The cafe smelled like paradise, the sweet aroma of mixed butter and cinnamon filled the place. Freshly grounded coffee beans fused fervidly alongside it, making it both; heaven and hell for the dark haired woman that sat on one of the tables.

Walking into the cafe to grab a cup of coffee was normal but sitting on one of the tables and awaiting a friend ㅡa manㅡ seemed rapacious to Haewon. Her mind stirred in a ceaseless whirl of agitation, she kept tapping her short bitten nails on the table at the same speed, one finger by the other creating a continuous fast-paced rhythm.

Upon noticing the looks of bewilderment she got from the couple at the next table, Haewon stopped, bringing her nail ends in a very close contact to her palms almost protruding it in a fist. She bit her lips hardly, her teeth clutching onto her glossed lips that she could taste it and she knew if she clenched her teeth just a tad bit harder, her lip gloss would not be the only thing she would savor.

Her feet kept tapping the floor slightly, her thin boot soles hitting the wooden floor beneath matching the rate of her heart. Every time the bell to the cafe door rang to declare a new visitor, her heart would skip a beat, she didn't know whether the feeling was due to excitement or fear but she knew she was early for their meet up. An hour too early.

Why? Was it the thrill flowing through her body to see him? No. Was she planning to back out? Was she waiting for Jaehyun to see her before Taehyung got there? A perfect escape plan that could work with an excuse, even if Jaehyun wouldn't forgive her, it would only be a cafe and not telling him so a slap or two, or a punch and an arm twist if he had a bad day. No, none of these were the reasons, they were just fragments of it, the little firecrackers that spiced up the grand fireworks, the cherry on top.

She knew why she was early, she wanted to test herself, she wanted to push herself to the limits of terror. She didn't want him to know, she didn't want to predict her punishments. She wanted to see how much she could take, how much more fear she could live in just to visit the cafe, just to see the outside world again. She wanted out and she wanted it now.

The clock ticked as her breath fastened, counting every second til he walked in. The sound of the bell ringing broke through her screaming tranquility, her head shot at the door seeing the caramel haired man stride in. She felt a moment of peace, a moment of serenity as he walked towards her, a smile adorning his face and for a second, her heart beat at a normal pace.

"Sorry, was I late?" he spoke in a sweet deep voice, his low-pitched tone pulled her out of the darkness she was in, out of the dark abyss of her mind into a brighter safer place. She smiled back slightly.

"You're fifteen minutes early," she said tucking a stray hair strand behind her ear.

"And you're earlier," he crossed his hands on the light brown furniture.

She shook her head slowly, "I just wanted to enjoy this aura a bit more."

Because I don't know if I can do this again.

"I will grab a cup of coffee, what do you want?" His eyes shone as they glanced her way, sparks igniting through them speaking a thousand word.

"I will get it," she was standing from her chair when he abruptly stood first.

"No. I insist, afterall, it was my idea coming here so please," he continued, "let me treat you."

She froze, unmoving. It was long since she socially interacted with someone, she knew the words but her tongue got tied. They were there, right on the tip, two years younger her would spit them out in a heartbeat. An 'I'll treat you next time' would do, maybe even a 'Let's split the bill', or 'Next time', at least a 'Fine' with a smile as a thankful gesture but that was the two years younger her, the now her couldn't.

She just could not.

When she didn't give him an answer, Taehyung decided to do what he best did; improvise, "I see you drink black coffee at the library, do you want one now?"

She nodded slowly before finally sitting back down.

"Right away!" He shot her a smile and a wink as he headed to the barista, hands in pocket.

For a few moments he was away but in those few moments she couldn't help but think of how dangerous of a situation she was in. At any moment, Jaehyun could walk in, he could be watching from afar, he could be anywhere. He was everywhere, like a shadow, like a camera always focused, always watching, always there. 

He was the water she drank, the food she ate. He was her birth control pills, and the clothes she wore, he was the streets she walked in, the strangers she crossed. He was the grass in the streets, the lights that lit her house, the smoke coming out of the chimney. He was the air she inhaled and the hot breath coming out.

He was there.

Her feet tapped again, faster, louder. She clenched her jaws tightly, her eyes roaming to search for him, to search for his fierce glare and dead eyes in the faces around. Too lost in her own world, she didn't realize the two coffee cups laid smoothly on the table. She looked up to meet his gaze, he was confused, upset perhaps and she prayed he hadn't noticed how scared she was.

He nudged his head towards her tapping foot, concern filling his voice, "you alright?"

Her feet stopped instantaneously, her lips parted to find the right excuse but sealed shut. She stopped the tapping but she couldn't help but twitch her toes inside scared, no, rather terrified.

"I was thinking of a book," she managed to blurt out, her hands clasped the cup as her palms sweated in nervousness. She fiddled with it before bringing it to her lips directly.

"Watch out! It's hot!"

She flinched as the hot liquid burned her upper lip and tongue. Taehyung slowly took the cup away from her hands setting it on the table and pulling a tissue out to slightly graze her lips.

"You didn't listen," he smiled gracefully, "just like a baby," he chuckled sweetly pressing the tissue on her lips once more before removing it. Their eyes met for a second, saying things, meaning things.

Would you help me out? she asked.

Would you let me in? he replied.

She blinked away yet his stare still held her, too indulged in her dreamy features, he often wondered what the caked and powdered layers were for, he crossed his heart she would be much prettier without a drop of them.

"Tell me, Haewon," calling her name, he got her attention back onto him, "what do you think of romance novels like Romeo and Juliet for example?"

She thought for a moment before speaking monotonously, "a good one."

"But not the best, right?" he added.

"I personally, didn't like it," he knew how to get her undivided attention as she heard his unusual opinion, "I don't think love is like that, they seemed to give up to me,"

Got you.

"I mean, I see Sydney Carton's love and devotion for Lucie Manette in A Tale Of Two Cities much stronger than two teenagers bringing war and suiciding," he went on, sipping on his coffee with a smirk, "the man was beheaded instead of her husband, willingly,"

"I know many people would say there are other reason's behind Carton's sacrifice but I'd rather think so."

He turned his head to the side. "It's a matter of perspective."

Haewon nodded her head steadily, rethinking the words over and over for as far as she knew, everyone always symbolized Romeo and Juliet with romance but she couldn't understand why they had to die? They could have run away but they killed themselves with no guarantee that they'd end up in the same afterlife together yet, their families and the people who hated them got to live. Wasn't that unfair? Was love unfair? Was love sad endings?

"Taehyung," he froze at the sound of his name coming out of her lips for the first time, smiling delightfully he almost didn't catch what she said next, "what do you think love is?" 

Say my name once more.

"I think," he hummed for a moment, "love is...love?"

He chuckled endearingly, eyes closing, "I can't really define it."

The glint in her eyes started fading at his unsatisfactory answer but he quickly fixed himself.

"I- I think the greatest point you can reach in love is tolerating them til you grow old or have children."

"Children?"

"Yes, how would you voluntarily tolerate an annoying little hybrid version of yourself and your partner if it weren't by the highest level in love?" he laughed, leaning his head back.

Haewon hummed along, satisfied by the new answer she got. She leaned back, her body relaxing into the chair as her mind wondered.

Children?

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A/N

That took me long phew.

Anyway, how was it? Did i take it too far with the description XD XD

I just woke up and edited this so if u find any mistakes pls point them out :)

riseofsuga isnt here to proof read them for me :')

And i take criticism so dw ;)