Title: Colors of the Season [English ver.]
Author: Riz Aino
Pairing: JunRie (Rie + JunJi) (OnlyOneOf)
Rating: R
Genres: AU, cat cafes, romance, fluff, humour, light drama, smut
Word count: 11.6k
Summary: Sungho likes cats. Junhyung is like a cat, therefore, Sungho likes Junhyung. (Or alternatively, Junhyung works at a cat cafe, Sungho falls in love with him at first sight and can't stop himself from going to see him).
Warnings: not particularly explicit sexual intercourse.
Notes: story inspired purely and simply because both Rie and Junji like cats and Junji sometimes behaves like one.
Author's comment: this was one of the first ideas I had back in early 2020 when I decided to start writing about OOO and I was really looking forward to translate it. I hope you like it.
1. Autumn
Sungho had sat down on one of the park benches where he'd arranged to meet Yongsoo, tired of standing and waiting. Yongsoo was late, as usual, and Sungho didn't really blame him, the boy's internal clock was completely different from everyone else's and everything he did, he did it at turtle speed. That's why he had taken the tactic of telling him an hour before he was actually going to go, so that when he arrived at the place where they had arranged to meet, he wouldn't have to wait too long. That day, however, it seemed that YongSoo was going to take a lot longer than he was used to, so he had decided to sit and wait and watch the scenery around him for a few moments. Autumn had already arrived in the park, even though the season had only just begun. The leaves of most of the trees had already turned ochre and red and many of them were already on the ground. It was a beautiful sight, even though autumn wasn't really his favourite season of the year, he couldn't deny that the view was beautiful. Sungho took out his phone to take a picture of what was in front of him and save it for later, and just as he tapped his screen to capture it, a notification from Yongsoo popped up, so he opened it.
"Sorry, hyung, I'm really late, but I swear I'm almost there >-<"
Sungho couldn't help but smile at the message and replied with a couple of running emojis. Good thing he'd told him to be there an hour before the time he'd planned to arrive, because he was already more than an hour and a half late in total and the movie they'd arranged to watch didn't start until a little later... otherwise they would have missed it and had to make an appointment somewhere else while they waited for the next show. Sungho took a couple more pictures of the autumn scene in front of him and then uploaded one of them to his Instagram stories to share the beautiful image in front of him with his friends. After that, he simply settled back on the bench and looked at his social media while he waited for Yongsoo to show up sometime in the next half hour or else they would really miss the film session. He didn't really have much hope that he would make it in time, but one could never give up hope entirely.
~
“I'm sorry, hyung, I'm sorry, I have no excuse," Yongsoo repeated over and over again as they walked through the busy streets of Gangnam. “I'm a horrible person...”
“You're not a horrible person, Yongsoo," he said, trying to calm him down so that the poor boy would stop his self-flagellation. “Just a little slow, but that's one of your charms.”
“Why do you always have to look on the bright side of everything? I'm horrible, we didn't make it to the session on time.”
“You have to look on the bright side of things because things have bright sides too," Sungho replied. “The good side of you being late and missing the film session is that we're going to hang out in a cat cafe until the next session starts.”
“I think you even like the plan of going to the cat café better," commented the younger boy, and Sungho couldn't help but laugh.
“I'm looking forward to it, I'm not going to lie to you," he replied.
He wasn't going to lie, firstly because Sungho wasn't used to lying and secondly because it showed on his face when he lied, so it was stupid for him to try. He was looking forward to going to a cat café because he'd never had the chance to go to one with someone, all his friends liked dogs, so it was an impossible task to bring them closer to cats, and he hadn't had a steady partner to go on dates with in different places, discovering new places and making great memories.
“I'm glad you're looking forward to it, hyung," Yongsoo commented with a shy smile, and Sungho was grateful to have a friend as charming as the boy who, though he'd arrived late, had prepared an alternative plan in a moment.
