1.

 

“Afternoon, Baekhyun!” Baekhyun inhaled as he stepped into the café, the scent of coffee wafting towards him.

 

Junmyeon waved from behind the counter, smiling as he pushed a cup of flat white over to the customer waiting, a young teen that looked as if she might melt from the dazzling smile the barista shot her.

 

Baekhyun shook his head, hurrying behind the counter to put his apron on over his white button-down that Junmyeon insisted they wear.

 

The café was always so nice and bright in the afternoon, well lit by the massive windows. Baekhyun remembered when he had helped Junmyeon design the place, the latter had insisted on those windows.

 

“They make the aesthetic,” he said, drawing a big circle around the windows. Baekhyun just shrugged and let him have his way.

 

Now he was glad for them as he puttered around, checking the display case, refilling the pastries that were low on stock. A quick glance at the time told him that it was closing in on three-thirty.

 

Around three thirty-five every day, a gorgeous man with blonde hair would walk past the café, right past the giant windows. About ten minutes later, he would reappear, all bright and smiley.

 

He would walk in the café doors and Baekhyun would try to hide his internal flailing as he served him.

 

“Look.” Junmyeon nudged him gently as he passed, gesturing with his chin to the café’s windows.

 

It was as if a dark cloud had passed over the pretty blonde man as he trudged past, a black beanie tugged low over his head.

 

He disappeared briefly from sight, presumably into the sweet little bakery next door and returned moments later, clutching a big French baguette in his arms.

 

It was rather comical really, to see such a tiny man holding such a big brown paper bag with the baguette sticking out but Baekhyun was in no mood to laugh at the miserable face peeking from out from under the black beanie.

 

“Hi, same as always?” He tried to keep his voice upbeat despite the little cloud of gloom that hovered over him at the sight of his favourite customer looking so down in the dumps.

 

“Yea.” The tiny man’s voice was so small that Baekhyun could hardly hear it from across the counter. It was such a stark contrast from his usually sunshine yellow self that Baekhyun could not help himself.

 

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly. He was horrified to see the man’s pretty brown eyes immediately fill with tears.

 

Oh no.

 

“Oh- oh!” Thankfully there were not many customers in the café and Junmyeon was in the back. Baekhyun scurried around the counter, laying his hand on the man’s shoulder.

 

“Here.” He hustled the man into his favourite corner of the café, a little corner booth out of sight from everyone, the light wood of the table bathed in the light of the afternoon sun. The man let him manhandle him, still hugging his poor baguette like a stuffed animal. “You stay right here. I’ll be back.”

 

He hurried to the bar, whipping up a hot chocolate as quickly as he could without compromising the flavour.

 

Junmyeon had a rule on how many marshmallows they were usually allowed to give customers because the little pillowy clouds were expensive. But this customer was special.

 

That was what Baekhyun would tell him if he asked anyway.

 

He piled the frothy chocolate high with marshmallows, carrying it back to the sniffling man’s corner.

 

“Here.”

 

The cup made a very pretty picture on the light wood table as he pushed it across to the man.

 

“Marshmallows always make people happy,” he explained when the man looked questioningly at him.

 

“Thank you,” beanie man said quietly. He set aside his baguette, reaching to take the mug in hand. His fingers were so small, dwarfed by his oversized sweater sleeves that slipped down when he wrapped his hands around the mug.

 

“Well- uh.” Baekhyun ducked his head, fiddling with his hands. “I hope whatever it is, you feel better.”

 

He gestured to the chocolate.

 

“Come up to the counter if you want a refill. It’s free for sad tiny customers.”

 

The words just slipped out before he could stop himself but before he could apologize, beanie man looked up at him, the sadness in his eyes giving way to something a little like mirth.

 

“Thank you,” he said again, reaching over to touch Baekhyun’s wrist. “This means a lot.”

 

Baekhyun nodded, hurrying back to the counter just as Junmyeon re-emerged from the back room, his hair dusted with flour.

