Lost In Our Times || CloverNyx

Cappuccino

·1/3 espresso
·1/3 streamed milk
·1/3 milk foam
·pour a pattern in surface crèma

Chapter Two

It was finally closing time at Dream Bean Coffee Shop. Luhan finished locking up the front portion of the store, and strode past the silvery kitchen, out the back door, and to open space. It was around 9:00pm, yet the night was so alive.

Luhan tended to see things in vivid explosions of color and connect it to words, and tonight was definitely not an exception. The sky was oozing a dark, inky cloud, the stars as Saviors of Light, the air-whipped clouds streaming behind as it chased the moon. The beautiful sight left Luhan breathless.

He heard soft footsteps pitter-patter on the concrete porch. Chairs lined the raised platform, separated by small tables. The white picket overhang provided shade on hot days and protection from dreary drizzles. He could even roll down a clear plastic sheet down to protect the porch from the windy rains. He usually stood on the porch behind the covering to watch the rain, captured by the falling drops. Rainy days were always his favorite.

"The sky looks so dark today." Kris said, stretching his neck to look out of the overhang. Luhan couldn't have agreed more; the sky seemed to shudder in power, as if it were a separate living thing.

Kris turned back around and extended a mug to Luhan, which contained a brown, thick mixture with streaks of white. Hot chocolate. Luhan nodded his thanks and gripped it with both hands. They both stood side by side together in comfortable silence as they soaked up the reassuring thrum and rhythm of the night into their minds, looking but not really seeing the grassy landscape of the store backyard. A couple trees dotted the grass, providing extra shade if they ever wanted to picnic and spend the day together. Kris was the first to break the still mirage, looking down into his cup. Then he spoke.

"Suho has been acting weirder this week." Luhan turned to him, eyebrows raised. Suho was Kris's boyfriend, but things were starting to turn rocky, the air so uncomfortable that Luhan and the others would turn away in awkwardness at their attempt of conversation with each other.

Luhan sighed through his nose. He had tolerated endless complaints of his boyfriend, to the point where he thought he would bulge with insanity. But what were you supposed to do when your best friend is a lovesick dog?

"Why don't you just break up with him?" Kris looked up abruptly.

"It has occurred to my mind. But not yet. I'm still clinging to hope, Lu. I still feel like there's something there between us. We just need to straighten things out."

"I know Kris. But you can't keep on continuing things if you can't even carry a friendly conversation together. That's like trying to make coffee without the beans."

Kris laughed dryly. "I suppose you would understand relationships huh, Lu?"

One would take offense to such a comment from Kris, but Luhan merely drank from his hot chocolate. After all, it was true. He hadn't been involved in a relationship since middle school, and that had only lasted for a week before the girl had complained to Lu about not giving her enough attention or whatever. Plus, he knew Kris wasn't trying to be mean. He was just being blunt.

"I may not know much about relationships, but maybe my advice will be better since I am not clouded by mishaps of my own relationship. You take your own advice based on your own thoughts of Suho, yet I give advice based on the facts of the actual relationship. There's a difference." Luhan said calmly.

Kris smiled. It was still odd seeing him smile, even though Luhan had known him for years; it was like a comforting phenomenon. Like an Aurora Borealis.

"It's hard balancing him out." He replied, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Seeing him so weary and vulnerable, as if he would fall at any time, made Luhan's heart twist. At this point, he would reason with him more on his relationship problems, but Luhan felt a twinge of guilt pierce his heart.

"Rest, Kris. Go back to your dorm. You need sleep." Luhan set a hand on Kris's broad shoulder. He tensed, then relaxed underneath his touch. He clenched his jaw then nodded. Luhan knew he wanted to argue, but he gently took Kris's mug away from him and set it on a nearby table. Kris took one last look up into the glimmer of the stars, then turned away to face Luhan.

"You don't know how much I value our friendship." He laughed, stuffing his pale hands into his pockets. Luhan smiled sadly, taking a deep drink from his mug. Kris watched him, then looked away.

"I guess I'll go. Thank you, Lu. Don't stay our too late." He said quietly, striding back into the dark store.

Luhan turned to watch his silhouette slowly grow smaller, and he couldn't help but feel pity for Kris. Everyone expects him to be tough and to be a resolver. But they don't know that he's dealing with so many things right now that he possibly make everything okay right now.

Luhan took his own last look at the heavens above. He always thought that nighttime was always underrated, and didn't understand why people feared the darkness of it. Sure it could be intimidating; it was so vast that you can't help feeling a little sorry for yourself for being so small in such a big world, but the sky was so mesmerizing and full of depth, like an unsolvable puzzle. The sky wasn't just black, it had streaks of gray, pockets of purple, winks of white, and strokes of silver.

Luhan bit his lip.

Like Kris.

Authors Note: Wow chapter 2 already done ! Lol I splurged a lot in this chapter. Hopefully I didn't bore you with the sky details ahah.