Upon entering the cafeteria, Sungho was completely amazed. There was plenty of space for the cats to roam, comfortable sofas and chairs and lots and lots of toys, scratching posts and climbing places for them... and there were cats, a lot more cats than the boy had thought there would be. There weren't many people in the place, barely a dozen or so in that large room, so it was quite quiet, the conversations seemed to be in low voices so as not to disturb the cats that were dozing and, in general, everything seemed to go at a fairly calm pace. Sungho liked the place because it was peaceful. Yongsoo had to nudge him lightly in the side to bring him out of his reverie and move around the place with him until he sat down on one of the sofas, where there was a small table where they could have something to eat while they were there. As soon as he sat down on the sofa, Sungho noticed a big blond cat under the table and gave a small smile as he called the cat over to him. The cat watched him for a few seconds, looking anything but interested, but Sungho called him over using his infallible "pspspspsps" and eventually the cat got up and came over to him and started rubbing against his legs.
“Love is a tricky cat," a voice murmured then, soft, soothing, causing Sungho to lift his face and his eyes to meet the most precious being in the entire universe. “Very few customers get him to get up and seek affection," the boy laid a letter on the table and gave Sungho an angelic smile. “You must be very special.”
After that, the young man gave them a slight nod and withdrew, disappearing from their sight, not realising that he had left Sungho in a catatonic state.
~
The film was over and he and Yongsoo were rushing out of the cinema because it had started to rain. Sungho used to carry an umbrella in his backpack, although when he changed backpacks he always forgot, so he had covered them both up as they ran to the nearest bus stop, but he wasn't particularly focused on the present because images of their time at the cat café kept replaying in his mind, even during the movie he kept reminiscing about the cute guy who worked there. During the time they had been in the café, Sungho hadn't been able to avoid looking at him from time to time, his blond, slightly long hair, his slanted eyes, his long, wide-bridge nose and his lips... those moles that adorned his face, one under his left eye, another one on his right cheek, one lower down, on his neck, almost hidden between his hair and the collar of his shirt. He hadn't stopped thinking about him the whole time and felt his heart beating fast every time he did.
Sungho had never fallen in love at first sight with anyone... but apparently, there was always a first time for everything.
“Hyung..." Yongsoo called out to him, demanding his attention once they were sheltered under the bus stop canopy, along with at least fifty other people. “You liked the waiter at the cat cafe, didn't you?”
“What?” Sungho questioned, startled. “No," he added quickly, perhaps too quickly, because Yongsoo laughed.
“Hyung... you're no good at lying," he reminded him. “It's clear from your face that you can't stop thinking about him, you barely paid attention during the movie, and in the coffee shop your eyes kept going after him, even though you had a legion of cats all over you begging for affection.”
Sungho couldn't help but feel a little betrayed by himself and his inability to lie or somehow hide what was going through his mind, but in the end he ended up agreeing with Yongsoo. The first step was to admit it. The next... he still had to think about it.
~
“You seem happy these past few days," Jisung commented, catching Junhyung's eye. “I've never seen you smile so often when you come home from work, though you're always in a good mood when you get back... I guess it's the cats that have that effect on you.”
Junhyung didn't answer his roommate and friend for the moment. He didn't know what to say either. He never really knew what to say, but in situations like that, he was supposed to say something to answer the older one. He hadn't noticed that he seemed happier than before after returning from work, but if Jisung had noticed it he figured it was because he did seem happier, so he thought back to the last few days at work in case he found something different that might have caused the change and, after thinking for a few moments, he seemed to come up with it.
“Mmmm... I think it's because there's a guy coming to the cafeteria these weeks who hasn't been coming before," he replied, causing Jisung to drop his chopsticks into the bowl in which he had scooped some ramen from the pot they were sharing. “There's never been anyone who gets along so well with all the cats before, he seems to have a way with them.”
“Wait... a boy? Are you telling me right now that you've noticed a boy?”