 

He could not keep his eyes from straying over to sad beanie man every few seconds, a fact that Junmyeon clearly took note of.

 

“You should ask his name next time,” he whispered into Baekhyun’s ear as he carried a pile of dishes into the sink. “He can tell you’re looking.”

 

Baekhyun ducked his head, his cheeks flushing as he wiped down the counter for the umpteenth time.

 

Beanie man looked a lot less sad and a little more like himself when he brought the mug back over to the counter. His curly lips were tugged up into a tiny smile as he pushed the empty mug across the counter.

 

“Thanks for the chocolate, Baekhyun sshi.” His eyes flicked to the name tag pinned on Baekhyun’s apron as he pushed a white card across the marble. Baekhyun’s stomach fluttered at the sound of his name on the pretty man’s lips.

 

“You’re very welcome,” he murmured.

 

Not so sad beanie man flashed him a brighter grin and hugged his baguette close. Even his steps looked lighter as he walked out, the café bell tinkling behind him.

 

Baekhyun smiled to himself, picking up the business card to see delicate black text printed neatly across.

 

Kim Jongdae. Senior designer at JD designs.

 

“He’s cute,” Junmyeon said, bumping his shoulder gently. He smiled as he folded up his apron, rolling it into a neat bundle before putting it into his bag. “And he might be into you.”

 

Baekhyun shrugged, trying for nonchalance as he dropped the mug into the sink, reaching to turn on the water.

 

“You should text him,” Junmyeon pushed, nudging him when he made no reply. “Tell me if you do.”

 

“You should get going. Don’t want to be late for Yixing hyung,” Baekhyun said instead, smirking when Junmyeon made a face. He would never be late.

 

“Text the guy, Baekhyunnie. He’ll be good for you!”

 

With those parting words, Junmyeon left the café, the bell tinkling merrily as he closed the glass door gently behind him.

 

Baekhyun was left alone in the mostly empty café, with the scent of coffee in his nostrils and his mind filled with images of beanie man’s lovely smile.

 

 

2.

 

The café was quiet on the weekends. The kind of quiet that was restful and it made Baekhyun happy, just to see the few customers dotted around the room, sitting at various tables doing their thing.

 

Junmyeon had the day off, so it was just him. There was not much to do really. He refilled a young woman’s cup of tea with hot water, nodding when she looked up from her work to give him a thankful smile.

 

The baby’s breath in his favourite corner booth was looking a little droopy so Baekhyun removed it, going hunting the back rooms for more fresh ones.

 

He heard the bell tinkle while he was in back, scurrying out quickly with a bundle of baby’s breath still in his hands.

 

“Hello, how can I help you?” he called, all the breath draining out of him when he saw who stood before the counter.

 

“Hi,” Kim Jongdae, the designer smiled back, those cute little curly lips Baekhyun’s kryptonite. “Can I have a cup of hot chocolate with extra marshmallows please?”

 

Baekhyun did not realise he had been staring for a while until those curly corners drooped a little.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Oh! Ye- yes, sorry,” Baekhyun stuttered, his cheeks blushing a fiery red. He was about to tuck the baby’s breath away for later when Jongdae reached out.

 

“Is that for the corner booth? I could take it over if you want,” he said, dropping his money onto the counter.

 

“Ah- yes.” Baekhyun pushed the flowers over to him, “thank you! I’ll bring your chocolate over.”

 

He busied himself with the cooking of the chocolate so that he could stop dwelling on how brightly Jongdae had beamed at him.

 

He was like the afternoon sun shining in from the windows, so bright and cheerful.

 

When Baekhyun walked over, the chocolate in hand, he nearly stopped in his tracks at the sight that Jongdae made, settled in the booth.

 

The sunlight spilt all over him, glinting off his golden hair. He was bathed in the golden light, his eyes glittering prettily as he squinted at his laptop screen.

