apricate; enhypen imagines

sim jaeyun - peach tea

a/n: SORRY THIS ONE'S SORTA SAD LOL- also, i wanted to attach a cute jake photo but i chose this one instead cause he's mad fine 😭

tw: loss

- linden

The 24/7 gas station shopkeeper watches their regular shopper carefully. It's early in the morning and the sun has just begun to rise, sending a soft glow in through the front window. The regular customer comes in once a month and heads for one specific section of the shop. They wind through the tiled shop, ignore all other shelves and make a beeline for the tea. They pretend to browse, but each and every time they purchase the same flavor. Each and every time the shopkeeper offers them other flavors, or little trinkets or gum. Each and every time the customer shakes their head, smiles a little, and takes home their peach tea.

———

The chalky smell of baking bread and dough lingered in the afternoon sunlight. The warmth of it streaked the ground in bright honey and tangerine toned strokes on the pale tile. Jake smeared a palm across your cheek, leaving a powdery handprint of flour. You gasped and set down your mugs in mock-anger. The peach tea sloshed around and wafted into the summer air with great waves of sweet steam.

"Hey!" You complained. He giggled and pressed a handprint to your other cheek. You whined while reaching out to grab him. To your dismay, he jumped out of your reach and into a block of sunlight that set him aglow like a candle. "Come back here!" You scrubbed at your cheeks with your hands and hopped into a run. Jake immediately took off, letting out little screeches as he circled around the house with you hot on his heels.

Meanwhile, the garage door slammed shut and paper grocery bags rustled as your mom called, "I'm home!!"

You shrieked and ran into Jake's back, stumbling back with your arms out for balance only to fall onto your bottom. You cried out and frowned. Jake was no help, of course. He only giggled and stared at you as your mom rustled her bags, peeking around the corner to check on you. You stuck out your tongue at him and he grinned proudly, running off towards the kitchen. You both knew your mom wouldn't say anything about the mess. Being twelve as you both already were, she expected that you would clean up after yourselves.

For that reason, Jake was ultimately triumphant at making you fall and leaving those flour handprints on your flushed cheeks. In comparison, you were pretending to be grouchy, even if the entire situation was amusing to an extent.

You both immediately started to chatter with your mom about what you'd done while she was gone. The fun feeling of the sleepover was thick in the air as the sun set and the bread you'd baked was coming out of the oven. By that time, your peach tea had gone forgotten, left in a little corner so your mom had space to lay out her greens for drying on the island. As you settled into bed that night, warm backs pressed against each other, it had long since gone cold.

———

"Truth or Dare?"

You were sixteen, sitting in a circle of friends that weren't yours on the rough carpet of a basement that you had never been in before. It was after homecoming and you were all in your little sparkly dresses and suit jackets. Jake, as always, was sitting by you. Although most childhood friends grew apart as years passed, you and him were attached at the hip- so much so that people often worried you were fighting if you weren't together. It also led to people thinking you were together together, something you both always denied.

"Uhmmm..." You stared at the pretty brunette sitting across from you. She was smiling at you with glossy pink lips, the upper planes of her face glowing with the soft light from the ceiling. You smiled back. "Dare? Maybe?"