Request: Suho falls in love with the clumsy employee in his favorite bookstore.

(A/N: Bahhh, this one is kinda short since I don’t know Suho that well. Sorry sorry~)

THUD.

You scrambled from behind the shop counter to the fallen book that now currently lay on the floor. You had been rearranging the counters display; an array of pens, miniature notepads, cute erasers and other novelty stationary items, when you had accidentally knocked it off the counter top with your hip.

Or was it your elbow?

Hip or elbow, you had clumsily knocked it off the counter top. It wasn’t the first time it had happened, either.

For some reason, books and you didn’t mix. Well.. anything and you didn’t mix. You were maybe a little clumsy. Maybe alot clumsy. You were sure if your legs had been a bit longer, that you would have tripped over them with every step too. Thankfully, you didn’t have to face that problem — but it didn’t stop you from tripping every now and again.

Examining the book for any dents or scratches, you murmured apologies to it. It was a book, it didn’t understand you, but it made you feel at least a bit better. Binder still intact? Check. Pages not creased? Check. Front cover not scratched? Check. You had gotten away lucky this time.

“I’m sure the book forgives you” a voice interrupted your train of thoughts, looking up from your crouched position over the book on the floor. It was a guy, a good looking guy at that. Wait..

You knew this guy. Well, you knew his face anyway. 

You had seen him a couple of times in the store before. No wait, more than a couple of times. He came in every Sunday, around noon, usually with a guy who’s hair colour had changed more times than you could even count. 

You looked around the guy for the sight of his rainbow haired friend. Though, he was absent. 

“Oh, it’s you” you spoke, tucking the fallen book under your arm and standing up, “alone today?” you added, moving back to your original position behind the counter. 

Suho blinked blankly at your response, processing your words. He realised something in that second; you had noticed him.

You, indeed, had noticed his frequent visits to the shop. More than most of the time he did just to catch a glimpse of you. The girl who worked at his favourite bookshop that had captured his heart in a second. He wasn’t sure when or how it had happened, but watching your clumsy antics, somehow he found himself entranced.

Of course, he came for actual books too. Sometimes.

”.. Oh, yeah. He’s busy” Suho responded, coming to stand opposite you infront of the counter. The one you had mentioned, Sehun, usually tagged along with Suho to the bookstore on Sunday’s. Only so he could pick up his beloved bubble tea afterwards. Today, however, he had gone with Luhan instead — not before groaning to Suho on how he should “just ask you out and buy a Kindle instead”.

Suho only shook his head at the maknae’s words. You couldn’t replace the quality of a real book. Ones with actual pages and actual paper, the musky scent of .. well books, and more than most of the time dust too. It was somehow strangely comforting. 

Silence had fallen between the two of you, unconsciously Suho had placed the book on the countertop and you had already rang it up on the register. “Feeling poetic?” you broke the silence, recognising the front cover of the book before wrapping it up in tissue paper; a collection of sonnet’s from various famous literary authors. You knew it well. 

“Ah, yeah. I guess so” he responded, retrieving his wallet from his pocket, pulling out a few of the crisp bills inside. You took them, the brief brushing of your hands sending shock waves up your arm. You swallowed, ignoring the sensation. 

“Anything else I can do for you today?” you spoke, feeling a twinge of sadness realising you wouldn’t see your favourite mystery customer for another week. Not that you would admit it (to anyone other than the books), you had noticed him for more than just coming in every Sunday. He had a certain look about him that you couldn’t quite put your finger on. His eyes showed kindness, sincerity, loyalty. Somehow you felt like you knew him. It was like a spell that you in.

Hearing your words, Suho’s attention drew to the display of novelty items that were less than elegantly stacked up on the counter top. Your work; he could tell. His eyes landed especially on the array of miniature notepads with chibi animal designs on them. His eyes brushed across each one, before plucking out a cute brown bear one. 

“How about this and.. your number?”