[JieMi]
The café they went to was one that JieMi regularly frequented.
A place that opened 24/7 with amazing coffee and limited customers; perfect for an idol as famous as he was. It was huddled amongst towering skyscrapers, hidden behind a dark alleyway and swathed in shadows—a single warm beacon of light in the hues of grey and concrete. And his soulmate was exceptionally beautiful when drenched in the soft orange and red glow, her dark curls laced with fire and her eyes were glowing ambers.
His fire goddess.
She smiled when he met her eyes and his hand twitched, itching to reach over her shoulder to pull her close. But he couldn't do that, no, he didn't deserve to do that. He bit his lips, nibbling on his bottom lip. He was an idiot who had yet to apologise. The 'sorry's that he had to say were always at the edge of his tongue, but they refused to go, refused to take the leap of faith.
He was a proud bastard and it was just so hard to say the words he had to say, to admit that he was wrong. For being wrong felt like a weakness in his culture, like a moment of submission. They never did say 'I love you' or 'I am sorry' in his household. His parents expressed it mostly with heaps of food in his rice bowls and plates of fruit, actions instead of words. Excuses. There was no denying that JieMi had to apologise eventually, but it was so hard to say those words knowing full and well that it was unlikely Amber would forgive him.
And he might break if she told him that she wouldn't.
"What would you like?" He mumbled, taking out his wallet from his jeans. A move that he was too familiar with. The man paid, that was what his girlfriend had always said. The boyfriend should treat his girlfriend like a queen. He was supposed to support her, supposed to care for her, cherish her, love her, be sweet to her.
"I'll get it. My suggestion, my treat." Amber pushed his hand down, forcing his wallet back into his jeans. A move that JieMi did not expect and did not prepare for. The sizzle of electricity that jolted through their momentarily touching skin made his legs go weak and he stumbled back, collapsing heavily into the chair. JieMi had to catch a breath from the sudden jolt of warmth that burst into his chest, had to calm his racing heart with a shaking hand. But she didn't seem to notice, oblivious to the effect she had on him. "What would you like?"
"Iced Americano," he managed to say even when his brain was filled with another name, another dessert that made his tongue salivate. One that smelled like apples, vanilla and sweet, sweet honey. One that made his cock hard and his chest ache—
"You sure?" Amber raised a brow. "Since, I'm paying you can go for something a little fancier. Something special?" She gestured to the chalkboard, pointing to the pretty artwork of a mug of whip cream and syrup. "Like that salted caramel brulée latte?"
JieMi gulped, pursing his lips as he glanced at the drink, spotting a freshly made mug on the counter. The glass was topped off with a decent amount of whip cream, drizzled in caramel and lightly torched smoking sugar. It was a pretty drink that his tongue knew would taste like creamy heaven but Ha-Eun didn't like it when he drank pretty drinks. She'd told him again and again that he would gain weight if he drank such a sugary concoction, told him that a sweet coffee like that didn't suit a man. He turned back to Amber, feeling a tad disappointed.
"N-no, it's okay."
"Okay, wait here for me."
Amber left, turning to approach the counter to order. There was barely anyone in the store, save for a couple of office workers in suits who were too busy typing in their phones to care about their surroundings. It was too early in the store and JieMi dozed, propping his head in his hands, his eyes drawn to the object of his fascinations. Now that she had her eyes locked on the barista, he was free to look at her as much as he wished.
Amber was pretty, dressed in a soft, fluffy hoody, dark waves of hair scooped into a messy ponytail. He liked how the hairstyle revealed the sharp tips of her ears, a strange but fitting feature for his soulmate. His fairy. The smile on his lips dropped and he huddled into himself, crossing his arms as he pulled at the tips of his hoodie over his ears. Did he even deserve to call her that?
He jumped when he noticed her shoes from the corner of his eyes, worn white sneakers that were a little muddy at the edges. He glanced up at her, and his breath caught in his throat, starstruck by the goddess that stood before him. And his heart began to pound in his ears, blood rushing quickly to his reddening cheeks.
Beautiful.
