I Want to be Brave

Finding Love One Afternoon

Baekhyun's POV

Baekhyun stops scratching with his pencil when he feels a vibration in his pocket, frowning as to why his phone is buzzing away. The reason why his phone is vibrating flashes across the screen, it's so glaringly obvious now it's his alarm, his shift at the café is in one hour. Baekhyun lets out a sigh he stretches, he was so engrossed in his sketching assignment he didn't notice the time was flying by.  He doesn't bother packing away his  fine drawing assignment one that involves drawing a flower arrangement in pencil, happy with how his shading is coming on he grabs his phone and bag before leaving to make the mad dash down the hill to the café.

 

Baekhyun can't help but daydream as he walks,  he's always been so grateful the café isn't far from home, his parents have worked hard to make the café the success it is today. Baekhyun smiles, for him it's been bittersweet watching as his parents had to juggle the hard times the café had when business was low due to recession, sadly it wasn't just that,  the cafe having difficulties came at the same time he was being bullied, bullying that had left him so traumatised he had to be pulled from school and home schooled.  No longer daydreaming He reaches  a hand up to his ear,  as he desperately tries to banish painful memories, instead of falling pray to his memories, Beakhyun concentrates on just how grateful he is to his parents for their unwavering support and unconditional love during his darkest times.

 

Baekhyun will be the first to admit the home schooling did wonders for him academically and artistically,  sadly it wasn't so helpful at conquering his acute shyness. Shaking his head at yet more bad memories  he chastises himself.  Its no good to think about the sad memories of his teenage years, yes the bullying has scared him and left him acutely cautious of pretty much everything. He takes a deep breath, enough is enough now he shouldn't think about the past, as a flash of a beautiful platinum face is conjured in his mind before being quickly banished. Baekhyun smiles as he sees the café coming in to focus as he rather clumsily races down the hill. He never thought he would ever get a job in such a public place with his disability, yes he knows it's all down to being his parents son,  sadly his condition will  never allow him to have the usual university job at a convenience store, or god forbid a bar, him working in a bar he shivers at the very thought! 

 

Baekhyun knows sometimes you work with your strengths, and he likes making the coffee. Making coffee doesn't involve a whole lot of conversation, all he has to do is read the slips the cashier passes! Baekhyun remembers how at first making coffee wasn't his only job, originally he was set to work with his father. His father is   an amazing pastry chef, who was once a desert chef at a prestigious hotel before giving that up to open the café with his mum. Sadly that idea panned when he brunt a whole tray of pastries, his father has promptly banned him from any baking related work, when he had started  to tremble and hyperventilate over  the burnt almond croissants his father had let him know  it was ok and that a mistake didn't  mean he would love him any less. His father had then gently held him before signing that baking was an art much like his paintings and drawings. A terminology he more then understood, at his fathers request he  hasn't tried to bake anything else for the cafe since.

 

Finally making it to the cafe he winces it's dead on 4pm, he tries to discreetly enter but is met with his mothers kind eyes yet exasperated smile! Oops it's that  telling smile that tells him he is lucky he's family otherwise he be getting a scolding for his tardiness. He hastens to the back to dump his bag and sanitise, before rushing back out to the front and to behind the counter completely missing the platinum haired Adonis at the back of the cafe with eyes on his every move. 

 

Before Baekhyun knows it two hours have passed, normally this time of the day is the quietest for the cafe, it's the very reason he works this shift.  The last two weeks however the café has had a vast increase in people visiting, Baekhyun can feel his cheeks blush and a strange fluttering in his stomach.  It's all thanks to ABC, everyone seems to know to the Nations Heartthrob, the Park Chanyeol has been spotted here! Baekhyun doesn't really know what to feel about that or his reaction to the most beautiful man he has ever seen. His heart broke when he trolled through the archives of google and read about Park Chanyeol's broken heart! It was a two edged sword  for him on the one hand, he can't describe just how intense his heart clenched in need to be close to the older man. Yet at the same time how his heart bled over how  he will never have the same grace and good looks  as the supermodel,  who in his honest opinion was an idiot to cheat on such a gorgeous man. 

