes a vague sound, nodding as Chanyeol approaches. “The usual?”
“Mine and Jongdae’s, please,” Chanyeol corrects him, looking around the cafe. It’s old now, but it’s still got character. It’s still got the same old, faded polaroids of Junmyeon and his friends, and there’s more signed albums of bands Junmyeon no longer listens too. The tables and chairs still match, and now the cushions do too.The cafe has aged with Junmyeon, but some things still remain the same, a constant in Chanyeol’s life. And, somewhere in the corner, there’s a copy of Chanyeol’s wedding photo. It’s pinned right next to the picture of Jongdae with his face covered in cake.
Chanyeol’s silver ring glints in the light when he pays for the drinks and holds them in his left hand. Jongdae’s silver ring glints in the stage lights as he fixes the wiring for a microphone. The bell above the cafe door glints in the light when Chanyeol opens the door, waving to Junmyeon before making his way towards Jongdae’s-his husbands-workplace.
And finally, it’s sunny when Chanyeol leaves the cafe.
Final author’s note:thank you so much for reading !!
Title: Bad Weather, Bad Coffee
Pairing(s): Chanyeol/Chen
Rating: PG-13
Length: 2.5k
Summary: Chanyeol doesn’t have any luck with the weather, but he does have some with the cute barista where he performs on Saturdays.
Author’s note: I ,,, had such a struggle with this. There was a couple of times where everything went wrong-from my internet breaking to my laptop just plain not working BUT I DID IT and i hope you like it !! i strayed from the prompt a little bit,,,, but i hope everyone enjoys this !! (also thanks to the mods for being so patient with me ;;;;; )
It’s Saturday again when Chanyeol pushes his way into the cafe on the corner, guitar case on his back and messenger bag held above his head to shield the rain away from his face. He wipes his feet on the welcome mat and waves to a couple who recognise him before making his way over to the makeshift stage the cafe has set up for situations like this.
He places his guitar case and bag on the floor, glancing over his shoulder towards the register. He’s not there-yet-but Junmyeon is. Chanyeol walks over to him and waves when Junmyeon smiles. Junmyeon’s an old friend from secondary school, and when the elder had mentioned a free spot for a certain musician on weekends, Chanyeol couldn’t resist.
“Good afternoon, Chanyeol. Is the rain bad?” Junmyeon asks, voice soft as he focuses on making someone’s drink.
“It’s not too bad, just a slight drizzle, but I think it’ll get worse as the day goes on I think,” Chanyeol replies, leaning against the short counter. The cafe is Junmyeon’s own, and he designed it after his own aesthetic.
The walls are a neutral cream, and the back wall is a pastel pink shade. All of the chairs and tables match, but the cushions on the sofas and pictures hung on the walls are all personal to the cafe and, by default, Junmyeon himself. Chanyeol’s even in one of them, an old polaroid of them both in college pinned up on a corkboard. There’s signed CD albums of bands Junmyeon doesn’t listen to anymore and nice messages written to him pinned up alongside the pictures. It makes Chanyeol feel happy everytime he visits, whether it’s for work or just on his own time.
Junmyeon hums, nodding his head slightly. “I see, that’s unfortunate. You didn’t bring an umbrella again, did you?”
Chanyeol grins sheepishly, and Junmyeon rolls his eyes, affectionate. “You dope, you can borrow mine. Give me a second,” He says, picking up the drink he finished making before walking off with it, presumably to the customer who ordered it.
Chanyeol waits at the counter, glancing around the cafe some more. Everytime he looks, there seems to be something he’d missed and hadn’t seen before.
“I’m finally in one of those,” A voice says, and Chanyeol snaps his head around to face whoever spoke.
“Excuse me?” Chanyeol asks, swallowing. It’s him. The cute barista Junmyeon had hired just a month ago. He works weekends and Chanyeol always sees him, even if he tries not to.
“The pictures,” The man points with a washcloth towards the corkboard of polaroids. “Yixing took one of me when he came in, and Junmyeon decided I looked pretty enough to match his aesthetic,”
“I’m not sure piercings are Junmyeon’s aesthetic,” Chanyeol says, and regrets it a second later.
The man, however, barks out a laugh, eyes crinkling cutely in the corners. “Yeah, me neither, guess I got lucky with that one,”
The man in question has his septum pierced. It’s not the only visible piercing he has-he has some on his ears too-but the rest are covered by his unruly brown hair. Chanyeol thinks he looks like a poodle, but Baekhyun says he looks like a packet of dry instant noodles.
“Sorry, I see you every week but we never talk. I’m Jongdae,” The man-Jongdae-says, holding his hand out over the counter.
“Chanyeol,” He says, taking Jongdae’s hand and shaking it. “Sorry, I don’t normally stay too long after,”
“I know,” Jongdae smirks, looking awfully feline. “I never get chance to offer you a drink,”
“I don’t drink coffee,” Chanyeol barely has time to reply before Junmyeon walks back over, smiling at both of them.
“Ah, you’ve finally met,” Junmyeon comments, standing next to Jongdae. Jongdae’s not much taller, but he holds himself straighter than Junmyeon, whose’ spine is permanently shaped like an ‘S’ from all the paperwork he fills out.