 

Baekhyun had to in a deep breath and remind himself that he was at work, and no, flailing over a beautiful man was not acceptable in public.

 

Said beautiful man looked up when he approached, kitten lips curled.

 

“Thank you, Baekhyun,” he said, clearly much happier than the last time he had come in.

 

“No Americano with extra sugar today?” Baekhyun asked, immediately regretting his decision when Jongdae’s lips pulled down slightly.

 

“No, not today,” he said softly, his little hands curving around the mug. He took a sip of the hot chocolate, making a satisfied ‘aah’ that made Baekhyun smile despite himself. “I like hot chocolate better.”

 

Baekhyun nodded, backing away to go pretend that the counter was dirty when in fact, all he wanted to do was to watch Jongdae sip his chocolate and fiddle with his laptop.

 

He cooed to himself when Jongdae’s sweater sleeves slipped down his wrists, giving him adorable sweater paws as he tap tapped away at his keyboard.

 

Even the way he held his pencil was adorable, his mouth pinch in concentration as he sketched.

 

Baekhyun barely noticed time passing as he bustled around the café, clearing dirty dishes and wiping down tables, Jongdae always on the back of his mind.

 

He drank his hot chocolate so slowly that it made Baekhyun cringe a little, over two hours later when he brought it up for a sip.

 

There was no way it was any good but Jongdae hummed, glancing over at him. Their eyes met and Baekhyun was the first to look away, his ears burning in shame at being caught staring.

 

He wiped down the counter again and smiled at the couple that had just entered, collecting their money and turning to make the drinks to try and get Jongdae off his mind.

 

It was a trying task.

 

Baekhyun regretted showing Jongdae the corner booth for as the golden hour passed, the man was bathed in the lovely light, such a pretty picture that Baekhyun itched to pull out his phone and take a photo.

 

It was near closing time that Jongdae finally started packing up, shutting down his laptop and putting his papers and notebooks away meticulously.

 

“You didn’t text me.” Baekhyun was sweeping up the floors when he heard Jongdae speak. He tripped over his own broom, nearly crash landing onto the floor before he caught himself on the edge of a table.

 

His cheeks were hot when he looked up to see Jongdae pouting at him, his hot chocolate mug clutched in his sweater paws.

 

Down, boy. Baekhyun thought when the butterflies in his belly began to flutter.

 

Jongdae was really too cute.

 

“I- well,” he stuttered, combing a hand through his hair hastily. He had thought about it.

 

In fact, he still had the card tucked away in his wallet, in his apron pocket right that very moment.

 

“I thought you would, you know,” Jongdae said, holding out the mug. Baekhyun took it, ducking his head to stare at the floor.

 

“I didn’t know if it would be well received,” he admitted shyly, hugging the broom close to him.

 

“Well, it will be,” Jongdae said airily. He smiled and Baekhyun’s heart almost stopped beating. “Text me, Baekhyun. I’m waiting.”

 

He pushed another white card into his hand, kitten lips curling.

 

Baekhyun stared at his retreating back with wide eyes, his heart beating double time. He glanced down at the card. It still said the same things but on the back, written in black sharpie: Chocolate and milk have always been good friends. The other day when they met, they had a real chocolate milkshake.

 

He choked on a laugh, sliding it into his back pocket, smiling so wide that his cheeks hurt.

 

 

3.

 

It was a miserable day.

 

Baekhyun’s nose would not stop running from the moment he woke up and he felt rather light headed as he padded across his apartment to make himself some soup.

 

Junmyeon had very kindly shifted his early morning shift to late afternoon without asking any questions and Baekhyun would like to keep it that way.

 

If Junmyeon got any inkling that he was ill, he would keep Baekhyun at home for the rest of the day.

 

There was a light sprinkling of snow on the sidewalk when Baekhyun stepped out of his home, thoroughly bundled up in a sweater, coat and scarves.

