"Coffee or tea?"

It's the standard question that Minhyun got whenever he's trying to get to know someone. Apple or orange, coffee or tea, Twitter or Instagram. He's heard this question when he sat down for an interview in a cafe, when his fan turned up at the fansign with a list of beverages to check off on a cute KakaoTalk character post-it, when he's out on a friend gathering with new faces that inched closer every couple minutes or so.

Minhyun hummed, sipping on water as he looked up at Hyunbin's question. His friend of five-years had took over the mic, blasting to a what was supposed to be a sorrowful song by Gummy, but turning it into a complete train wreck as the drunk he was. Of all places he expected to hear this question, it was not at a noraebang, with three, four other mutual friends yelling at the top of their voice with red faces. So Minhyun stared, the singer blinking twice at the handsome face looking all-too expectantly at him. 

"Tea."

The younger's lips drew into a wide, mildly amused grin.

And that, was it.

Most of their dates were spent at tea cafes. It range from the sort with classic English teapots with gold ornate rims and flowery cups, complete with a three-tier snack rack for afternoon tea; to the traditional Japanese matcha cafe, furnished with tatami mats that required them to slip off their shoes, a small garden viewable from the opened doors of their private dining room; to the casual themed cafes spotted around Seoul, with assortment of cakes and pastries and other beverages. 

Minhyun was a tea-person. And a grapefruit aide  person. And a smoothie person. 

Hyunbin was neither of those.

And yet on most of their dates, they went to a spot serving pots and pots of different tea - earl grey, chai latte, citrus yuju tea, mixed fruit tea, green tea. Preferably a spot that's secluded and private enough in the day, because Minhyun was a private person even before he was a celebrity, and Hyunbin and learned to respect that. He also learned to respect Minhyun's homebody habits, carrying a large book in hand when they meet, before lapsing into silence for a good hour or so immersed in his new read. 

And while the elder reads pages after pages of ink on paper, Hyunbin took his chance to read minutes and minutes of expressions and details of his lover: the way his long, single-lidded eyes roam horizontally like a cat chasing after mice, the way his adam apple bobbed when he cleared his throat every now and then, the way his small hands and shorter fingers curl around the spine of the book as he slouched over. The model took in everything with the surrounds, the spicy smell of mint to the rosey floral fragrance hanging in the air instead of the usual coffee roast he was accustomed to. Sometimes he'd indulge himself with a slice of cake, chomping down every last bite as Minhyun slipped further and further down the chair, being in his comfort zone, like a cat finding its favourite spot, curling up in the softness of their own mat.

Watching Minhyun was like a slow indie movie with repeated scenes, but it's in the tiniest changes between each repeated scene that drew out the deepest impression. The furrow of the brows meant coming across something he couldn't understand, or something that struck such horror within him, Hyunbin took it all in. He might not be an avid reader of words, unappreciative of the poetry about life or the signs of stars miles away from home, but he would read Minhyun for hours end to end. Even if the singer was not an open book, always full of mystery at every turn, Hyunbin was willing to slip into the imaginary world of his. Each soft gasp of an unexpected twist, each widening grin, the model read the book in Minhyun's hands by reading every change in expression that blossomed on his features, the covers of each book painting the backdrop of each imagery.

He imagined himself adrift at sea, or sent outer space. He wondered what kind of superhero he would be, or the elder would become. He thought about the possibility of turning into the lovely couple in a romance novel, especially when Minhyun's ears turn a small flush of pink as he flipped, eyes wandering between the pages to sneaking peeks at him. Hyunbin would slip forward across the table, elbows crossed on the surface and chin resting atop folded arms, his own favourite spot in such sessions.

( Hyunbin didn't tell Minhyun that sometimes, just sometimes, he makes up stories of why Minhyun acted in certain ways, just for his personal enjoyment. )

"Hyung."
"Hyung~"
"...Hwang Minhyun."
"Minhyunnie hyung."