Junhyung blinked a couple of times, confused, and then frowned, not quite understanding why Jisung was asking him that. He had only told him what he thought made him happier when he came home from work these days, and that had been the most significant change. He didn't know the boy's name and he had only been to the cat café where he worked a few times, but he couldn't help noticing him because of the way he had a way with cats. Perhaps he thought that with that hand he used to charm all the cats in the café he might be able to work there, as he was happy to see how all the cats were delighted with him.
“He's good with cats," he replied, though he didn't know if that really answered Jisung's question. “He even gets Love and Yoojung to approach him just by calling out to them and gesturing a couple of times," he added, "I sometimes find it hard to get them to listen to me, and I've been working there for two years.”
“So... has a guy who sometimes comes to the cafeteria and gets on well with the cats caught your eye?” asked Jisung.
Junhyung ended up nodding because yes, you could say yes, if he hadn't seen how the cats adored him, he probably wouldn't have noticed him. What he didn't understand was why the elder was fixated on something like that and ended up asking him why.
“Why are you asking me this as if it's weird, hyung?”
“I don't know if you've noticed it or not, Junhyung, but in the five years we've known each other, this is the first time I've heard you talk about someone catching your eye, and the first thing you've told me about this guy is that you think he's the reason you keep smiling when you come home from work these days," Jisung replied.
Junhyung was silent for a moment and thought about it. He wasn’t usually interested in people because he was more interested in animals in general and cats in particular. He had a good relationship with the people around him in his everyday life and he had some friends too, Jisung was one of them, but he didn't look for people, he took refuge in cats and, besides, nobody really caught his attention, so, yes... Jisung had reacted according to the situation. It was strange that a boy had sparked his interest, even if it was born out of his interactions with the cats in the cafeteria.
~
“What will you have?” Junhyung asked.
The boy in front of him, sitting in an armchair with a black cat with a few white locks on his lap, lifted his face to him and gave him a charming smile before answering what he wanted to drink. For a second, Junhyung was lost in that smile and had to shake his head almost imperceptibly to bring himself back to reality and write down the order to leave it with Wookjin, who was preparing the drinks. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. He used to be lost in thought, staring into nothingness, and sometimes he would suddenly snap back to reality... he had never lost his gaze in anyone's smile, but this boy had done it effortlessly.
As he waited for the drink to be ready, he couldn't help but look at him, a smile painted on his face that he wasn't even aware was there. That day, like all of them after the first time, he had gone alone, had dropped several books on the table, and then had gone about his business until the cats had been settling around him, without him doing anything to call them. Some of the cats had gone away, bored because he hadn’t been able to pay much attention to them, but those that had remained were enjoying all his attentions at the moment. The boy was petting Nine, who had him on his lap settled as if it was the most comfortable place in the world, while he tried to play with Love, using his free hand. The other cat didn't engage much with the customers, sometimes he would approach some of them, but he wasn't friendly either, he just needed a couple of strokes and then he would go back to where he came from, but with this boy he was even willing to play. It was curious and really fascinating what a gift he had with cats, that's why he couldn't help looking at him, and that's why he couldn't help noticing him and everything he did.
The boy, who didn't even know his name, was quite cute. Junhyung had never really thought about whether people were cute or not, he had always been told that he was attractive and had even had a few confessions in high school, but he had never responded to them in the affirmative, and he had never really noticed that, but he thought the boy was cute. His dark eyes always shone as if they contained an entire galaxy and when he concentrated on the books and papers on the table he puckered his lips in a pout that made them even thicker and they looked fluffy and soft... and Junhyung didn't know if he was ready to admit it, but he would like to kiss those lips and see if they really were as fluffy and soft as they looked.
~
There were days when Junhyung found himself wondering whether the boy would show up or not because he didn't have fixed days, sometimes he would go two or three days a week and sometimes he would show up only once a week or every three, and he would be disappointed when at the end of his shift he hadn't shown up at the door. On the days when he did go, however, when Junhyung thought of him, he couldn't help but be happy and want to be the one to wait on him just to get a closer look at him or to hear that sweet, soft voice answer what he wanted to drink. He knew that he was quite curious and strange and that all that meant things that, for the moment, he didn't know how to catalogue nor did he want to because that would make him think too much and he didn't even know anything about that boy. He was just another customer, someone the cats in the café loved and who came in from time to time to spend a few hours in the afternoons, probably studying or working on things for the faculty... he wasn't anyone special, he didn't have to be.
