When I come to I’m in a car and I feel like someone has taken a sledgehammer to my face.
My head is tilted back against the seat and someone is holding a tissue against my nose. I glance to the side to see Minseok looking back at me, forehead shining with a mix of dirt and sweat.

“Hey, how you holding up, champ?” He chuckles.
I try to sigh but it hurts so I give up, “Where are we going?”
“Hospital.” The soft voice of Taekwoon sounds from the front seat, “Your nose is broken.”
“Well .” I mumble, closing my eyes again, trying to ignore the terrible ache that radiates through my entire face.

We arrive at the hospital and with a couple of half-hearted screams of protest, Taekwoon and Minseok manage to get me out of the car and inside the emergency ward so the doctor can tell me whether he needs to re-break my nose or not.
It turns that it’s crooked and the doctor asks whether I want to leave it to heal that way or have him crack it back into place and I told him that there’s no ing way I am ruining my ing perfect face because of a ing soccer accident.
I cry when he puts it back in place, then he places a bandage over my poor broken-but-no-longer-disfigured body part and tells me I can go on home because apparently our club covers my injury.

Minseok buys me peanut butter ice cream and a pack of Mickey Mouse bandaids on the way home and I feel better.

~

A few days later the ache in my face dulls enough for me to go back to work, thus saving Kyungsoo another day of trying to run the place on his own.

“Wow.”

I shoot the short boy a glare as I pass by him into the back room, placing my bag on the table and shrugging off my coat to hang it on the back of a chair.

“Man, I didn’t know broken noses looked so terrifying.”
I sigh, coming back out and sitting up on the stool behind the counter.
“Is it painful?” Kyungsoo comes up beside me, passing a mug full of coffee into my hands.
“Not so much anymore, but if I sniff or try to wrinkle it or something it hurts like a .” I sip the steaming liquid slowly, “I think you better stick behind the counter today, at least until the bruise gets lighter and I don’t have two black eyes.”
“Yeah, you’d probably petrify the kids.”

I stand and offer a small smile, heading into the back room to put some plates and mugs into the dishwasher, hoping the hours will pass quickly.

~

It’s maybe two o’clock when Kyungsoo calls my name, sounding somewhere between confused and amused.

“Luhan? You have a customer.”

For some reason, my heart starts hammering in my chest and the thought of Kris waiting for me invades my body like a virus. I can’t think. I can’t breathe. I can’t help but smile so wide it literally hurts.

My head feels a little heavier when I walk out and see no sign of the tall, blonde angel and instead catch sight of a shorter, awkward human being clutching a bouquet of various bright coloured flowers between trembling fingers.

He shoves them into my face.

“Dude, what the ?” Kyungsoo says gruffly, pushing the petals and pollen out of my face as I clasp my hands over my bruise, nose throbbing and stinging, eyes watery.

“Oh, sorry.” The idiot holding the flowers says.
“Are you not aware his nose is broken?” Kyungsoo fusses, throwing his short arms up in the air, waving them.
The boy kind of deadpans, looking right over the top of Kyungsoo’s head to stare at me, “I bought you flowers.”
“Thanks a bunch.” I muffle behind my fingers.
“I was the one that kicked the ball.”
“Well you.”
“But I bought flowers.”
“ you and your flowers.”
“That’s not very nice.”

My blood boils.

“Are you from next door?” Kyungsoo asks, “Aren’t you in Chanyeol’s year?”
“I’m his junior.” The kid says, eyes still on me as I attempt to breathe through my pain, “You’re Kyungsoo.”
“That’s right.” Kyungsoo shifts his weight onto his right leg, hands on his hips, “But I don’t believe you’ve told us who you are.”
“I’m Sehun. Oh Sehun.” The boy says as he glances from my face to Kyungsoo and finally to the flowers he still has clutched in his hands.

Kyungsoo purses his lips, his eyes flickering to the people walking toward the café, “If you two are going to talk, please take it out back, I don’t want your purple eyes scaring the kids.”
“Right.” I say, giving a final grunt before I can bring myself to straighten up and grab hold of Sehun’s wrist, dragging him behind me into the room behind the counter.

