implausible - woosan

chapter twenty five

when you look at me like that
my darling what did you expect
i'd probably still adore you
with your hands around my neck

san wooyoung

11.08.17

of course, hongjoong had agreed to their date. and of course, he had scheduled it for as soon as possible. the very next day, in fact. namely, today.

so no matter how distracted he is, wooyoung's determined to make this work. hongjoong is nice. chivalrous. picture perfect, even.

he takes him around the city, walking at his shoulder but not trying to take his hand too soon. it's nice.

there's a breeze, cooling on his skin in the hot weather. the humidity is uncomfortable, and walking isn't helping. thankfully, hongjoong promised him coffee. hopefully they'll reach that point of the date soon.

using one hand to handle his cane, the other hangs at his side. it bumps hongjoong's, once. his hand is clammy, and wooyoung withdraws hastily, swapping hands with his cane. words get stuck in his throat, heart skipping.

hongjoong clears his throat, slowing. "right!" he says brightly. "which coffee shop do you wanna go to?"

"i don't mind," he shrugs, "most places do coffee the same. somewhere not too crowded, maybe?"

"of course," hongjoong says. "that makes sense. can't be easy when there's loads of people, and you can't see."

the comment makes him want to stop, but he wills himself not to. that's not why he doesn't want somewhere crowded. sometimes he just wants quiet, because he does, not because he's fucking blind.

forcing himself to take a breath, wooyoung closes his eyes briefly. don't get annoyed. it's not his fault.

smiling begrudgingly, he nods, gesturing for hongjoong to lead the way. give me strength.

"oh, how about here?" wooyoung waits. after a beat, there's an awkward laugh. "right. it's not a chain café, and doesn't look too busy!"

following hongjoong in, he simply presses his lips together in another smile as the older holds the door open for him. he's right, there's hardly anyone there by the sound of things, or just very quiet customers.

he stands in the ambient atmosphere of the shop, waiting. it's not a shop he's been to before, so he doesn't know the menu. embarrassingly enough, hongjoong will have to read the options out to him. they don't have braille, in small places like this.

"um," he clears his throat awkwardly. "help a guy out? what... what do they have?"

"right!" hongjoong says, seeming a little distracted. "what do you feel like?"

he considers, unsure. "something sweet, maybe? do they have anything like a caramel latte?"

the staff person behind the counter answers, causing wooyoung to freeze. no. this has to be some kind of sick joke.

"we do." says san, blankly. "cream?"

what. wooyoung can't even speak. what are the chances? wait. hongjoong had chosen this place deliberately, out of all the cafés and restaurants and stalls around— this one.

betrayal and confusion naw at him, but hongjoong doesn't say anything. maybe it is a coincidence.

"i didn't know you had a job." he says dumbly, swallowing. why won't hongjoong back him up here?