On those late autumn afternoons, little did Junhyung know how important and special this boy, who he would later learn was called Sungho, would be to him in his life.
2. Winter
“I just hear you talk about this place over and over again," said Taeyeob, sitting down on the couch and starting to peel off layers and layers of clothes because it was warm in there thanks to the heating. “So I hope it's worth it.”
“I know cats aren't your cup of tea," Sungho commented, unwinding the scarf from around his neck, "but at least you'll love the cakes and there are a few drinks that are really good.”
“Yeah, yeah, that's all well and good, but," the boy replied, "where's your crush? Can I see him?”
Sungho immediately lunged towards him to cover his mouth with his hands and shut him up while he looked around, scared, in case someone had heard him, in case he had heard him. They had chosen a slightly more secluded corner to sit in, the place where Sungho usually camped out when he went to the cat cafe, where he could watch the waiter he had been pining for for several months now without being seen, so there was no one near them and apparently none of the customers or workers had heard that. The boy relaxed a little, but didn't remove his hand from his friend's mouth until his friend had licked his entire palm with his tongue.
“Eugh..." he complained, grabbing a napkin to wipe his hand. "You're not only a bad friend, you're also disgusting.”
“You didn't have to put your hand over my mouth," Taeyeob replied.
“You didn't have to go around shouting loudly about my crush," Sungho replied, lowering his voice as he said the word crush. “I don't want him to find out I like him like this.”
“At this rate, he's not going to find out this way or any other way," said his friend. “How many months have you been spending your money on coming to see him without telling him anything at all?”
Sungho couldn't help but snort at what Taeyeob had just said. He finished taking off the warm clothes he'd put on so he wouldn't freeze to death on the street and then plopped down on the sofa seat like a dead weight. The first time he had been there, reddish and ochre tones bathed the landscape of Seoul... but at this moment, grey was the predominant colour in the city. Winter had already arrived and left behind the autumn in which Sungho had first entered that cat café with Yongsoo. For several months he had been going there whenever he could, he had deluded himself that he did it because it was a quiet place where he could study and work and also the presence of the cats calmed him down... but deep down, the reason he went there was because of a certain handsome boy who had charmed him from the first moment he had seen him.
It had been months since that first day and Sungho still hadn't been able to bring himself to have a conversation with the boy outside of cordial greetings and thanks or when he was taking his order.
“It's not that easy," he finally said.
“Of course it's easy," Taeyeob replied and then added, "Hey, do you think my friend is cute?”
Sungho's eyes widened when he heard him say that and he raised his head to realise that, in front of them, with his little notebook to write down the orders and a pen in his hand, was the waiter he had been pining for all those months. Sungho wanted to kill Taeyeob first and then dig a deep hole so that he could reach the earth's core and hide there until the world ceased to exist. He shouldn't have taken Taeyeob there... he shouldn't have done it... he regretted it terribly.
“I think it's cute," the boy replied. “What will you have?”
~
Sungho had been living on a cloud since he had heard from the boy he had been living for the winds of months that he thought he was cute. It had been several days, in fact, and he still couldn't believe it because it had been totally unexpected... and apart from unexpected, it had made his heart beat faster and faster since that day whenever he thought about the moment. He had hated Taeyeob so much for doing that because now he didn't dare go back to the place because he was too embarrassed, but he was also very grateful because at least he knew that the boy thought he was cute and that was something more than he had managed to know in all those months. Besides, he didn't know how on earth he'd managed to do it, but Taeyeob had created a situation where he'd ended up asking him his name and telling him his own, and now he also knew that his name was Junhyung. His friend had likewise set up an FBI-like device to try to find him on the networks after learning his name, but so far it hadn't borne fruit and he had plans to go with him again to act as a matchmaker, but Sungho had had to refuse. He had to take the steps slowly and at his own pace or he'd be unable not to die of embarrassment, so he wasn't going to tell Taeyeob when he was going again... he had to handle it on his own, even if he didn't know how, or else he'd end up in a catatonic state because of Taeyeob.