 

He glanced his watch, shivering when the cold wind made contact with his skin, noting grumpily that he would miss cute beanie man, Jongdae

 

They still had not texted, Baekhyun deciding that he liked their dynamic the way it was.

 

Jongdae did not push him, only cheerfully announcing his order before disappearing out, presumably back to his job.

 

Meeting Jongdae was the best part of Baekhyun’s day and now he was going to miss him.

 

Baekhyun pouted into his scarf, hurrying up to catch his bus.

 

His nose was still runny when he got off, hugging himself as he ran for the warmth of the café.

 

To his surprise, Jongdae was leaning against the counter, kitten lips curled into a smile as he chatted animatedly with Junmyeon.

 

“Hello!” he exclaimed at the sight of Baekhyun, his pretty eyes twinkling.

 

Baekhyun grunted from deep within his scarf, sliding around him to scoot behind the counter.

 

“You’re sick,” Junmyeon observed, his brows knitted in a disapproving frown. He clicked his tongue, dropping a tea bag into a cup of hot water to steep.

 

Baekhyun waved his hand at him, his throat too sore to really speak. He nodded at Jongdae, whose smile had dimmed briefly at the sight of his poor state of health.

 

“Americano today?” Baekhyun rasped, slipping his brown apron over his uniform, tugging on a mask so that he would not infect anyone else with his cold.

 

Jongdae shook his head, brightening. If he was a puppy, his metaphorical tail would be wagging with the way he stared at Baekhyun.

 

“Hot chocolate, please! And extra marshmallows,” he said, pushing the exact change across the counter.

 

Baekhyun ignored Junmyeon’s side-eye, tucking the change into the register.

 

He busied himself making the chocolate, piling on the marshmallows into a to-go cup while Junmyeon packed up his things, getting ready to pick up Yixing from his workplace.

 

“Drink your tea, Baekhyunnie. And please don’t come into work tomorrow,” Junmyeon chided, patting Baekhyun’s shoulder as he was leaving.

 

Baekhyun nodded miserably, pushing Jongdae’s to-go cup across the counter but to his surprise, the man was no longer there.

 

His heart deflated in his chest and he set the cup aside, sniffling under his mask.

 

The tea that Junmyeon had steeped for him smelled really good, the fresh minty scent floating up past his mask.

 

Baekhyun sniffled again, tipping a teaspoon of sugar into the tea and stirring it around. The soft clinking sound calmed him as he looked around the café, softly lit by the wintry sun outside.

 

The bells on the door jingled just as Baekhyun was about to go into the back room to raid their medical kit for some painkillers for his head. He looked up to see Jongdae scurrying across the café, clutching a bag in his hands.

 

“Here, drink this.” He was huffing and puffing, his cheeks flushed, both from the cold and from the running.

 

It was the most adorable sight, a tiny man all bundled up in a sweater and scarves wheezing for air with a red face just because he had run to get Baekhyun some soup.

 

The soup was warm and tangy, tomato soup from the store just down the road from the bakery and it slid down Baekhyun’s throat easily, warming him from the inside out.

 

Jongdae only sat and watched him sip his soup, his hot chocolate clutched between his sweater paws. He seemed to be in no hurry to get back to his office, content to just sit in a puddle of sunlight.

 

Baekhyun smiled across at him from the counter as he drank his soup, his heart all fizzy with warmth as he tended to customers between sips.

 

The cold weather seemed to make everyone want a hot drink as he found himself fumbling to make more and more coffees and teas.

 

By the time the rush was over, Jongdae was nowhere to be found, his to go cup left on the table, the plastic lid sitting on the table where he had been sitting.

 

 I am one kind of a person who doesn’t like putting a lid on my hot chocolate. I love keeping my Options open.

 

Baekhyun chortled to himself when he read the message scribbled onto the to go cup with a black sharpie, an adorable smiley face adorning the end, complete with curly lips.