Chanyeol also notices that Jongdae’s thinner, his waist is smaller and his legs are less bulky than Junmyeon’s. Although, Chanyeol can vaguely make out some muscle on Jongdae’s arms under his uniform.
“Shouldn’t you be getting started, Chanyeol?” Junmyeon asks, snapping Chanyeol out of his thoughts. He stumbles, nodding and spewing a string of a affirmations as he makes his way over to the stage. His cheeks are burning and he doesn’t dare look back at Jongdae.
Music doesn’t make Chanyeol any less clumsy, but it does make him more focused. Chanyeol’s just naturally long-limbed and he throws his weight around whenever he’s excited, and music won’t ever fix that. However, it does relax him and calms him to a level that he can operate at. His fingers shake less and his voice doesn’t waver as much.
He doesn’t play for long, only a couple of songs, but he opens his eyes to find Jongdae staring at him. The confidence fades and he smiles shyly at the barista, smile only growing as Jongdae gives him a double thumbs up.
“Are you staying for a coffee this time?” Jongdae asks when Chanyeol walks over, bag slung over his shoulder and carrying his guitar case.
“I told you, I don’t like coffee,” Chanyeol answers, smiling when Jongdae looks up at him.
“Can I take you out for a drink tonight, then?” Jongdae counters, pressing a lid onto a takeout coffee cup.
Chanyeol’s smile tightens, and he sighs through his nose before replying. “I’m can’t tonight, sorry,”
Jongdae’s confidence doesn’t waver though, and he shrugs a shoulder. “I’ll ask again next week, don’t book anything. Here’s the tips you got today,”
Chanyeol watches as Jongdae gathers the notes and coins that were left for him and puts them in a small sea green envelope. Chanyeol doesn’t miss how Jongdae’s fingers rest on Chanyeol’s open palm for a second longer than normal.
“See you next week,” He says, ending the conversation by calling out the name of the customer who had ordered a drink. Chanyeol forgets Junmyeon’s umbrella.
X
Chanyeol does see Jongdae next week, and sooner than he’d expected.
Chanyeol walks into the cafe on a Tuesday, eyes widening in surprise when he notices Jongdae working the counter.
“I didn’t expect to see you back so soon,” Jongdae says when Chanyeol stops in front of him. He dusts his hands off on his apron and smiles up at the taller man.
“I was in the neighbourhood,” Chanyeol shrugs a shoulder nonchalantly, looking to the side to avoid Jongdae’s sharp eyes and feline smile.
“I see, so, what can I do for you?”
“A regular hot chocolate to go, please,” Chanyeol says, digging in his pocket to pull out a single note. He receives the change from Jongdae but then instantly returns it to the tip jar, not missing the small glint in Jongdae’s eyes.
Chanyeol waits as Jongdae busies himself with Chanyeol’s order. He uses this time to check out the barista some more, letting himself be more obvious this time.
Jongdae’s got his back turned to Chanyeol, and Chanyeol shamelessly lets his eyes linger on the man’s thighs and ass. Junmyeon doesn’t seem to be around at the moment, so there’s no one to stare disapprovingly at him.
“Here you are,” Jongdae announces, spinning around on his heels. He presses a lid onto Chanyeol’s cup and smiles sweeter than the drink he ordered. “Have a nice day,”
“You too,” Chanyeol nods, waving to Jongdae as he exits the cafe.
He only notices it when he gets home, but Jongdae had written something else on his cup alongside his name.
“XXXXX-XXX-XXX
‘,:3c”
Chanyeol snorts a laugh out of his nose, shaking his head at the cute face Jongdae had added. He places the cup down on his coffee table and fishes his phone out of his back pocket. Using the number on the cup as a reference, Chanyeol quickly types out a message and sends it without too much worry.
To: Jongdae
‘,:3c
really
also hi its chanyeol lol
The number doesn’t respond for a while, and Chanyeol waits until his phone locks itself naturally before standing and continuing on with the rest of his day plans.
He checks his phone a couple of hours later, when he’s sat at his desk and taking a short break from working on a new composition. It’s around 5pm and Jongdae had texted him back less than 15 minutes ago, so Chanyeol can only guess that it’s the end of Jongdae’s shift.
From: Jongdae
What,,,,its cute
And i know its u i dont exactly give out my numbers to strangers on styrofoam cups too often
To: Jongdae
but you still do? do i have competition??
From: Jongdae
Why ,r u interested?
‘,:3c
To: Jongdae
not if you keep using that face
From: Jongdae
‘.:3c
,’:3c
*Wiggles eyebrows*
To: Jongdae
wow youre a dork
They continue texting, and Chanyeol practically forgets about his work until Jongdae starts asking about what he does. Chanyeol learns a lot about Jongdae in the hours that they spend texting. Like that he’s working part time for Junmyeon until he starts his actual job-audio technician for musical stages-the following year. He also learns that Jongdae enjoys singing as a hobby, and he would have pursued it if it weren’t for the fact that he didn’t believe it was stable enough.
