Coffee Boy (Dallas Liu FF)

5

Dallas
Wanna see me?

Dallas
Like right now?

Cara
It's 2 in the morning, Dallas

Cara
Is this like a Booty Call or smt?

Dallas
I can butt dial you if you want

Cara
You can come over

Dallas
See you in 10

***

Exactly 10 minutes later, Dallas texted me that he was there, and I let him in. Dallas had thrown his usual leather jacket over a dark shirt, which he tucked into his black sweatpants. Additionally, he wore a beanie today. "Come in," I whispered, stealing a glance at Sophie's door to ensure she was really asleep. Dallas entered, surprising me with a warm hug. His familiar scent enveloped me, calming my nerves. "Is everything okay?" I whispered, sensing his unusual demeanor. With a nod from Dallas, I gently released myself from his embrace and guided him into my room. Settling onto the bed after closing the door, I looked at him with concern. "What's wrong, Dallas?" I asked, noting his subdued expression.

"I just got the worst haircut in hair history," he mumbled. "Is that why you're wearing the beanie? How bad can it be?" I asked, puzzled. Sitting beside me, he admitted, "It's really bad. I had to cut it for work." "Hair will grow back," I reassured him, gently taking his hand. "Will you still like me with a crappy haircut?" he asked anxiously. I chuckled. "Dallas, come on. I like you even though I don't even know where you work. A haircut won't change that. You're still Dallas, right? Or was the secret agent theory correct, and your name isn't even Dallas?" I said, eliciting a grin from him. "Show me your hair, come on," I encouraged. "First I need to tell you something, or else you'll think I'm nuts for wearing a haircut like that," he said. Raising a confused eyebrow, I assured him, "Ok, you can tell me anything."

"I'm an actor," he confessed. My eyes widened with excitement. "An actor?" I asked eagerly, "That's amazing! Why didn't you tell me?" "I was scared that you'd think I'm unemployed or something," he admitted. I frowned. "Dallas... I wanted to meet you again, thinking you were a stripper, and you think I would dump you because you're unemployed?" I asked incredulously. "No! I didn't think so... It's just... girls only talk to me if they know me, and you didn't, so I didn't want to give you a clue, hoping that you would like me as Dallas, the boy who spilled coffee on you, and not Dallas the actor..." he explained quietly. Chuckling softly, I met his puzzled gaze. "What?" he asked, confused. "It's like a bad fanfiction," I giggled, prompting a grin from Dallas.

"Ok, Dallas, listen. I don't care how your hair is cut or what you're doing for work. All I care about is that you are happy and healthy," I reassured him, "Can I see that haircut now?" Dallas chewed on his lip. "Fine, it's for my new role... It's kind of a huge deal," he began. "Stop! Don't tell me! I wanna guess when I see your haircut!" I interrupted, eager for the surprise. He took a deep breath and removed the beanie. His head was almost completely shaved, except for a small square of hair on the back. It looked silly, but I immediately recognized the iconic hairstyle. "Oh my God. You're Prince Zuko," I whispered excitedly. Dallas grinned again. "Yeah... Like I said... kind of a huge deal," he replied. "Kind of? This is a huge deal, Dallas!" I exclaimed excitedly, "Zuko was like my first crush ever!" "So you still like me?" he murmured. "Duh?" I replied, teasing him.

A little later, I leaned against the headboard of my bed and turned on the TV. "What do you want to watch?" I asked, glancing briefly at Dallas. He had placed the beanie on my desk and sat down next to me. Our thighs touched, sending a pleasant tingle through my leg. "You choose," he said simply, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You actually make me wanna watch Avatar, not gonna lie," I murmured, opening Netflix. "Avatar it is, then. But I must warn you. I've watched it so many times by now that I can lip-sync it," he replied with a grin. "I can live with that," I said and started the series. I took my blanket and threw it over our legs. We hadn't watched ten minutes of the first episode when Dallas hesitantly put his arm around me. My heart pounded as I laid my head on his chest, feeling his warmth. Dallas pulled the blanket up to my shoulders and hugged me gently. In this position, it didn't take long for my eyes to grow heavy, and I fell asleep.