Every morning Taekwoon makes coffee for his drowsy housemates. He had already learned all of their preferred tastes for a while now, and brews the hot drink to their liking, an act that Hongbin appreciates very much. Hongbin does not quite like the taste of coffee by itself, and is weak to the blacker coffees that Taekwoon enjoys. He thinks it’s childish of him to not be able to drink it as it is, and is embarrassed to need the most milk or sugar in his cup, even more than young Hyuk. He absolutely despises that he cannot become accustomed to the bitter taste. Taekwoon, however, often tells him not to worry about such trivial things, as taste for coffee varies from person to person. He says that he finds it cute that Hongbin needs a few more sweeteners than the rest, but that kind of reassurement still leaves half of the younger boy unsatisfied.

Hongbin is a romantic.

Since his high school days, he had dreamed of the person who would be the love of his life. He had childishly pictured all kinds of romantic things they would do together, from holding hands, watching horror films, going on dates, giving her a piggyback ride, to proposing and aging together. Of all these fantasies he liked the idea of morning kisses the best,  love at its earliest, filling your drowsy body and mind with the sweetest feeling one could ever imagine.

But never did Hongbin expect that his long awaited sweetheart was not a she, but a he. When Hongbin reminisces, he remembers very clearly how he felt when he and his love first met, offset and quite frightened. He had met Taekwoon through an old friend, Cha Hakyeon.  Hongbin was just a freshman in college at the time, new and lost to the unfamiliar city grounds that his new school laid on. Searching for cheap rent led him back to Hakyeon, then to Taekwoon, who held a house,  and let friends rent it out for a  cheaper price than most.

Cold and unsociable, with a fearsome glare, Taekwoon gave off a dangerous vibe to Hongbin during the first meeting, and he had begun to want to rethink his decision of renting Taekwoon’s place or a more expensive and warmer one. It was Hakyeon who convinced him to choose Taekwoon’s place, and reassured him, “Taekwoonie acts like that, but he’s actually super warm!!! Don’t be scared,” a statement that rung true in every way. Sweet, soft, kind, and caring, everything Hongbin did not expect, was what Jung Taekwoon was.

“I like you.”

Hongbin blushes as he remembers his shaky and bold confession early in a particularly cold morning. Taekwoon looked puzzled when he first heard those words, red after realization of the weight of them. He took Hongbin’s hands and gave him a kiss on the lips, gentle, warm, loving…..and bitter.

Even today his kisses are still wonderful, still warm, still loving, still passionate, but still so bitter. Every time their lips part, his face slightly scrunches up in a response to the taste it gave. Yet, he was addicted to the taste, like how Taekwoon was to caffeine.

And every time Hongbin thinks to himself, "Ah. Morning kisses really are the best."

*author's note : Thank you for reading! It's more of a drabble of sorts, but I hoped you enjoyed, none the less!!!