 

Baekhyun knows very well what he feels about that beautiful man, it was instant attraction and dare he say it love at first sight, he has never experienced anything so intense with just one look before. Nor has he ever been so embarrassed about how he handled the situation, his acute shyness and fear of being judged about being deaf forced him to retreat to the kitchen so fast he's pretty sure he left burn marks on the floor!  To top it off his brother and mum have been acting so strange, Luhan could obviously sense what ever was between them and has been extra protective to the point of being his shadow save for the times they are both at work or at university. Baekhyun almost chocked on his lunch one day last week, when Luhan retuned home and advised that his boss, said tall handsome man likes his americano iced with an extra shot. Baekhyun  hasn't missed his mums odd behaviour either, she has been wearing this weird almost knowing smile, and has taken to cupping his cheek at the oddest of times, coincidently the touches are always when he  has daydreams of such a beautiful man, a man way out of his league! 

 

Baekhyun lets out a huff, as he is passed yet another request for an iced americano, it's almost like everyone that comes in is desperate for the mans attention. Baekhyun can't blame them for he all he does is say dream about those long lean legs! Shaking his head  he really should stop thinking about the tall Adonis, Park Chanyeol would never be interested in him. Baekhyun further sighs the most obvious issue  proving his point would be his disability, and that he is just a student, one who dreams of being a painter as renowned as Picasso, Dali, and rembrant. Then there is his age to consider, to him age is just a number, but the seventeen year between them would most likely be frowned upon in the circles Park Chanyeol frequents, after all said man is  a member of the prestigious and elite Park family. Baekhyun  can admit it's nice to day dream about Park Chanyeol but he left out one other crucial reason Park Chanyeol would bat an eye his way his shy and submissive nature. Baekhyun is well aware his acute shyness it's not so easy to overcome, the torment he suffered was despicable, despite the screaming to be brave deep in his heart.

 

Baekhyun smiles as he feels his heart flutter, what better reason would he have to be brave then a prospect of finally experiencing love. How he wishes he was brave, it would mean he could at least approach Park Chanyeol, even if it was just to wave especially if he is going to be a more frequent visitor to the café.  Finally finished making the iced Americano no doubt he has had to make for some fan girl wannabe, he turns about to place the drink on the tray to hand to his mum to give out, when he gets the fright of his life! Out of panic he slams his eyes shut and drops the beaker of cold coffee, feeling the beverage slip out of his fingers he quickly opens his eyes.  His wanting to be brave is all just as a dream as his blue eyes are met by the most beautiful amber eyes he has ever seen! His features freeze and abject horror and dread fills him, aa he slowly cast his eyes over an impeccably dressed, beautiful man. Wishing that the ground would swallow him whole as he realises he just spilled iced cold coffee over  Park Chanyeol!

Like this story? Give it an Upvote!
Thank you!
ladyli1987
Hello everyone, I can’t wait to hear what you think of this, I’m new to asianfanfic, if these seem familiar it’s because I do have a profile on AO3 and Wattpad under the same name ❤️

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
aleezay #1
Chapter 37: i love small intimate weddings
aleezay #2
Chapter 11: ABC news is acting like SM
aleezay #3
Chapter 1: o wowww! what a beginning
Mess_156 #4
Chapter 40: I can’t tell how many times I read this, I hope you update the second season soon.
I’m not native English speaker but I still understand and enjoy this, in fact reading this fan fic did help me improve my English.
Thank you so much
kworld320 #5
Chapter 38: Just finished reading this story.
It was a great read.
Looking forward to the sequel.
Beau1996 1332 streak #6
Chapter 40: Yeah!! New stories!!
Beau1996 1332 streak #7
Chapter 39: I am so excited to read more!! I feel like Baek has a lot of growing up to do and that may be hard for Chan to understand...
Beau1996 1332 streak #8
Chapter 38: Lovely, lovely ending!! It really was like a first time and for Baek to speak the words "I love you" - ahh perfection! ❤️ Please more stories of our lovely boys 🙏
Beau1996 1332 streak #9
Chapter 37: Oh my goodness author-nim, that was so good!! The wedding was lovely but the heartfelt words were the best - Park Baekhyun!!
Beau1996 1332 streak #10
Chapter 36: I need the wedding deets author-nim!!