~
When Sungho was able to go back to the cat cafe again because work had had him completely absorbed in the past few weeks, it seemed like the cats had missed him because as soon as he arrived, KB and Mill came up to him, starting to rub between his legs as he walked. Sungho couldn't help the smile that formed on his face and he bent down to pet them both for a few moments, before picking Mill up in his arms and carrying him over to where he used to sit, the cat purring all the way and making it much louder when he sat down on the couch and was able to settle onto his lap as Sungho petted him. He had missed the cats too, but most of all, he had missed Junhyung, though he didn't know if he could recognise him.
He was still unpacking his things and settling into the couch when Junhyung appeared before him and gave him a charming smile as he realised he had the three-coloured cat on his lap.
“You're Mill's favourite," he remarked. “He's usually very affectionate with everyone, but he won't let anyone hold him like that, only you.”
It reminded Sungho of his first time at the cat café, when his first words to her had been to tell her that Love was a difficult cat, and he couldn't help but smile broadly at that.
“You make it sound like I have a gift or something with cats," he replied, "but I'm just nice to them and give them the space they need to come to me when and how they want... with people I usually do the same," he added, "although my pspspsps always work wonders with all of them, with cats, I mean, not with people.”
“I think it's a gift," he replied, "You know how to deal with them well, with both cats and people.”
After that, Junhyung simply took note of his request and disappeared, leaving Sungho with his heart pounding inside his chest. He didn't know what he had meant by that comment because they didn't really know each other at all, but it had made him feel a little flutter of butterflies in his stomach, happy that Junhyung had said something like that because that meant he had at least noticed him so he could see that he was nice and had a good personality. Sungho wanted to squeal, but the place was always quiet and calm and he couldn't make any noise, so he was content to just smile like an idiot while he kept petting Mill.
~
There were days when Junhyung just didn't get it. He had always been professional with every customer, friendly, attentive if they needed anything, had taken every order well, had never made a mistake with any order and had treated everyone the same. If any customer came more often, he ended up recognizing them based on habit, but he had never been interested in any of the people who came by the cat cafe... until Sungho had arrived and, from day one, had caught his eye. Sungho. Ever since he knew his name, he kept thinking about him, especially since after that, the boy had taken a long time to come back to the cafe and Junhyung had thought too much about whether he had been too forward by telling him that he thought he was cute when answering the question the boy's friend had asked him. He had thought that maybe he had crossed the line that separated him from the cordial treatment of customers and that was why he was not going to appear there again and the first feeling that appeared in him was sadness, sadness because he was not going to be able to see him again and because he was going to miss him, him and not the cats.
Nothing like that had ever happened to him before, but he could only stop thinking and thinking that he had done something horrible when Sungho reappeared at the cat café and started to go there regularly again. Only after that, while working and leaving work did he feel happy again and he knew how strange it was and how much his habits were changing because of that boy. He found himself wanting to strike up conversations with him as he sat next to him and they played with the cats in the cafeteria, he found himself wanting to know absolutely everything about him and wanting to be with him even outside of there.
However... Junhyung had never been one to take first steps because he was terrified of the idea of too much pronounced change in his life, and especially terrified of the idea of taking one wrong step and having it all go down the drain, as he had thought had happened when he told him he was cute earlier... so, he didn't know how he should and could proceed with him.
~
“I don't believe you," commented Kyubin, looking at him in complete disbelief. “I really can't believe it, is he really asking me what he's asking me?” he then asked Jisung, who was there with them.
