Chapter one: Chemistry                                                                                             Colour: Green

Taeil went up and down the hallway of his flat with loud, hasty steps, his feet meeting the parquet every few seconds with a stomping sound. He was carrying himself differently today – he was nervous, and the tension in the air was making him restless. His dog, Jihoon, seemed to sense it too. The small animal nudged Taeil’s leg softly when he came to a halt.

“I shouldn’t be nervous, should I?” He mumbled to himself as he leaned down, petting the dog’s head. Entangling his fingers in the warm fur of his pet and feeling his slow, regular breathing against him soothed his anxiety a little. He could feel his tense muscles relax. Jihoon was the cure to his nervousness, always emitting a sense of tranquillity.
And yet the uneasiness inside him didn’t subside completely – he was still nibbling on his lower lip. One of his many nervous habits. His lower lip would be a disaster today.

“Do I look okay to you?” A small laughed slipped past his lips and he ruffled the dog’s fur once more. He wasn’t expecting an answer, but he still wished he had someone to tell him that he looked good. It was of utter importance to look perfect today, after all.
His alarm clock had rung at 6AM today and he had taken an extended shower, washing all sorts of filthy specks of dirt off of him. He couldn’t tell if he looked good, but a few squirts of his favourite cologne, Ferrari essence, had sufficed to give him the confidence that he smelled good.

In an attempt to keep his mind occupied, he walked over to the door to pick out a jacket. The weather forecast for today had been good, but there was a slight chance that it would rain in the afternoon. Being the cautious person he was, he didn’t want to risk getting soaking wet on this important day.

His fingers trailed over the fabric of one of his rain coats, examining its texture. It was his favourite, a seedy jacket lined with faux fur. It had been the colour green, if he remembered correctly, but the name of the colour was all that was left for him. He didn’t know what it looked like, and it didn’t matter anymore. He had made peace with the fact that colours were nothing more than words to him now. All that mattered now was the feeling of smoothness between his fingers – the synthetic polyester on the outside and the soft cotton interior that felt like a piece of heaven. But not only that, a lot of beautiful memories were attached to it as well. And he would add another one today.

The doorbell made him snap out of his thoughts and he started at the unfamiliar sound.

His date.

 “Jeez,” he muttered lowly, only to get startled again as his dog started barking loudly.
He rushed to the door and opened it at one go before he wheeled around to scold his dog.
“Jihoon, be quiet!”

A deep, hearty laugh came from behind him, sending shivers down his spine. It was the kind of laugh that made his insides turn and his heart jump in his chest. He could hear blood rushing through his ears as he turned towards the source of the noise, stuttering out an apology:
“Oh s-sorry, I was talking to the dog.”
“I thought so.” A smile resonated in Jihoon’s voice and it filled Taeil’s heart with warmth. Great, he thought to himself, as if my cheeks weren’t burning up already.
“It’s good to see you.”
 Jihoon spoke to him in a soft voice and a hand accompanied his words, gripping Taeil’s shoulder firmly. Taeil drew air in through gritted teeth, trying to keep a straight face while his mind was filled with not so straight thoughts.

In that moment, he could have sworn that his heart was melting.

He chuckled nervously and immediately tried to stifle the sound with his hand. He didn’t intend to let Jihoon know how nervous he was.
“Are you ready?” Much to Taeil’s displeasure, Jihoon removed his hand from his shoulder. He could hear him fumble with the zipper of his jacket a moment later.
Taeil cleared his throat. “Well, actually… Could you put the dog on the leash for me?”
“Sure. Wait, let me show you. Mind if I come in?”
Taeil nodded firmly and stepped aside, letting Jihoon slip past him. A wave of cologne filled his nostrils and he inhaled as much of it as he could without getting caught. It was a unique fragrance, a contrast between musk and a touch of vanilla. It fit Jihoon perfectly, a manly scent that complimented his sweet personality.

Triggered by the familiar scent, a sensation resurfaced; once again he relived the moment of their kiss. Jihoon’s warm breath against his cheek, his fingertips on his chin and his lips, soft like silk and tasting of mint and desire. A wave of heat hit Taeil and he could hear his heartbeat in his ears, fast and loud.
Sudden movements made him snap out of his vivid fantasy. His dog, who had been waiting patiently behind Taeil as they had spoken, rushed past him to greet Jihoon. Taeil could hear the pitter-patter of his little paws on the parquet.

“Good boy,” Jihoon whispered behind him in a soft voice. Taeil recognised it immediately, he had used the same tone of voice the day they had met. It was endearing how he was treating the animal with such familiarity, even though his dog was probably just one of many to him. Just like I’m only one of many customers, Taeil thought, a sigh leaving his lips.

“Here, I’ll show you how to put on the leash.”
Taeil flinched instinctively as something warm touched his hand. His feet moved on his own, stumbling towards Jihoon who had grabbed his hand out of nowhere. With shock written on his face, he realised a bit too late that he was losing his balance, and so his fall began. It ended abruptly in a pair of strong, muscular arms.
“Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you.” Jihoon laughed softly, and Taeil could feel his breath on his face. He gulped hard as the realisation struck him that he was really close to Jihoon’s lips. Dangerously close.
“You have to put it on like this.” Jihoon’s long, slender fingers took Taeil’s tiny hand into them, guiding it to the leash and the dog who had been waiting patiently. He made sure that Taeil gripped it the leash firmly, applying a bit of pressure to signal Taeil where to put his fingers. Whenever their skin made contact, Taeil felt an electric current passing through him, the tension between them buzzing in the air.
Chemistry, he thinks, a smile engraved into his lips.
“Got it?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Let’s go.”

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