And when time passed by all too quickly, three hours of the day flying past without much of a word exchanged between them, Hyunbin would speak up first. Deep voice having a high tone ring to it, he lightly nudged the elder with his toes, asking for attention. Minhyun always gave it to him then, jolting awake to the time, apologizing with a curt laugh, scratching the back of his hand. And Hyunbin would always say it's alright, rapping his fingers on the top of the table to ease the urge to grab the elder's hand. Even if he wanted to tell the world about them, it was always an unspoken rule between them.

Hyunbin don't want to push that line, because no matter how many dates they went on so far, Hyunbin wanted to respect his space. 

Besides, finally having Minhyun's full attention was everything he could ask for at the moment.

For someone seemingly so impatient with his numerous calls and purposeful little nudges of feet under the table, Hyunbin was immensely patient and tolerant. The singer might not have graduated from school with amazing grades, but he was observant enough to notice that it's the third, fifth, tenth, cafe they met up with that served different sorts of tea. Even with Hyunbin's numerous 'I found a new cool place, let's go, hyung!' texts, each arrival was accompanied with him downing a potful of tea as Hyunbin didn't even touch his cup. Hyunbin was someone who liked his coffee and chocolate and occasionally lemonades. He's someone who seeks a darker flavor with more depth, a stark contrast to his preference for lighter things such as tea in it's original state. 

Even in terms of sweetness, the raven opted for the fruity taste of berries and citrus, while the model aimed for the savory richness of chocolate and sugared candies.

It reminded the elder of the contrast between them. Hyunbin with his bright eyes of a child hyper on candy, with the mature vibe in statue yet softness of his personality. Hyunbin was sweet, sweet in the exact way one would have used to describe a person, affectionate but not overbearing, understanding despite his occasional moments. And behind those chocolate orbs, was a depth he could get lost in, or of burning passion that scalded his cheeks.

He himself, however, was dull and boring in comparison. Someone who appreciated a scheduled, routine and organized life. He liked the quietness of a quaint cafe and the comfort of simplicity. Sometimes, when their eyes met as he raised his head from the heavy words, Minhyun would find himself wondering time and time again, just what about himself that attracted Hyunbin. It's not to say the raven had no confidence in himself, because confidence was key to being a singer, to being someone who has to showcase themselves to the scrutiny of society. But he was quiet and passive and a lost child in love, someone inexperienced and almost awkward in expressive his true feelings. 

Especially when Hyunbin leaned his whole body forwards on the small table, long limbs coming close to his cup of tea and his own empty mug of hot chocolate, long lidded eyes blinkly lazily at him. Even with half his face covered, Minhyun could imagine the drawl of his smile developing, enough to make him shift in his seat from being flustered at the undivided attention. 

Sometimes he would look up to find the long lashes fluttering close, the model taking his much needed nap after the weariness of his work settled in no thanks to the oddity of his working hours. Times like these he would put down his book just to lean over, fingers threading through soft locks of hair so gently it felt like he was dreaming. He would push down the urge to drop a kiss onto the crown of his brightly dyed hair, only ever allowing his hands to still for an added second before pulling away, hiding his satisfied smile behind the thick cover of his book.

It still felt like a dream, sitting here at a cafe with a loved one, out in the open as a singer yet knowing that they would never be in the open fully.

It felt like a dream, because he never thought such was even possible. That finding love that make his heart thump with every second he thought of the younger was a possibility.

All those years, Minhyun had kept quiet about his orientation. It was a realization for a while, with him stumbling over his own feet as he struggled to understand his mind and affections and preferences in a conventional society. His fear, projected by the horrors he's heard all too much, made him kept to his own. Minhyun would masked the thoughts behind a smile, keeping his polite distance with males and females alike. 

All that, lead to him never thinking too far ahead into the future. He turned his focus elsewhere, but it became clear to him that he was only ever attracted to men.

( It took longer to realize that there's nothing wrong with it either, but it took Hyunbin to fully let that thought sink in, that he too was capable of falling in love and be loved by the same person. )

"Hyunbinnie." 
"Hyunbin-ah?"
"Hyunbin?"
"Wake up."

