(Italics = spoken in English, besides from the text messages).

"The flight towards Moscow, Russia leaving at 14:42 is now ready for boarding from Gate 11. I repeat-"

A screaming pink suitcase was swiftly maneuvered in and out of the huge crowd at the terminal, where a young fashionable adult with bright blonde hair hidden beneath a grey flat cap was making his way towards the nearest Starbucks.

It had been an unbearable long flight from Heathrow, London to Los Angeles, and despite the fact that he hadn't touched any alcohol, since his farewell party with his classmates a few nights before, he felt quite tipsy, but it was nothing a Grande Caffé Americano couldn't fix.

Every single time he had been about to fall into a sleepless slumber a child had started crying, the elderly drunk man beside him had spilled his red wine for the fifteenth time or they had gotten into turbulence, which he absolutely hated. Truth be told, 11 hours in hell had been more fun than this flight.

All the noise in the huge busy airport rose to the roof high above making every single sound echo for a few minutes just to hit back onto the ground as an even louder sound than to begin with. His head was spinning, and he wanted nothing more but to find a cab and get to his parents house ASAP.

His priorities were in order though, and Starbucks was right ahead, so the cab ride could wait a few more minutes. While the coffee on board had been decent, it just wasn't as heavenly good as the non calorie Caffé Americano he could already imagine teasing his taste buds, as he slowly swallowed the  hot beverage.

"Mom, I'll be there in an hour. Relax!" He spoke softly into the phone not wanting to draw any attention to himself for speaking a foreign language, as everyone would try to guess what part of China, he was from. Don't get him wrong, he usually adored the endless attention he seemed to get for his chic fashion sense, his perfectly styled hair and his proud personality, but he was just so tired of the stereotypical idea of every single Asian coming from China.

"I've just missed you so much Kibum," His mother almost squealed into the phone, and he held it away from his face for a few seconds, before gluing it back to his ear. By accident he bumped shoulders with a stranger passing by, and he nodded his head in apology, before turning around to make sure the pink suitcase was still rolling on its wheels on the way to Starbucks, instead of being dragged on the back.

"Let's talk when I get home, I need to go get a cab," finally he arrived at the queue for the long awaited coffee, and when it was finally his turn, he tried to hang up on his blood and flesh, but she wouldn't let him, so turning the speaker away from his mouth, he mouthed his order to the brunette girl behind the counter.

"Just get here quickly. Your grandmother can't wait to see you either," she kept going like she had forgotten than in a short hour, he would be sitting across from her in that terrible brown couch, they all seemed to love, while answering all of their questions, as she right now was nothing but a hindrance for his daily caffeine dose.

"I'll call, when I'm in the cab," With no further explanation he hung up on her with a sigh. For the past minute he had tried the best he could to get to his wallet in his overly tight silver jeans, but had had no success so far, holding the line behind him for longer than he cared for. Shoving his phone into his back pocket, he was about to find the money now that he had both of his hands free, but the boy standing behind him beat him to it, and placed his order on the same check before paying.

"I could have paid for myself-" Key turned around on his heel, as he in perfect English with a hint of a British accent, was about to tell the stranger behind him off, but came to a stall being met with a pair of dark chocolate almond shaped eyes roaming over him with a small smirk playing on the top of the boy's lips. The awkwardness aside none of them spoke, as they moved away from the line after a snarky comment had been made behind them for holding the queue. 

As the self-proclaimed fashionista Key was, he couldn't help but judge the other's look, while they both made their way to the next desk waiting for their drinks. The stranger, who might or might not be Chinese, but definitely Asian, had dyed his hair into a lighter brown complimenting his eyes in the most enticing way possible. The dark cowboy jeans, which everyone knew wasn't fashionable anymore, had a hole at the knee seemingly supposed to make them look edgy. However the simple white v-neck t-shirt truly flattered the abs hidden beneath the cotton material. The look had been finished with a pair of black all-stars, a checkered dark blue flannel shirt and black Dr. Dre headphones around the neck. Obviously the guy in front of him had gotten halfway stuck in the middle of the 00's.

"I just meant to help, you know," The brunette beside him finally spoke, and Key turned his head slightly to make eye contact hinting that he was listening, but also quite surprised that the might Chinese Asian turned out to be Korean, "I'm sorry, if it was a bother."

The boy flipped his fringe out of the way, and Key realized, that this probably wasn't the guy's usual fashion style, that he might just had tried to travel comfortable rather than fashionable like himself. At least he hoped so for the poor boy, or he would gladly help him change his entire wardrobe; a darker shade of sea blue would compliment his eyes well.

"It's okay," Key muttered still struck by the awful outfit in front of him, but finally shrugged it off, turning around to get his wallet in his pocket, so he could pay the stranger back, "But I don't like owing people, so please let me pay you back."

He could feel the other's eyes on him checking him out the way he had just done with the other. It was flattering, but Key couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious about the situation. His clothes were contemporary as always, but small wrinkles could be seen all over. Eleven hour flights tend to do that to ones traveling outfit, it just still bothered him a lot, while the chocolate brown eyes roamed his body. He shifted uncomfortably under the stare, while trying to keep his cool by popping his hip to the side and resting his hand there.

