~

Amazingly enough, we did finish everything, Baekhyun having helped me with half my muffin. "So where to next Candy?" I asked stepping out of the bakery.

"The library! Wait, Candy? Where?" he blinked at me. Cute.

"You just ate! And the library? Why are we going to some old book tomb?" I had never been much of a reader, books were boring.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just declare all those stories dead and reading boring because everyone on Wattpad is going to kill you right now. And no, it's not just a library, it's the Antique Library. The place is a grand museum full of antique treasures and books full of legends. But don't worry, it still has a modern section for funny books.They even have a cute cafe called Love Spice!" he squealed over the cafe.

"You just want to go to that cafe don't you?" I rolled my eyes.

"N-no!" he said being coy. Double cute. "Oh just come on," he grinned taking my hand and dragging me in another direction before I could say anything. I looked down at our intertwined fingers and blushed, forgetting all my protests. Oh what the hell... I smiled like an idiot following him.

"This is the Vase of Venus's Tears," the pink-haired said, his nimble fingers pressed against the glass display. We had been exploring through the museum of artifacts for the past hour or more, finally coming up to the blue and gold vase towards the end. "It's said that the goddess Venus cried for the death of her beloved, in sadness that she couldn't follow him, and her tears fell into the vase by her feet at the edge of the world. Now the stray souls who lost their love to death await by the vase in hopes to find them again, unable to move on into the next world." he gazed at the artifact in melancholy, looking years older than he seemed. My mature cinnamon, how complicated you are.

"That's...sad." I whispered looking at him.

"Do you believe in it Channie? Soulmates who can't move on in loss?" he asked in a even tone, not taking his eyes off the vase.

"I don't know. I've never been much of a believer in such tales. Do you?"

"It's just a myth, but it's such a pretty vase right? They probably came back just for it, the souls," he laughed.

"I hope they find their soulmates again, it's sad to wait forever. " I said for some reason. Even though I didn't think an afterlife existed, it just seemed sad looking at the vase. Baekhyun looked at me then, his face void of emotions. "What?" I asked blinking.

"Nothing, it's just an old flower holder. Come on, I want to show you a book! We can sit in the café with it." he pulled me towards the door leading to library section. Rows and rows of books piled up high in the floors above in the circular structure and in the middle was a comfortable café with tables.

"Library date huh?" I said approaching the formation of tables, the sweet aroma of spices, sugar and coffee wafting in the air.

"What? Didn't anyone take you to the book paradise for a date? Oh, how you are missing out honey," he gave me lopsided teasing smirk which made my imagination heated. "God, you're so cute when you blush, find us a table and order something, I'll go grab that book!" He laughed, heading to the stairs beside the cafe.

"W-wait! What should I get you?" I asked.

"I'll just share yours, don't worry, I like everything!" He called out before completely disappearing above.

I sighed and smiled to myself, silly Candy. Heading over to the cafe counter I looked over the menu, a wide variety of coffees painted on it. The display of treats at the bottom had crazy names again like the bakery.

"Oh, who do we have here? Not everyday we get a new face in this old book palace" said the silver-haired barista.

"Haha yea I've been getting that quite a bit today, I'm Chanyeol, just moved here." I smiled at him.

"Welcome to Melody Falls Chanyeol, I'm Xuimin! Your local coffee guy," he chuckled cutely with a toothy smile. "What can I get you?"

"I think I'll take two Lattes and the um...Diamond Spice Muffin?" I squinted at the label thinking if it was written right. It sure looked like something Baekhyun would get, a big white muffin dazzled with shimmery white powder. What was it, muffin day?

"Sure! Ah two lattes for yourself, you must be big on coffee too huh," he said while preparing my order.

"Oh no, I'm here with a friend, it's for him too." He looked at me differently before nodding and pulling up a tray to place the items.

"Have a good day Chanyeol, see you around" he waved at me.

"Thanks, you too!" I replied and took the tray, bringing it over to a table near the corner lighting, the only one which had a love seat couch. Would he think I was being sly?

I was taking a sip of my latte when a hand covered my eyes and I felt a pair of lips graze the shell of my ear from behind. "Time to be quiet, don't you let me down, I don't have a choice other than you~" the candied voice sang in whispers, like syrup over my mind, making my breath hitch and the hold on my cup loosening. A soft chuckled followed next and the hand moved away to grab my latte, saving it from falling. The boy came around, placing a book on the table and sat down beside me, brown eyes full of mischief while sipping on the drink.

"And I thought I was being sly," I mumbled in a daze which he responded to with a lopsided smile.

"Oh you were, I felt like wanting to one-up you. I love latte by the way," he said placing the cup back on the tray on the table, noticing the rest of the items. "Oh my god, you got the Diamond Spice muffin! I knew I could trust your choices," he squealed before helping himself to it. "This thing is actually deceiving, it's got crushed pop rock candy in it and the name isn't just because of the white powdered sugar on top."

"Wow I guess I'm in Candy town instead, this place has all sort of crazy sweet creations," the combination genuinely surprised me. But then again, I found my crazy sweet creation this morning. I smiled leaning into my palm with my elbow on the table, looking down beside me. He was munching on the muffin, his pink hair bouncing slightly as he danced with delight in his seat. What more do I need?

"So what did you want to show me?" I asked, taking the second cup of latte from the tray.

"Oh right! I wanted to show you this book," he finished the last bits of the muffin all by himself and dusted off the crumbles before reaching for the book he found. It read 'Scarlet Tales' in bold...well scarlet.

He pulled it into his lap and flipped it open, the pages looking new but a little crumpled. "I'm guessing you read it often, I actually expected you pull out some old book of ancient myths or something."

"We've had too much of a history lesson already, if you want more, you can always ask me! I know all of them," he beamed at me. "This is my favorite modern fiction book, it's about a fire starter and a kitty!"

"A...kitty? That's a weird book, " I scrunched my eyebrows. How is a book on a cat supposed to interesting?

"No silly, not just a kitty, a cat-hybrid! It's about this really hot guy who can control fire trying not to fall in love with the adorable boy who has cats ears and tail!" he exclaimed, holding both his hands over his head flapping them up and down cutely pretending to have cat ears himself. I couldn't help but burst out laughing. This dorky mint kitty.

"Well, that's some funny story you have there." I ruffled his hair without thinking and then blushed after pulling my hand back. He looked up at me and just grinned.

"Not really, it's about saving the soul from darkness. Do you think people can love again once broken through pain and loneliness?" he searched my eyes as if they held the answers, leaning close. I wanted to give them to him, everything he wanted. To take away the pain I saw in his eyes right then yet didn't understand. Why would anyone hurt such a beautiful person?

"I think...love can overcome darkness if it's real and true," I whispered, falling deeper into the pair of chocolate orbs. I found myself leaning towards him further, his face so close that our noses almost touched. His sad gazed now turned hooded with heat and something else...longing? I was aware mine was no different as my eyes dipped down to his soft pink lips. Just for a second, but he caught it. He dropped his eyes over mine but unlike me, they stayed there as he closed the distance slowly. His lips brushed over mine, just a touch yet it felt like something had ignited inside me. Warm honey, hot chocolate, spicy cinnamon, and...home.

But just as abruptly, it stopped, the pink-haired boy snapped away and closed the book, standing up all too quickly. "We should go, they're probably going to close the library soon." He said monotonously.

"B-Baekhyun wait, I'm sorr-" I started to apologize, but he cut me off.

"I'll go return the book quickly and meet you outside Channie!" he smiled at me before running off like nothing happened. I felt a stab of sadness but then facepalmed internally. What was I thinking, I just met him today and probably scared him off!

~