“Yes, yes, what you just heard, you don't have to wash your ears because they are plugged with wax," replied the other.
“I still don't believe it," said the older one. “Do you really want me to give you pick-up lines?
“Yes," replied Junhyung.
Kyubin then started laughing like he had never laughed before in his life and Junhyung frowned, a little indignant at that. He hadn't wanted to risk going after Kyubin for a long time because he knew he wouldn't take it seriously and had put it off as long as possible, but winter was coming to an end and Sungho was going less and less for the cat cafe and Junhyung wanted to try a minimal approach before the nice weather caused the boy to stop seeking the warmth of the inside of the shop and the company of the cats. He was a little afraid because he had never done anything like that before, but he was more afraid of never seeing him again and regretting all his life that he had done nothing to be able to establish any kind of contact with him, even being his friend was enough for him to stop feeling so anxious every time he didn't come back to the cafe for a few days. That's why he had ended up turning to the older, even though the idea had never appealed to him, because he wanted to get out of his comfort zone and wanted to try to do something for once because he had realized that indeed Sungho was a special person to him in his life.
“Don't laugh too much at him either," said Jisung. “It took him months to make this decision, you know he's pretty slow about most things.”
“I'm sorry, I'm sorry," replied KyuBin. “It was just too unexpected and I really still can't believe it. How do you want him to fall for you?” he asked.
Junhyung shrugged his shoulders. He hadn't really thought about it, just asking Kyubin for advice because of all the people he knew, he was the most socially connected and had the most boyfriends out of all of them. The older one flirted out of habit, almost naturally, he had even flirted with him on several occasions, and he didn't stop flirting with everyone he came across, so he was a sure option for success if he taught him the phrases he used to get all the guys to fall at his feet.
“I don't know... what do you usually say, hyung?” he questioned.
“Mmmmmm... I usually go up to guys and whisper in their ears things like «would you like to have the night of your life in bed with me?» while I rub against them so they can see they're going to have a good time” JunHyung's eyes widened as he listened to him.
“I want to say something nice to him, not scare him!”
~
“Are you okay? Are you nervous? Are you scared?” was the first thing Jisung said to him when he entered the cafeteria.
“Why are you here?” He replied.
“Because I got your message asking for help and because I wanted to know what the guy you've been drinking your heart out for for almost half a year was like," the older told him.
“I didn't send you a distress message, hyung," he replied.
“Then what was that «he's here ㅠㅠ» about?”
“I wasn't asking for help," he said again, "I was just happy that he came back after two weeks.”
He hadn't asked Jisung for help with anything and, in fact, after the fiasco of the meeting with Kyubin he had decided that he wasn't going to ask either of them for help with anything again. He would try to do what he could and how he could to try to engage Sungho in conversation so that he could establish a minimal cordial relationship between them upon which to move toward something more if the other guy wanted to.
“Well, whatever," JiSung finished, "Who is it?”
Junhyung wanted to roll his eyes, but in the end just ended up sighing and slyly pointing to where the boy stood, surrounded by several of the cats in the shop, playing with them. Jisung followed the direction of his finger with his gaze and then stood for a few moments gawking over there, before turning back to him, eyes shining, totally thrilled.
"I didn't know you had such good taste, Kim Junhyung," he said, nudging him a couple of times in the ribs to which the boy responded by frowning his eyes and giving him a dirty look. “Don't give me that face, man, go up to him and tell him he's the love of your life, don't let him get away because he's adorable and if you don't ask him out, I swear I'll ask him out myself.”
