Vernon opens his eyes, the soft kiss of the morning sun peeking through his curtains a sign of another day. He checks his cellphone, out of habit. His eyebrows scrunch up. It was a weekend, but unusually, he woke up earlier than his normal waking time on weekdays. He stares at the ceiling, listening to the relaxing quiet of his bedroom. He glances at the window and sits up, pulling the curtain open, the sun calling out to him. It wasn’t very bright outside yet, but the sun was peeking through the trees. He smiles, glad he lived high up enough to witness such beauty at the start of the day. He quietly slips out of the house, careful not to bang any doors lest Joshua wakes up.

He stretches his arms and circles his feet, preparing his body for a run this early in the morning. He often went for a run or a bicycle ride with Joshua but they did so late in the afternoon until the sun set. He blows a warm puff of air on his hands and rubs them together, suddenly feeling the chill of early morning that afternoons usually didn’t have. He zips up his navy blue windbreaker, pulls down his beanie, and makes sure his shoelaces are tied nicely. He pulls out his phone, checks the time, and plays his running playlist. His feet take off on a steady pace. He slows down across the bakeshop, smelling the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread in the air. The sign on the door says CLOSED but a small light was faintly visible from the outside. He wonders if it was Seungkwan, baking this early in the day. He sprints toward the riverside, his thoughts racing toward Seungkwan working hard on the baking station.

The lone light shines upon him, his blonde hair glistening and glowing, a perfect crown for his milky white face. His hands are white from the flour, his uniform folded neatly up to his elbows, his lips pursing as he kneads the dough to perfection. From time to time, his hand grabs a handful of flour and skillfully scatters it on the table, his dainty fingers dancing in the air.

Vernon stops in his tracks, noticing something familiar. He blinks, his heart suddenly bouncing wildly in his chest, his stomach in a nervous knot. The music blaring in his ears mutes out and everything else around him seems to slow down. He looks with astonishment as the blonde boy reaches up to the sky, his thin pale fingers gracefully wiggling about as if touching the clouds with utmost care.

“Seungkwan.” Vernon’s lips move on their own.

The boy turns around, the sun’s rays outlining his soft features. “Ah.” A blush crosses his cheeks. “Hello.”

“Vernon.” He pulls out his hand. “I frequent your bakeshop.” Vernon bites his lower lip, hoping he didn’t sound awkward and that it wasn’t weird that he knew Seungkwan’s name.

Seungkwan looks at Vernon’s outstretched hand hanging in the air. He gently slips his hand in to accept the other’s introduction. “You always get the freshest of everything.” He smiles and squeezes Vernon’s hand ever so slightly.

Vernon’s mouth opens into a big toothy smile and his eyes sparkle with energy. He remembers me! His heart screams. He returns the soft squeeze of Seungkwan’s hand, realizing the boy had smaller hands and they were soft to the touch.

Their hands slowly part and they exchange bows.

Vernon’s hand hangs beside him, feeling hot and tingly. “I thought you’d be in the bakeshop.”

Seungkwan’s eyebrows rise.

“I was passing by and I smelled the bread cooking.” Vernon quickly follows through his statement.

“Ah.” Seungkwan chuckles. “I was just waiting for them to cook, so I came out to greet the sun.”

“The sun.” Vernon echoes.

Seungkwan nods and looks back, his hair glowing bright as the sun rose higher up in the sky. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

Vernon’s jaw slacks, almost breathless at the beauty before him.

Seungkwan turns to him.

“Yeah. Beautiful.” He instantly responds.

Seungkwan beams. He slips his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “Oh. Morning run?” He notices Vernon’s attire.

Vernon pulls off his headphones, reality snapping back to him. He nods. “I usually go in the afternoon but I woke up really early today, so here I am.” He grins.

Seungkwan nods.

Vernon scratches the back of his neck. “Uhm…are you going back?”

“In a bit.”

Vernon’s heart almost leaps out of his chest from nervousness. “C-can I join you?”

Seungkwan chuckles. “Sure.”

Vernon walks beside Seungkwan, his steps carefully matching the other. Their shoes against the brick path drums in Vernon’s ears, the moment becoming so vivid in his eyes like every second is etched in his memory. He nibbles on his lower lip, his pounding heart now manifesting to his extremities. His shoulder bumps on Seungkwan’s, his head turns to look at the boy. He inhales, his nose picking up a sweet scent like the fresh bloom of spring. He looks at Seungkwan. This was the closest he’d ever been to him and the first time they ever held a proper conversation.

“How long has it been?” he asks.

“Hm?” Seungkwan turns to look at him.

Vernon’s cheeks flush, not expecting the boy to turn to him. “B-baking.” He barely responds.

Seungkwan purses his lips, his eyes looking up as if recalling a memory. “About a year, I think.”

Vernon nods and quickly responds. “They’re really good. I love your bread.” Vernon’s cheeks flush red.

Seungkwan’s cheeks rise, a shy smile on his lips. “Thank you.” He turns to Vernon. “What about you? What do you do, Vernon?”

Vernon shyly turns his attention to the road. “I’m a teacher at the university here.”

“Oh wow. You’re smart.”

Vernon peeks at Seungkwan, clearly seeing the curl on his lips. “I’m just your typical teacher.” He grins.

“What do you teach?”

“History.”

“Ooh. That’s interesting.” He lifts his hand to his hair, combing it gently with his slender fingers.

“It is…” Vernon pauses, getting distracted by Seungkwan’s fingers and his golden hair. “But students aren’t too interested.” He adds.

Seungkwan laughs. “I don’t blame them. I wasn’t a big fan of history myself.”

“Oh.” Vernon makes a sudden frown.

Seungkwan notices Vernon’s upturned lips and giggles. “Are you pouting?” He pinches his cheeks.

As soon as Seungkwan’s fingers touch his skin, Vernon’s heart feels like it stopped. He blinks. His eyes are wide and his cheeks feel hot.

Seungkwan realizes his fingers on Vernon’s cheek and pulls them back. “I’m sorry.”

Vernon laughs nervously. “It’s okay.” He looks at his shoes. “I don’t mind.”

The rest of the walk is silent, awkwardness hanging in the air.

Seungkwan stops in front of the bakeshop. “Well, this is me.” He turns around, facing Vernon.

Vernon can’t help but smile. The sun had risen up in the sky and its rays danced gracefully on Seungkwan’s blonde hair, making them appear golden.

“Would you like some coffee?” Seungkwan offers, biting his lip as the last word left his mouth.

--
That's it for now. I cut it short for some suspense, though you probably already know what happens next. There's no way Vernon would say no to that, unless someone interrupts them. ;) See you on the next one! ;) Thanks as always for taking the time to read and leave comments. :) <3