NCT Oneshots {ot23} | open

Ice ice baby: Renjun + Jisung

▹prompt: ice cubes
▹word count: 3480
▹genre: fluff
▹warnings: n/a

ˑ༄ؘ ۪۪۫۫ ▹❀◃ ۪۪۫۫ ༄ؘ ˑ

"Jun!" The boy glances up from where he's wiping a table to see his best friend barrelling through the door, the bell tinkling to signal his presence to the scattering of customers in the café. Donghyuck beelines straight for Renjun with a silly smile on his face. "You will not believe what happened in the park this afternoon!" 

Renjun braces himself for an information burst as he moves onto the next table, first stacking the empty mugs and plates onto a tray before spraying the surface. Donghyuck follows behind him like a hyperactive puppy, positively buzzing with energy. There's no point in denying Renjun's own curiosity, though. The two of them live in a small town where not a lot happens, rendering them often bored out of their wits and looking forward to the day they get to move away for college, so any trivial event is at least an event in their mundane lives. On top of that, Renjun always seems to be working when things go down. He's only contracted to work at the café for three afternoons a week, but those afternoons seem to fall on the days where Donghyuck has another grand adventure. He bites his tongue to hold back his jealousy, then simply nods for his friend to continue.

"Two old ladies had a fight!" Donghyuck exclaims. A few customers turn their heads to stare, but he doesn't mind them and focusses his attention on Renjun's expression of bewilderment. Renjun bundles the cloth up in his hands and flicks it across Donghyuck's arm, earning a small yelp.

"Don't lie." Renjun sighs. He doesn't mean to be irritable, but he's exhausted and really just wants to make it to the end of his shift in one piece.

"I'm not lying!" Donghyuck insists. Renjun chuckles at his adamance and carries the try behind the counter to dump them in the sink for the evening staff to sort out, instead opting to rearrange the cakes and cookies on display into neat rows. "I'll have a slice of that chocolate fudge cake." Donghyuck peers through the glass, nearly drooling at the sight of his favourite treat, and Renjun huffs.

"Are you not fed up of that by now? You have a slice every single day I work. In fact, I may as well put a reserved sign on it because you eat most of it yourself." Renjun grumbles. Donghyuck pouts and bats his eyelids, the gentle dusting of sparkly eyeshadow meeting the light and twinkling just as brightly as his irises, and Renjun finds himself giving in. "Fine. But only if you have money on you. I'm not giving you another freebie." 

Donghyuck slaps a note onto the counter and Renjun accepts it, not before scowling at his smug smile. He loves Donghyuck, really. It's just that the two of them can't seem to go a single day without bickering.

"So, tell me about these fighting grannies." Renjun pushes a plate of cake towards his friend.

"One of them picked up the wrong handbag or something, and it all kicked off. They were accusing each other of theft and everything! You should have been there, Jun. It was awesome." Donghyuck exclaims through a mouthful of cake. 

"Did they actually fight, or was it just a little argument?" Renjun raises a sceptical eyebrow, and Donghyuck's sheepish avoidance of eye contact gives him his answer. 

The conversation dies away to give way to an eruption of giggles from the two of them. Donghyuck tends to exaggerate, but given how uneventful both of their lives are he can hardly blame the boy. They've been best friends since they were born, save the two and a bit months between their birthdays, because their parents also grew up together. Everyone in the town knows everyone else in the town. A young couple get up from their table and send both Renjun and Donghyuck a polite smile and a wave before leaving through the door, the bell sounding once more. That's how it is.