Junhyung sighed deeply again, resigned. He shouldn't have texted Jisung in the first place and Jisung shouldn't have gone all the way there because he was sure he was going to stay there all afternoon and he wasn't going to be happy until he left there with a date, so he had no choice but to do something. For that very reason, he ended up tearing a sheet of paper from his notebook and writing quickly on it, folding the paper before Jisung reached to read it and walking determinedly to where Sungho was. His heart was hammering inside his chest like there was no tomorrow and he felt his hands sweating. He was nervous, very nervous, but he had to do that once and for all, he had thought it through and it was what he had to do, to be brave, so, he finished approaching the boy and stood next to him, caressing Rie, who was there at that moment, climbing on the sofa, next to Sungho, looking for his attention. When the boy realized he was there, he gave him a charming smile and Junhyung's heart skipped a beat, making him even more nervous than he already was; however, he ended up doing his best and handed Sungho the folded piece of paper. He looked at it for a few seconds, confused, but then took it and began to unfold it, reading its contents. The short time that passed while he read his brief note took too long for Junhyung, but when the boy finished reading it and gave him the cutest smile ever, he knew it had all been worth it.
“I'd love to," he replied, causing his heart to leap with joy inside his chest.
3. Spring
Sungho sneezed and that made the people around him move away from him as if he were the plague. He had covered his mouth with his hands and on top of that he was not contagious, he was simply allergic to some plant nearby and, at that time, in the middle of Spring, when the plants were in bloom, he simply could not avoid sneezing. For a second he wanted to be like Taeyeob so he could tell people that he had nothing contagious and that they should stop being idiots, but he had never been like that, so he simply took a tissue out of his backpack and blew his nose to make himself presentable again. He liked Spring quite a bit, even though he spent most days sneezing, but this year he felt like he was going to like Spring even more because it was going to be completely different than it had been before.
Just a few days ago, Junhyung had passed him a little note while he was at the cat cafe asking him out on a date and he had been unable to do anything but panic a little because the guy he liked had made a move on him, so it seemed the interest was mutual, and then accept that proposal as if his life depended on it. They hadn't talked much at the time, they had just given each other their phone numbers and looked for a day when they were both free. Then they had exchanged a few messages with which Sungho had felt his heart beating almost in his throat, arranging the date, but they hadn't had much more conversation either because Junhyung seemed like a straightforward guy with few words and although Sungho used to send too many messages and many emojis and stickers, he had tried not to scare him off.
And there he was, waiting for him. With nerves, he had left home earlier than he should have and had arrived much earlier than he had anticipated. He didn't mind having arrived early either, maybe he was a little more nervous than he should have been standing there, unable to do anything but wait, but he was used to waiting for Yongsoo when he met him, so he knew how to kill time and had a lot of patience. He began to look around, realizing how much the landscape had changed since that time in the middle of Autumn when he had first gone to the cat cafe. The trees were bursting with life, their leaves bright green and their flowers a myriad of different shades, brightening up the view of the drab Seoul city.
“Have you been waiting long?” asked a voice practically against his ear and Sungho gave a little gasp, his heart beating too fast from shock. “Sorry, I startled you," he turned his head and found Junhyung beside him, perhaps too close, with a shy and slightly guilty expression. Sungho's heart began to beat much faster, but the scare had already passed, it was only because of the boy's closeness and how handsome he was. “I didn't know if you would hear me if I talked to you from farther away because it's so noisy here.”
“No, don't worry," he mumbled in response, "I didn't expect it and I was just a little startled, but it's okay, don't worry.”
And then Junhyung gave him a shy smile and Sungho felt as if the sky had suddenly opened up for him and an angel had appeared in front of him.
~
The evening was curious, different. Sungho hadn't been on many dates and Junhyung seemed to have been on far, far fewer than him, but they had a pretty good time together, even if neither knew how to really behave on a date. There were moments of silence, many moments of silence where neither dared to say anything or didn't know how to start or continue the conversation, but that was normal, they hadn't known each other long, they had only talked just enough and necessary for Junhyung to take his orders or about the cats at the cat cafe, nothing more. They didn't know what they liked or disliked and the conversations drifted from one topic to another as soon as a topic ran out of steam or they didn't know how to continue it. They talked a bit about their lives and Sungho found out that the boy had been working in that cat cafe for more than two years and that's why the cats loved him, because he was already part of that little family. He also discovered that he didn't usually socialize with many people, that he only had a couple of close friends, and that he liked the closeness, even though he would get nervous and pull away from Sungho when he realized that he had gotten closer to him than perhaps he should have. Sungho, however, didn't mind the closeness, sometimes he was startled because he didn't expect it so close, but he liked feeling the warmth of his body against his. Sungho didn't have very many friends either, but he used to be friendly to all the people around him and there were many people in his class and faculty who used to talk to him practically every day, even if they were just acquaintances. And when they ran out of topics of conversation they would talk about the cats in the cat cafe. They would talk about how Love spent practically all his time being surly and lazy with all the customers, but Sungho adored him or how Mill wouldn't let go of him as soon as he noticed he had walked in the door.