 

He snapped a photo of the silly pun before chucking the cup into the bin. Junmyeon would appreciate such a pun well.

 

 

4.

 

“Did tiny Jongdae stop by?” Junmyeon asked when he appeared at the café, completely out of the ordinary on a day where he did not have a shift.

 

The door tinkled again and his boyfriend appeared behind him, dimpling sweetly in Baekhyun’s direction.

 

Baekhyun lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of his favourite person.

 

“Yixing hyung!” he cheered, dancing around the counter to hug him, much to Junmyeon’s dismay.

 

“You’re never this happy to see me,” he grumbled when Yixing pecked Baekhyun on his cheek. He reached out, snatching Yixing’s hand to pull him away, eyes narrowed. “Mine.”

 

Baekhyun pouted, returning to his place behind the counter. It was a slow Saturday and he was bored to death, resorting to experimenting with coffee brews to curb his boredom.

 

“To answer your question, no, Jongdae hasn’t come by yet and I don’t think he would. He doesn’t work on the weekends.”

 

His heart skipped a little when he thought back to all the times Jongdae had come in on the weekends, bearing his laptop and armed with a small stack of papers and notebooks until Baekhyun confirmed that he did not, in fact work on weekends.

 

“For the record, you’re just as tiny as he is, hyung,” Baekhyun pointed out, laughing when Junmyeon only stuck his tongue out at him, pulling Yixing over to the booth beside Baekhyun’s corner.

 

Yixing winked at Baekhyun, blowing him a kiss that Baekhyun reciprocated before Junmyeon shot him a glare and nudged Yixing into the booth.

 

“Stop flirting with my boyfriend,” he muttered when he had set his things down and gone up to the counter to order.

 

“Yixing doesn’t mind,” Baekhyun replied, glancing over to their seat. Yixing was looking around the café with interest, his phone off and face down on the table.

 

He dimpled again when he spotted Baekhyun looking, waving.

 

“Well- he’s too nice,” Junmyeon spluttered, pointing to a random drink on the menu.

 

“You mean he thinks I’m cute too,” Baekhyun said triumphantly and Junmyeon rolled his eyes.

 

“Don’t let Jongdae hear you say that. Maybe he’ll stop coming around,” he grinned wickedly at Baekhyun’s horrified look.

 

“You’re evil, hyung!” Baekhyun gasped dramatically just as the café door tinkled open.

 

“Junmyeon hyung isn’t evil!” Came an affronted voice. Baekhyun’s head whipped up to see Jongdae coming towards him, a messenger bag slung over his shoulder.

 

His blonde hair was windblown and ruffled, his kitten lips curled into a smile as he slid to a stop beside Junmyeon, nudging the other man affectionately.

 

Baekhyun pouted, shaking his head.

 

“No more marshmallows for you.” He wagged his finger at Jongdae, the latter immediately putting on the most convincing puppy dog eyes Baekhyun had ever seen.

 

“Nooo, Junmyeon hyung help me,” Jongdae whined, clinging onto Junmyeon’s arm.

 

An irrational bite of jealousy shot through Baekhyun at the easy friendship and he had to turn away to start putting together Junmyeon’s complicated frappuccino to hide his face.

 

“Join us, Jongdae.” Junmyeon pointed towards the table Yixing was seated at, already tugging Jongdae away. “Baekhyun already knows your order.”

 

Baekhyun’s heart tripped over itself when Jongdae gave him a beseeching glance.

 

“With extra marshmallows please,” he pleaded. Baekhyun rolled his eyes, pretending that his heart was not racing in his chest.

 

“Alright, alright.” He shooed him away from the counter, a smile flitting up to his face ready to greet the next customer.

 

The smile on Jongdae’s face when he set down the mug of hot chocolate was a sight to behold, like a sunbeam cutting across his eyes.

 

Baekhyun averted his gaze when Junmyeon gave him a knowing look but said nothing, more preoccupied with making sure that his absent-minded boyfriend did not get whipped cream on his face.

