Feeling Brew

~30~

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Taeil asked as he stared at the girl who spun around as they walked out of their apartment complex and into broad daylight. "No cap, no glasses, no mask?"

"Nope. I just want to be like everyone else and go on a normal date," she answered.

He was glad she could be herself despite her previous concern about the media. Regardless of the fame and constant attention, she was still Isla Giovanni. Today, she sported a simple red sweater and ripped jeans- something stylish in case the reporters  caught her.

"How are you not freezing? It's January!" Taeil managed through his chattering teeth.

Isla giggled. "Well, your girl is from Canada."

Your girl. Taeil blushed hearing her say that. "You're right. You are my girl. So, where are we going first?"

Isla stopped in her tracks. "You know, I've always wanted to go ice skating."

Without asking for her boyfriend's opinion, she intertwined her fingers with his and took off running towards the rink. Taeil had no other choice but to keep up, but as they ran, he kept glancing down at their interlaced hands. Another blush inhabited his cheeks, Isla's red sweater paling in comparison.

"Oh, it's kinda crowded," the foreigner noted once they arrived. Couples and families were skating together, creating a busy environment within the rink.

Taeil sensed her hesitation. "We can always go somewhere el-"

But Isla had already grabbed a pair of skates. As they laced up and entered the rink, people started giving them glances as they slowly realized Geo stood before them. But despite the sounds of cameras clicking and flashing, she grasped Taeil's hand and weaved through the crowd.

"Whoa," he breathed as Isla sped up her pace.

Isla turned her head to peek back at Taeil and laughed seeing his nervous face. "Is this your first time on ice?"

He widened his eyes like a scared puppy and nodded fervently. "But you seem to be a natural. Is there anything you can't do?" he queried.

"Hmmm, I guess I told you once that I couldn't sing," Isla teased. "I felt so bad back then. You had no idea."

Taeil watched her blades alternate as they came in contact with the ice, and he copied her movements. The two of them gained a little more speed now that Isla wasn't pulling him along.

"You're a fast learner," she smirked. "That means I can let go now, right?"

Taeil gripped her hand so tightly, she almost lost circulation. "I'm never letting you let go again."

"Good. Because I'm not letting me either."

Isla laughed as she let go of Taeil's hands for a brief second, watching him flounder as he maneuvered his way towards the railing along the side of the rink. But just like she had promised, she slipped her hand in his again, and they navigated around the crowd.

"Ready for part two?" Isla giggled.

Taeil wobbled as he tried to keep his balance while walking down the sidewalk. Ice skating for two hours had turned his legs into jello.

"Part two?"

Soon enough, they stood in front of a very familiar building. Isla pushed open the doors, letting the smell of chlorine greet her. Ever since her elbow had healed, she could only dream of swimming laps here again.

"I brought swimsuits. Go put these on," she tossed him a pair of sleek, black swim trunks.

Isla quickly changed into her one-piece speedo and waited for Taeil in the pool. But when she laid eyes on him, her heart began to pound. His body was even more chiseled than what she remembered before. His pecs held so much definition, it could almost put her own to shame. Her eyes followed each bend and curve of his abs, and she quickly brought her eyes up to meet his at the snap of Taeil's fingers.

He slipped in the pool, ignoring the cold, and paddled over to her. Taeil didn't give a chance to speak as he slammed his plush lips against hers. He wrapped a hand around Isla's waist with his other hand behind her neck, but he quickly realized he needed his arms to tread water.

The girl pushed him away playfully, but Taeil came back again, caging her in his arms against the wall of the pool. Isla swallowed hard as she watched the water drip down his gleaming muscles. The duality of the shy music major and part-time barista amazed her.

"You, um, didn't finish," Isla coughed.

Taeil smirked, leaning in closer as he traced circles with the pad of his thumb against her bare shoulder. Even though the water was cool, his touch felt like fire. Isla lazily brought her hand up to cup his jaw as she pressed gentle kisses on his face. But Taeil placed his hand over hers and slid his lips down to envelop hers once again. This time, she fully complied as the fingers from his free hand tangled themselves in her blonde locks.

They broke away for air and Taeil chuckled, "Thank goodness the pool was empty."

They ended the day under the stars. Their backs were pressed against the cool grass of the university quad, and the wind nipped at their faces. Taeil held Isla in his strong arms, keeping both of them warm.

"So, how do you feel about your boyfriend becoming famous. Are you willing to share the spotlight?"

Isla squinted hard, sure that she was staring at the handle of the Big Dipper- one of her favorite constellations. "You'll be a star, just like them," she pointed up at the night sky. "The world is going to be so jealous of me since I've stolen you away. Will your fans be okay?"

Taeil laughed. "Will your fans be okay is the better question."

He couldn't imagine he was laying beside the girl he loved so much under the stars. Isla had changed his life since the moment they met. No one had been able to crack the code and see where his insecurities lay. She had been the only girl to stand still and not run away after learning the truth about his parents' divorce and his adoption. She hadn't looked at him differently, but instead, she had shown him that much more love.

"You've seen everything, but still stood by me. Why?" Taeil asked.

The foreigner squeezed his hand in reassurance. "Because you're you. You're Moon Taeil. You're not Johnny or Mark or Jooheon. That sounds so factual, but that's why I like you. You're just you."

She twisted to hold his face delicately with her hands, staring into the eyes that captured all the stars in the sky. Her universe was right here. Her lips captured his and Taeil felt a warm buzz take over him.

In that moment, he felt so alive. Because even when he would leave his job at the coffee shop, and even once he debuted in NCT, even when he did world tours, Isla would be by his side. Some things would never change. All his life, he struggled to find his favorite cup of coffee. He stayed away from caffeine because it drove him crazy, and he experimented with syrups, trying to find the perfect combination. But the song Isla had written described it perfectly.

"All I want is a good song and a cup of you," he whispered.

Every star in the night sky seemed to align perfectly in front of their very eyes. Taeil decided that instead of thinking about the future, he would live right now and enjoy his time with the person he loved. The clouds seemed to part that night. The storm that had raged inside him for years subsided. Finally, he would be able to smile his brightest every day. But most of all, his heart would be at peace, and he'd no longer be feeling brew.

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Question of the chapter: Who's cutting onions?