(pcy pov)

“Ok class, take out your notes!”

Early morning classes . I mean, seriously, who in the world wants to go to school this early? Better yet, who wants to even get out of bed this early? Oh, what I'd give to be in my warm, comfy bed right now, dreaming the day away. But no, I have to be sitting in this crappy plastic chair, getting my notes out because some guy with a degree told me to. This early in morning I don't have the energy to even yawn, let alone pay attention to a teacher or write anything. Nonetheless, my future kinda depends on my education, so I reluctantly take out my notes. I glance over at the clock (7:04 AM), and a guy with cute hair who’s pouring a monster drink into a thermos of a dark brown liquid that I assume to be coffee attracts my attention.

“I'm going to die.” he mutters, aloud, although it seems to be directed to no one in particular, and raises the drink to his parted pink lips to take a sip. Despite the chance of weirding him out, I make a noise akin to a chuckle. Instead of his light-brown-haired head turning in search of the source of the laugh, which is what I half expected, he just continues to sip at the highly caffeinated concoction. I assume he’s too tired or just didn’t hear me so I shrug it off and start to write notes.

This is gonna be a long day.

~

Through second and third period my head is fuzzy and my eyelids heavy, my work getting done in mere fragments due to my limbs feeling too heavy to follow simple commands and my brain not being able to focus on anything. There’s absolutely nothing more in the world that I want to do in this moment than sleep.

So I fall asleep. Which is a mistake - in some aspects, but in others maybe not so much. Because it earns me a detention, but also a date with the Caffeine Cutie from first and, apparently, third period. I suppose I must’ve been too tired to notice him last class.

Something cold against my arm had woken me up from my nap. I lifted my head to see what it was - a familiar looking thermos - and noticed that class was already over, and probably had been for a while. I also recognized the dreaded pale orange of a lunch detention slip, and didn’t have to even look at it to know my name was on it. Looking back down at the thermos, I saw that there was lines of neat black writing on a yellow post it note attached to the side of it.

I didn’t have the heart to wake you up, but you can have the rest of my coffee when you do! And hey, I don’t know how I haven’t noticed this before but, you’re kinda cute. ><

We should hang out sometime - Byun Baekhyun

Me, cute? We should hang out sometime? No matter how many times I reread the note, it didn’t change. I tried blinking a couple of times, but the words remained the same. What I read is actually what he had written.

As soon as the drink touches - more like slaps - my tongue I know it’s definitely from the Caffeine Cutie as it is undeniably not just coffee. The intensity of its strength and flavor forces me to squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head side to side, my hair getting all fluffy and slightly tangled. After a few more sips, though, I get used to it and am ready to head over to the lunchroom. When I get to said lunchroom, a certain head of soft-looking locks catches my eye right away, but I unfortunately have to resist walking over to him. I solemnly get my lunch and walk to the detention room.

~

I don’t have any trouble getting my work done during fourth period as my energy level was risen remarkably, kudos to the monster-coffee. However, the second the bell rings, I jump for the classroom door. Backpack already on my shoulders, I skip my locker and practically run towards the main doors of the building, wanting to catch Baekhyun before he goes home. After stepping outside, I wait by the door for him as if it was something I did everyday. About fifteen minutes later and he still hasn’t passed by, and the buses start honking to indicate that they’re leaving soon. Having no other choice, I retire from my spot by the door and hop on the bus.

Many exhausted gazes glare right into my face as I flash my bus pass and step between the aisle. It’s uncomfortable how much people can hate you for having been in a small daze, but I ignore them as I scan the vehicle for an empty seat.

“Wow, I can’t believe I didn’t realize we ride the same bus,” someone says along with a breathy laugh. I look over and, lo and behold, my energizing coffee-crafting savior is beaming up at me from the middle of the bus.

He leans over and points to the seat in front of him. “This one’s free, if you want. I figured you might want a full seat, so you have room to stretch out after a long day.” His grin grows wider, if even possible, and I feel like bursting into tears.

I toss my backpack next to the window and fall into the seat, just in time for the bus to change gears and head off and away from the school. “Uh, thanks,” I quirk a side smile back. “And actually, it wasn’t all that long, thanks to your crazy beverage.”

Baekhyun reaches up and pats a bit of his hair down with another little chuckle. “I half expected you to either dump it or spit it out after trying it,” he admits, “but I’m glad it helped.”

I can’t take it, this boy that has suddenly popped into my life from having previously been in the background is melting my heart. We continue chatting from there, about random, everyday things. The hour long ride seems so magical- sue me for being cheesy or using a cliche, but I’m loving it- as we blabber on about sports and music and how irritating school is. It turns out, after he sheepishly explains, that the not-so-nasty Monster and coffee mixture was an experiment Baekhyun subconsciously blended from sleep deprivation. That just goes to show what nice things can come from silly, unprecedented gestures.

“This is my stop,” I sadly break the growing chemistry between us and shift in my seat, gathering my things. “I guess I’ll just return your thermos tomorrow, yeah? It’s the least I can do for the boost you gave me.”

“Sure, go for it,” Baekhyun shows off a broad smile (causing me to curse under my breath. You know those famously cute rectangle smiles? Well, I’d never seen one until now but holy shi-). “We should hang out after school sometime,” his eyes dart downward and he’s got this flustered air about him, “Uh, you know, like I put on the note. Anyway, there’s this huge clearing near my house that’s used for, like, four different sports fields and courts. Yeah, we should do something there.”

He doesn’t look back my way- at least I don’t think- therefore leaving me to reply cooly. “Fine with me. Train up till then, Baeky.”

“Don’t call me that!” I hear as I’m stepping down off the bus. I watch as it sputters back to life after that brief stop (damn, what a crappy bus) and wait until it’s out of sight before I start to celebrate.

My arms fly in the air and I’m shamelessly scuffing my feet up from the sidewalk. It doesn’t even occur to me how many possibly frightened strangers are spectating. “10 points for Gryffindor!” I start chanting out of context and I don’t care. All I have to worry about now is getting Baekhyun’s thermos clean, inevitable homework, and impressing him with my basketball skills.

Or soccer skills. After all, he did say that was his favorite.