 

“We should hang out outside the café too, Baekhyunnie. You haven’t come over for dinner in so long,” Yixing said absently, taking a generous sip of Junmyeon’s frappuccino before his boyfriend could stop him.

 

He wrinkled his nose, brows furrowing in pain.

 

“Brain freeze?” Junmyeon shook his head sympathetically, knocking his knuckles against Yixing’s temples.

 

Baekhyun rolled his eyes when Yixing caught up his hand, pressing a sugary kiss against his fingers.

 

“They’re always this gross,” he said to Jongdae, who was stirring his hot chocolate, watching Yixing and Junmyeon with interest.

 

Junmyeon’s cheeks were pink when he batted at Yixing with the most lovesick expression on his face.

 

Baekhyun sighed heavily, returning to man the counter. He snuck only occasional glances in Jongdae’s direction and was more than a little warm when he found the man’s eyes drifting in his direction more often than not.

 

“You know you really should text me sometime, instead of staring whenever I come in.” Jongdae’s voice startled him out of his reverie and Baekhyun jumped.

 

He nearly upset the jar of sugar on the counter, fumbling to catch it before it could spill the entirety of its contents across the marble.

 

“I- why can’t you text me first?” Baekhyun stuttered before he realized how ridiculous he sounded.

 

Jongdae did not have his number.

 

Jongdae raised an eyebrow, pretty lips curling as he pushed his mug across the counter, the marshmallows at the bottom of the cup all soggy.

 

“I would, Baekhyun ssi, if I had your number,” he said with a wink, the cup making a clinking sound when he tapped it with his finger. “I’d like a refill please.”

 

Two bills were pushed across the counter and Baekhyun accepted them with a slightly dazed look.

 

“And your number, if that’s convenient.”

 

He blinked, cheeks flushing pink.

 

“Of- course,” he stuttered, tucking the bills away into the register.

 

Jongdae pushed his phone across the counter, grinning like he had won the lottery and Baekhyun’s heart had never felt so warm as he tapped his number into his phone.

 

“You’re off on Wednesdays, right? Let’s go out for dinner,” Jongdae said earnestly.

 

Baekhyun could not hide his smile as he nodded, so enthusiastically that he missed Yixing and Junmyeon’s side glance in his direction.

 

 

+1

 

Jongdae beamed as he pushed open the café door, listening to the silver bells tinkling.

 

His heart skipped a beat when the barista behind the counter looked up and smiled at the sight of him.

 

“Here come the lovebirds,” Junmyeon singsonged from behind Baekhyun. He shook his head as Jongdae walked towards the counter, clutching a bouquet of flowers in his hands

 

Baekhyun blushed but the smile on his face did not waver as he untied his apron, stepping around the counter.

 

“Hey,” Jongdae said, lifting a hand to wiped away a smudge of chocolate powder that had somehow ended up on Baekhyun’s cheek.

 

“Hey to you,” Baekhyun answered, nodding to the flowers. “Are those for me?”

 

“Happy anniversary,” Jongdae smiled, leaning in for his kiss.

 

For a moment, the rest of the world melted away and all he had was Baekhyun and the flowers in his hands.

 

A thunk on the counter startled them both and they pulled apart to see Junmyeon shaking his head at them.

 

“Happy anniversary and please do stop scandalizing my customers. Baekhyun, you’re off for the rest of the day. Now go away.”

 

Jongdae grinned as he picked up both to go cups Junmyeon had set down on the counter, Baekhyun clutching his flowers close to him.

 

He had no hand to lace with Baekhyun’s but they made do, Baekhyun sliding an arm around his waist to hold him close.

 

“Happy anniversary, Dae,” Baekhyun said as they stood outside the café, in the golden sunlight waiting for the bus.

 

He leaned over, pressing a kiss against Jongdae’s cheek and Jongdae had never been happier in his life.