~

“Sit.” I demand, pointing to the chair at the table, “And give me those goddamn flowers.”

Sehun the inside of his cheek between his teeth and chews, eyes on my face as he passes me the bouquet.
I turn and rummage through the drawers for our biggest mug, sticking the porcelain under the sink and filling it with water. I hear Sehun hum behind me as I cut the stems of the flowers and place them carefully into the cup, picking it up and placing it in the center of the table as I take a seat in the chair opposite the young brunet boy.

“So tell me,” I start, raising an eyebrow, “Just how long did you want to wait before coming to see me? I mean, you totally busted my nose with your abysmal kicking skills.”
“Oh, well you see, I just got really nervous…” Sehun purses his lips, “That guy, the one with the really emotionless face, he got really mad at me after you passed out. I thought if I came close to you he’d kick my .”
I snorted, able to perfectly picture Taekwoon’s blazing eyes boring into the kid, “He probably would have—and honestly still would. It’s almost been a week, like, what the hell.”

Sehun swallows and sighs, leaning across the table to look at me right in the eyes, genuine emotion on his face.

“I am very sorry for kicking a soccer ball into your face and breaking your nose.”
“You should be.” I grumble, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Is there anything I could do to make it better? I mean I already bought flowers and I don’t know how I can top that…”

I can’t help but let out a soft laugh at his earnest expression, leaning back in my chair.

“Luhan, someone’s here looking for the kid.” Kyungsoo calls, peeking into the back room, “Says it’s important.”

Sehun stands and excuses himself, but I get up anyway and follow him out, smile curling the corners of my mouth when I lay eyes on the scrumptious dark skinned boy from the soccer tryouts. Yes, that same delicious boy who kept flashing his glorious tummy when he was supposed to be chasing the ball.

Kyungsoo’s at my side in an instant, “That boy is fine.”
“He was at the tryouts… I’ve seen what’s under that shirt.” I whisper, my eyes on the beautiful creature.
“, you always see everything good. Why didn’t I ever go for sports?”

Sehun turns and looks in our direction, eyebrow rising at our expressions.

“Uh, Jongin this is Luhan, the one I kicked the ball at.” He says, waving a hand toward me, “And that’s Chanyeol’s boyfriend.”
“Christ, he is cute.” Jongin says, “And I’m sorry about your nose. Sehun’s a loser.”
“.” Sehun sighs, rubbing his face with his hands.
I offer a smile to Jongin, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m supposed to get around and meet the newbies at tryouts, but we all know why that never happened.”
“Sehun’s useless soccer skills, yes.”
“Dude, shut the up.” Sehun shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

I exhale slowly, considering my next move, before I lift a hand and wave it dismissively, “Go on, get out of here.”
“B-but I—“ Sehun starts.
“Listen kid,” I cut him off, “If I think of something, I’ll let you know, but right now it looks like you’re about to get busy and I got a job to do.”
“Not like you’ve been doing much anyway.” Kyungsoo mutters.

Jongin smiles brilliantly, his eyes creasing into half-moons.

“You heard the man.” He says, throwing an arm around Sehun’s neck, then looking at me he winks, “We know where to find you.”

And with that, they both turn and leave the café.

Kyungsoo looks up at me, folding his arms across his chest, one eyebrow dangerously close to his hairline.

“What?” I ask, hands hanging limply by my sides.
He grins, shaking his head, “Man, I can’t believe you. Even with a disfigured face you’re still attracting admirers.”
“ off.” I say, rolling my eyes, “The kid broke my nose, the least he could do was buy me flowers. Nothing flirty about it.”
“Yeah, so what about his friend? No excuses there.”
I sigh, “That kid practically oozes appeal, if you hadn’t noticed. I’m sure he talks to everyone like that.”
“Uh-huh, alright, whatever you say.” Kyungsoo looks back out the front windows, a knowing glint in his eye.

I’m too tired for this.

lol

T x