His voice was soft, almost blending into the surroundings as the coffee machine hummed. The sun was on it's way down, orange rays splayed through the windows, not that it affected the younger's snoozing. Minhyun looked around the empty cafe, the staff behind the counter nodding away as she sat almost hidden from view. No one else was with them, a rare occurrence he would never imagine a cafe to be until Hyunbin brought him there.

Minhyun hesitated, but he slowly reached over, fingers clasping over the slightly curled fist, thumb rubbing the back of the model's soft skin. It was the most he's done with Hyunbin in public, especially after their mutual alignment on the status of their relationship.

Lovers. They were lovers. Even when holding his hand like this, Minhyun couldn't help but wonder if one day, it would all just become a mirage?

But Hyunbin's hand was warm, always was. 

The singer pushed his seat back, mimicking the position as he rest one folded arm on the table, chin on the back of his free hand. The other hand hadn't let go just yet, a small moment of luxury he allowed himself as he calmed his own fears. The rustle of the leaves were like the sounds of washing waves, soothing, tempting him to do even more, but Minhyun didn't move. 

He watched the sleeping boy for a few more minutes, this way, watching him the way he was watched when reading a book. He watched the subtle movement of his lashes and brows, the even rise and fall of his hunched shoulders. The model might be taller than him by two inches, but he folded his tall physique just as easily. 

At 4pm in the cafe at the corner, resting his hand on top of the younger's, it was a moment of intimacy that he never knew he craved till then. Lips curling up as a thought came to mind, he lifted his hand just slightly, letting only the tip graze past Hyunbin's skin as he traced each letter carefully.

ㅈ ㅗ ㅎ ㅇ ㅏ ㅎ ㅏㅣ

"...hyung..?"

Minhyun sat up, hand retracting as the sound of dragging chair screeched across the wooden floor. The younger scratched the back of his head, full lips pouting slightly, all swollen from the napping as with the rawness of his voice, he stretched his hands. 

"What were you doing?"

The singer blinked, shaking his head slowly, determined not to say anything.

"...were you trying to tickle me?'

That earned Hyunbin a quick laugh, the elder shaking his head before covering his mouth.

"Maybe. You wouldn't wake up, so...I thought I'd go for dinner alone."

The curl of his lips hinted of a tease, enough to draw the same amusement onto the other's features.

"You're mean, hyung."

He said, and Minhyun could feel the close proximity of the younger's legs on either side of his chair, stretching over, shoes aligned and knees bumping. He bumped back.

"Let's go."

Sounds of chair dragging echoed in the cafe yet again, followed by shuffling feet and quiet laughter. The staff woke up briefly, jumping to her feet to wave them both goodbye, before slipping back to her break from work. Minhyun led the way this time, and Hyunbin followed suit just the same, long strides at a slower pace right beside his lover. He hadn't asked what the dinner place was, but Minhyun knew just where to go. 

"After you."

After all, if the afternoon was spent at his favourite spot, then the night would be Hyunbin's.

That much, he could do.

a/n: hello everyone!! work has been so busy that i barely have a lot of time for writing, really. but today i felt like completing this and so i came here. it's a short update, but i liked the length of this so far. hope you guys would enjoy it! also the korean letters that minhyun wrote spells out 좋아해 which means 'i like you' in korean. 

meanwhile, i do have other pending minhyunbin works to do, including 'color my world' and 'as you so desire, my highness', as well as my twitter au. i haven't forgotten them, no worries! an update about me, i've been so swamped at work, that i basically work 9.5 hours a day (not including lunch break), and i work on weekends. however it is a new job, and i hope to start writing again soon. i missed minhyunbin too much ; o ;

as always, find me on twitter at mhb_sng, my cc is linked there as well. if you would like to support my work with a small donation, here's my kofi link. thank you and please do leave any comments you have~ ♡sng