From: Jongdae
Like
Im fine with not doing it as a job i still sound bomb as hell yknow
Better to do smth else boring 4 a job and them BAM u whack out ur dope ass singing skills and woo everyone
They continue to text from then on, from the moment they both wake up, and then sporadically throughout the day when they have free time, to when they’re both back at home and relaxing. Chanyeol doesn’t have time to visit the cafe every day, and Jongdae definitely whines about it, but relents only slightly at the reminder that Chanyeol will be there on Saturday.
It isn’t too long before Chanyeol’s pushing his way into the cafe, hair soaked from the rain the following weekend.
“Afternoon, Chanyeol,” Jongdae greets him, already grinning. “Is it raining?”
“A little bit,” Chanyeol huffs, trudging over as water drips from his hair and onto his nose. “It should calm down later, apparently,”
“Aw, I hope so. I hate the smell of wet dog,”
Chanyeol groans, turning his body away from Jongdae as the latter cackles, voice squeaking slightly at the end.
“Is Junmyeon here?” Chanyeol asks, setting up his guitar and plucking at the strings.
“He’s in the back, restocking,” Jongdae replies, leaning over the counter to hear Chanyeol better over the background noise of the rain and people in the cafe chatting. “Should be out soon, in time to hear you play,”
Chanyeol nods, looking up. Jongdae’s eyes are soft and Chanyeol’s frozen for a moment as he processes the emotion behind Jongdae’s cool gaze.
“Right, right. Well-uh-i’m just about ready now,”
“I look forward to it,” Jongdae says, controlled as always.
Chanyeol’s more nervous now, and he closes his eyes as much as he can when he performs. Other time he just casts his eyes downwards or focusses on someone else in the audience, but he doesn’t want to risk looking at Jongdae and reading too much into his facial expression. His heart beats faster at the thought.
For his last song, Chanyeol sings a cover. He thinks he’s gotten it right, because when he finishes, Jongdae’s beaming and clapping the loudest.
“Radiohead? How’d you know,” Jongdae breathes when Chanyeol makes his way over.
“Know what?” He feigns innocence, sticking his hands in his jean pockets. “I just thought it’d be a good note to end it on,”
“Whatever, loser,” Jongdae grumbles, but there’s still a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.
“If the offer still stands,” Chanyeol begins clearing his throat. “I’d like to take you up on that offer for a drink,”
“But not coffee?” Jongdae stares at him, eyes crinkling in anticipation of a smile.
“Not coffee,” Chanyeol affirms, nodding his head. “In fact, any drink aside from coffee would be great,”
“Explain,” Is all Jongdae says, leaning his elbow on the counter.
“Well,” The nerves are coming back, and Chanyeol rocks on the balls of his feet. “I was thinking we could go out and grab a drink later tonight. At a bar, preferably. Or we could go to mine and drink herbal tea and watch a movie. Or we could go out tomorrow somewhere and drink bubble tea,”
Jongdae stares for a moment longer before smiling, expression soft. “All three consecutively sound pretty good to me,”
That surprises a noise out of Chanyeol and Jongdae’s smile only widens.
“Ah, cute. Did you not expect that?”
“Not exactly,” Chanyeol admits, glancing around the cafe. Everyone’s minding their own business and it suddenly feels much too intimate to be standing there with Jongdae.
“Here’s another thing,” Jongdae faux whispers, not waiting for Chanyeol to reply before he sticks his tongue out of his mouth. The silver bar in Jongdae’s tongue glints in the light.
“How many piercings do you have?” Chanyeol asks, mouth dry as he watches Jongdae clink his teeth on the metal ball.
“I have a couple more that I can’t show you-” Jongdae pauses. “-in public,”
Chanyeol really, really needs that drink.
X
Chanyeol holds the door open for an elderly couple before entering the cafe himself. His messenger back is slung over his shoulder and his hair is tied up, keeping it out of his face.
“Good morning Chanyeol,” Junmyeon greets him with a wide smile. “How’s the weather?”
“Really good, they say it should be sunny all week,” He replies, scanning the updated menu, even though he already knows what he’s going to order.
Junmyeon makes a vague sound, nodding as Chanyeol approaches. “The usual?”
“Mine and Jongdae’s, please,” Chanyeol corrects him, looking around the cafe. It’s old now, but it’s still got character. It’s still got the same old, faded polaroids of Junmyeon and his friends, and there’s more signed albums of bands Junmyeon no longer listens too. The tables and chairs still match, and now the cushions do too.The cafe has aged with Junmyeon, but some things still remain the same, a constant in Chanyeol’s life. And, somewhere in the corner, there’s a copy of Chanyeol’s wedding photo. It’s pinned right next to the picture of Jongdae with his face covered in cake.
Chanyeol’s silver ring glints in the light when he pays for the drinks and holds them in his left hand. Jongdae’s silver ring glints in the stage lights as he fixes the wiring for a microphone. The bell above the cafe door glints in the light when Chanyeol opens the door, waving to Junmyeon before making his way towards Jongdae’s-his husbands-workplace.
And finally, it’s sunny when Chanyeol leaves the cafe.
Final author’s note:thank you so much for reading !!