raspberries and mocha | heejake

25

It was well past closing time at the restaurant, the lights dimmed to a soft glow as Heeseung finished wiping down the last table. His muscles ached from the long shift, his mind still racing from the chaos earlier in the evening. It had been one of those days again—the kind where nothing seemed to go right, from orders being mixed up to irritable customers complaining about the smallest things. His patience had worn thin, and all he wanted to do was disappear into the quiet of the night.

Just as Heeseung was about to head to the staff room to clock out, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a text from Jake.

sjaeyun.org
are you done yet

i miss you omg
hurry up ok

A tired smile crept onto Heeseung's face. He texted back a quick-

urdadseung

yeah

just finished 

-before grabbing his bag and heading for the door. He was halfway out when the door swung open, and there stood Jake, wearing that oversized black sweatshirt Heeseung had teased him about the other night. His hair was tousled like he'd just rolled out of bed, but his smile was as bright as ever.

"You again?" Heeseung teased, though he couldn't hide the warmth in his tone.

Jake shrugged, his grin widening as he stepped inside. "Thought I'd drop by and keep you company for the walk home."

Heeseung felt his heart skip a beat. It was the little things with Jake — the random visits, the small gestures—that always seemed to brighten even the worst days. "How did I get so lucky?" he joked, slinging his bag over his shoulder as they stepped out into the cool night air.

As they walked, the city's streets buzzed around them, but the world felt small, just the two of them side by side. Jake had that calming effect, the kind that made Heeseung forget about the stress of the day. They chatted about nothing in particular, laughing about some ridiculous customer interaction and how Sunghoon had managed to break yet another glass in the kitchen with he and Jay yelling at him for it.

By the time they reached the riverside—their unofficial meeting spot whenever they needed to escape the world—Heeseung's exhaustion had melted away. The river glistened under the moonlight, the gentle breeze playing with Jake's hair as they settled onto a bench.

Jake yawned, leaning his head against Heeseung's shoulder. "You look exhausted," he murmured, nuzzling into Heeseung's jacket like it was the most comfortable thing in the world.

"I am," Heeseung admitted, wrapping an arm around Jake and pulling him closer. "But I'm good now."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, the sounds of the river flowing softly in the background. Heeseung could feel Jake's breathing slow as he relaxed against him, his body fitting perfectly in Heeseung's arms.

"That much of  a rough day?" Jake asked after a while, his voice soft and tired.

Heeseung chuckled. "You have no idea."

Jake shifted, turning his head slightly to look up at Heeseung, his eyes warm and full of affection. "Do you wanna rant?"

"Nah," Heeseung replied, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Jake's head. "Just...glad you're here."

Jake smiled, snuggling closer, his hand finding Heeseung's. He absentmindedly traced circles on Heeseung's palm, the simple touch sending warmth through his entire body. There was something about these quiet moments with Jake, where they didn't need to say much—it was enough just to be together.

Out of nowhere, Jake lifted his head and, with a playful glint in his eyes, leaned in to press a quick, unexpected kiss on Heeseung's lips. It was so sudden that Heeseung blinked in surprise, but before he could react, Jake had already nestled back into his arms like nothing had happened.

"You really like surprising me, don't you?" Heeseung teased, squeezing Jake's hand.

"Maybe," Jake mumbled into his chest, his lips quirking up into a smile. He then tilted his head up again, his eyes half-lidded as he stared at Heeseung. "But I'm not done yet."

Before Heeseung could respond, Jake kissed him again, longer this time, his hand tightening around Heeseung's. The kiss was soft and unhurried, the kind that made time stop, the world fading away until it was just the two of them in that moment. Heeseung responded without hesitation, cupping Jake's face as he deepened the kiss, their lips moving in perfect sync.

When they finally pulled away, both breathless and smiling, Jake rested his forehead against Heeseung's. "You make everything better, you know that?"

Heeseung chuckled, his thumb brushing lightly over Jake's cheek. "I could say the same about you."

Jake's eyes fluttered shut, his smile widening. "We should do this more often."

"Cuddle by the river?" Heeseung asked, his voice soft and full of affection.

"Cuddle, kiss, whatever." Jake yawned again, his arms wrapping tighter around Heeseung's torso. "As long as it's with you."

Heeseung felt his heart swell at the words. He pressed another kiss to Jake's forehead, whispering, "Anytime you want."

And with that, they fell into a peaceful silence, their arms wrapped around each other as the river flowed quietly beside them. Neither of them said another word, content to just be there, holding onto each other, as the night stretched on.