Her eyes were warm like the rising sun, pools of sweet, sweet caramel and dollops of gentle honey. She smiled and his heart raced so fast it hurt in his chest, pounding against his ribcage in tight raps over bone. And JieMi wondered why he hadn't noticed those things about her in the past, the sparkle of her eyes when she grinned, the sweet pink of her cheeks. When had she become so beautiful to his bewitched eyes?
Amber stood, watching him, a coffee holder in her hand and a funny smile on her lips. She gave him a curious look, a jerk of a brow and a soft breathy laugh through her nose. And his heart melted. "Come on." She took his hand before he could think, pulling him along and his heart lurched as a soft, small hand wrapped over his, firm but ever so gentle.
The jerk of electrifying heat was undeniable and his soul filled to the brim with her warmth, no longer empty, no longer in pain.
Amber tugged at him, pulled his confused feet out of the shop and back into the biting cold. But it wasn't quite as cold as before, now that he had her hand in his, and JieMi found himself burrowing his blushing cheeks into his scarf as he followed her. His heart pounding so hard he could feel it trembling in his temples, his head light and dizzy at the feel of her smooth fingers in his.
So small, so cute.
He shyly glanced up at her, noting the warm ambers that looked back. Shit! His eyes darting away bashfully. Why was he so nervous? His stomach churned with a million butterflies and he was almost skipping at that point, his feet light and weightless. And his heart was so full that he was almost bursting. His eyes never strayed too far from her frame, always drawing back to the curl of her hair in the wind. He was drowning, drowning in her scent, drowning in her presence, drowning in her warmth, her heat, her—
"Here!" She chirped, plonking down onto a bench with a soft sigh.
Her fingers left his, followed by a rush of emptiness that felt like a slap to the cheek, so sharp that tears burned in his eyes. But JieMi managed to stop them from falling with quick blinks, stiffening his body to hide the tremble of need from her. The quiver of pain from the lost of her touch. It was getting worse, his soul. The need was becoming almost unbearable and he wondered how long he could last.
They were at a park that overlooked a lake; the rays of light from the skyscrapers created a myriad of flickering hues on the surface of rippling water. It was a peaceful place, dark but quiet except for the sound of rustling leaves in the wind from the gingko trees that teemed in the park.
"Didn't want paparazzi catching us in the café. You can take off your face mask here," she explained, plucking open the lids of their drinks with her fingernails.
And he took his drink gratefully, sitting down beside her onto the cold, hard bench. He pulled down his mask, bringing the plastic rim to his lips. He winced at the taste, the bitter tang a little too much for him even though he'd had it for years. It was coiling and disgusting, spreading across his tongue and practically stabbing him awake.
"Bitter?" she asked, a grin on her lips. He nodded, nervously running his fingers up and down the sides of the cup, drenching digits in cold water. "Want to try mine?" She pointed to her drink, the latte that he had rejected. The latte he actually wanted. He couldn't refuse, not with how she shook the drink, waving it under his nose. It smelled good, too good, like burnt sugar and salty sweetness.
And it was an indirect kiss from her, her lips on his. What would it be like to kiss her?
"Okay."
He took it from her, brought it to his lips before his mind could overthink the gesture. It was a burst of sugar and cream. Sweet, sweet salted caramel with a hint of hot, milky coffee that tasted like chocolate and the smoky burn of crunchy sugar. It was good, too good and his cheeks burned as his mind reminded him again and again that her lips had just touched his. His cock twitched, aroused and already weeping from just the idea of locking lips with her, and he had to shift in his seat to dislodge the sticky thing from his thigh.
Fuck was he being serious? How old was he? Ten?
"Good right?" She grinned. "Want to swap?"
"What?" JieMi glanced at her, his eyes widening and his heart thundering in his ears. "Are you serious? But—"
"I'm serious, take it or leave it. I'm giving you the option right now." She shook the drink, waggling her eyebrows and his lips quirked at her expression. She could be funny when she wanted to be, he didn't know that.
"I can't—"
"Sweet, sugary whip cream, drenched in salted caramel drizzle and bits of burnt sugar. How can you turn down such a fantastic drink?" She gave him a raised brow and a tilt of her head. "You must be joking! This is a deal of the lifetime! Bitter ass shit in exchange for this sweet, creamy drink? JieMi—"
"Okay…" He caved, scratching his lips with his thumb to hide the rising grin.