"Give me your name and we're even," the almond shaped eyes found his with a small glint of tease in them, which Key didn't notice right away, as his eye fell upon the earring in his left ear making him wonder, if the other boy knew it didn't go well with his outfit at all.

"No, take my money and we're even," Tapping his foot impatiently against the floor, he rolled his eyes. He had enough money to pay for his own coffee, and he needed no charity in his life. Next time he would remember that tight silver jeans didn't go well with his coffee order though. It was fashionable but nowhere near convenient.

"Then give me the money and your name, and we're even," it felt like one of those moments in movies, where everything goes still around you, while you're in your own little bubble staring at the idiot in front of you wondering, if he's flirting or just plain dumb.

"I'm pretty sure you end up owing me then," raising his eyebrow slightly, he lifted his flat cap to place it properly, as it felt like, it was about to fall off. Also he needed something to do with his hands, as he felt awkward just standing there with a stranger, who obviously was flirting with him.

"Then I'll give you my name as well," the boy offered with a wink trying to be funny, at least that was what Key thought he was doing. It wasn't that he didn't like the attention, it was just that he hadn't been flirting with anyone for awhile. He had wanted to, but he had been the foreign exchange student at UAL, so no one really wanted to be in a relationship with him, since they all knew, he had to leave some day. Luckily he had had a fling or two.

"Grande Caffé Americano for Key," The barista from behind the counter yelled in order to drown some of the noise around her, so the owner of the coffee would come quickly.

"That's my cue," Key winked trying to be cheesy leaving the brunette behind, as he strolled to the counter with his pink suitcase rolling behind him. With his coffee in one hand and the suitcase in the other, Key was about to leave the Starbucks shop, when he heard the stranger yell something after him.

"I'll see you soon, Key," His name was stressed pointing out that he had gotten his name with no fight, which only reminded the blonde boy, that he had forgotten to pay back the money for his coffee.

Stopping up he turned his head, so he could make eye contact with the other for one last time, before finally leaving the airport, "Hopefully not, but thank you for the coffee."

With no further ado he stepped back into the airport terminal, where the Starbuck were located to find his way to the exit, so he could get himself a cab. There were just as many people, as before he had hidden inside the coffee shop for the past ten minutes, but it didn't matter. He could already imagine stepping outside, where cars would be honking at each other, signs on buildings lightening the already bright day up and busy businessmen pushing each other aside, so they could take the last tiny place in the metro before the other. To be honest, everything seemed better than the airport at this point.

Thankfully there were a line of cabs waiting outside the airport waiting for travelers like himself to take them wherever they decided. Usually he would spend time trying to judge from the looks of the driver, which cab would be the cleanest, but for the past hour he had been so tired, that he had gotten to a point, where he just didn't care anymore. The first cab he saw had to do.

"Long Beach promenade, please," he told the driver seating himself in the backseat avoiding any small talk, he could possibly end up having with the chubby non shaved man driving him.

Fishing his phone out of his tight pocket, he decided to text his mom, that he was on his way, rather than calling her up like he had promised. If he did, they would be talking all the way to Long Beach, and he had no intention of doing that in any way.

Kibum: (15:32)

Hey mom, I'm in the cab now. I'll see you in a short hour. Love you.

Mom: (15:34)

You promised to call me! Oh well, I'll see you then. I love you too.

Sighing Key went back to staring out onto the tall buildings passing him by outside the window, almost forgetting to take a sip of his long awaited more than decent coffee, as he got lost in his own thoughts. He hadn't been home for quite awhile. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to; he had just been too busy with college.

UAL, University of the Arts London, had sort of become his home and he already missed going to the street corner with Evan, whenever they had a free period for a cup of coffee, and going to school with matching outfits with Alicia, while joking about how they should make a couple fashion line together in the future.

The cab blinked right onto the promenade, and Key realized that he had been too caught up in his own thoughts, that he hadn't seen they were just a few corners away from his home here in Long Beach. The rest of his Grande Caffé Americano had turned cold in his hand, while it had been all forgotten on the ride there. Another sigh escaped his cat like lips, as they came to a stop at the promenade, where he had decided he would walk the rest of the way from.

With the pink suitcase behind him for the nth time that day, he strolled over to the nearest trashcan to throw out the rest of his coffee, before he took a look around the promenade. It looked exactly like it did a few years back, before he had left for London. A small breeze brought the scent of the sea water with it, and suddenly Key felt refreshed.

He didn't spend too much time reminiscing, as he had promised his mother to get there soon. He knew he had the whole year to visit all the places he wanted to, and even if he didn't, it didn't matter, since this didn't really feel like his home anymore.

From the promenade to his home it took about 10 minutes to walk and a few corners to turn, but he got there eventually. Standing in front of the door, he prepared himself for what his next year would be like. With a deep breath, he finally knocked on the door.

- Written by mapihypermonkey