The small bell above the door dings cheerfully, signifying the entrance of a new customer. Hoseok pokes his head out the open door to the kitchen, throwing a polite smile to the guest.

“Welcome, I’ll be with you in a minute,” Hoseok calls, only catching a glimpse of the dark-haired young man. He returns his focus to the dough he’s wrist-deep in, quickening his kneading to get to the customer faster. Once he finishes, he turns to head to the register, wiping his flour-dusted fingers on his apron.

“Welcome to Momo Café, how may I help you?” he says on autopilot. He glances up, putting on the disarming grin customers love, but feels it falter slightly at finally seeing who it is whose come in.

“Busy today?” Hyungwon, a regular, asks. Hoseok nods quickly, instinctively feeling bashful at seeing such a handsome face.

“Today’s baking day,” Hoseok explains.  Hyungwon leans forward with an outstretched, delicate finger. He wipes at Hoseok’s cheek, causing the older to freeze where he stands. “S-S-So, I’m s-spending all day with the o-ovens.” He mentally curses himself for his embarrassing stutter, fighting the urge to kick himself for it underneath the counter. He feels Hyungwon’s feather-like finger brush against his skin repeatedly, the younger finally pulling back with a satisfied nod after what feels like an eternity.

“You had flour on your cheek,” Hyungwon explains at last. Hoseok’s hand flies up to his face, and he quickly moves to check his reflection in the nearby display counter. Hyungwon watches with an amused smile, chuckling under his breath at the reaction.

Hoseok, upon seeing his face is clear of flour, returns his gaze to Hyungwon. Their eyes meet over the counter, lingering a second too long on one another. Hoseok, upon realizing he’s staring, clears his throat as he breaks the gaze. He stutters out an apology, trying his best for another smile.

“Your usual?” Hoseok asks, shoving his long bangs out of his eyes. Hyungwon nods, looking up at the menu board thoughtfully. He squints his eyes, smiling at something.

“Do you always do the doodles?” he says softly. Hoseok glances over his shoulder at the menu board, nodding at the cartoonish dragon doodle he had done that morning just before opening.

“I do,” he replies. He returns his gaze to the register, ringing up the typical order of two small white cakes with little bunny designs on them.

“You’re very talented,” Hyungwon compliments, opening his wallet to pay. He retrieves the money and begins to hand it over, but pauses and pulls his hand back. Hoseok stares at him confusedly, wondering if for once he wants something else. “Do you know why I buy two cakes every time I come here?”

Hoseok is taken aback by the sudden question, it being so off-script from their usual weekly encounters. He begins to blubber something about thinking that the younger just really likes the cakes, or that he’s taking them back home to share with someone, his heart racing at being able to speak with this handsome specimen for longer than normal.  Hyungwon is barely able to follow the babble, having to bite back a chuckle at how flustered he is. He waits for the baker to finish before shaking his head, giving him a serene smile.

“I order two because I hope that one day you’ll join me in eating them,” Hyungwon tells him. Hoseok’s eyes widen, his lips closing tight at the confession. “I come all this way for more than the cakes. I mean, they’re good, but I really come to see you every week.”

Hoseok stands there, quietly staring in shock for too long, and Hyungwon suddenly begins to blush. He bashfully drops his gaze, offering the money again.

“Sorry,” he quickly says, “I just thought… Never mind. Doesn’t matter. Here’s the money.” Hoseok’s gaze flits down to the cash and back up to Hyungwon’s blush. He chuckles, finding the expression incredibly cute.

“I-I can’t now,” Hoseok tells him, the humbling embarrassment on this angel before him managing to put him at ease enough to speak, “but I’d be able to spend some time with you once the café closes. That is, i-i-f you want.” Hyungwon’s eyes snap back up to Hoseok’s, a smile returning to his plump lips.

“I can come by around closing time to get you,” Hyungwon suggests in a low voice, his nerves making it sound much deeper than it actually is. Hoseok quickly nods, an exuberant smile shining from ear to ear. Hyungwon chuckles at the eager response. Hoseok takes the money and boxes up the cakes quickly. Now he feels in a rush to get back to what he was doing in an effort to get the day to pass by.

“I’ll meet you out front,” Hoseok says.

“See you then,” Hyungwon agrees, nodding. His eyes linger on the older for a moment more, and then turns on his heel to leave. He sends up a silent prayer that the day passes by in the blink of an eye, excited at finally having gotten over his shyness and spoken to the older.

Hoseok remains at the register to watch him leave and cross the street, getting into a car and driving away. He then moves as fast as his feet will allow him to finish up making the fresh batch of breads. He stares distractedly at the wall in front of him as he kneads, the smile refusing to leave him in anticipation of his evening.