Sungho liked those conversations. He liked that sometimes there were silences and he liked that they were awkward at times, not knowing what to do or what to say because it just meant that they were both equally nervous about that date and that the presence of the other left them in a catatonic state, unable to think how they would normally do it and just enjoying each other's company. The date had been strange and different, but for Sungho it had been everything he needed, he didn't need anything else at that moment, just to enjoy Junhyung's company and to know more about the boy he had fallen in love with at first sight the previous fall.
~
“You look happy," said Taeyeob as he entered his room, "like you just slept with a guy and he was awesome in bed.”
“I haven't slept with anyone, Taeyeob," Sungho replied.
“Well, then you should," his friend replied, "I met a really nice guy the other day who rubbed agaist me at the pub and we hooked up at a small hotel nearby," he said, sitting down on his bed, crossing his legs. “The best night of my life, until yesterday I couldn't sit down without my ass hurting.”
“Taeyeob... you didn't have to tell me that.”
“It never hurts to hear bedtime stories from your friends," he said. “Now tell me, how was your date?” he asked.
“I knew you didn't come to my room just because you missed me," Sungho muttered, then sighed as he plopped down on the mattress next to Taeyeob. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
Sunho sighed again, but after the deep sigh he began to tell him what he had done that afternoon with Junhyung, what he had learned from him and how much fun he had ended up having even though it had been their first date and everything had been rather awkward and awkward between them. Taeyeob listened to him all the while attentively and without interrupting him until he finally finished his story and only then began to speak again.
“So... you haven't slept together," was what he said at the end.
“No, Taeyeob. It's our first date after I spent months going to the coffee shop and hoping that Junhyung would end up liking me as much as I liked him," he replied. “I really have no idea what I could have done to make him notice me too, I spent all my luck to get this date, I wasn't going to scare him away by sleeping with him just like that.”
“How old you are!? TaeYeob replied. “But then again, you guys look like something out of a teen novel, so, I'm glad you had a good time on your date and I hope you have some more.”
“I hope so too," muttered Sungho. “JunHyung seemed to have had fun too.”
~
“Can't you communicate like a normal person?” said Jisung, peeking over his shoulder. “What questions I have, of course you don't know how to communicate like a normal person," he muttered more to himself than for Junhyung to hear. “Do you want me to write the message for you?”
Junhyung looked at him for a few moments and then looked at his phone, the chat with Sungho open and a half-written sentence he had been trying to finish for at least fifteen minutes but didn't know how to continue. He didn't know whether to risk Jisung typing something weird to him, but he could spend another hour that way, typing and deleting until he finally ended up finding the words he wanted to say to him. In the end, Junhyung decided to be practical and ended up handing the phone to Jisung.
“What do you want to put on it?” He asked him.
“That I had a good time... mmmm... that I'd like to... mmmm... go on another date with him and... mmmm... I don't know...”
“That the next time you see him, he'll have to get ready because you want to kiss him up?” asked Jisung as he typed.
“No!" shouted Junhyung trying to snatch the phone from him, but Jisung kept typing until he finished and then showed him the phone and the messages he had sent. "I loved spending the afternoon with you, it was great and I'd like to do it again, if it's not a problem for you," he read. "It would be nice to see you soon, at the cat cafe or wherever you want. Thanks for today."
“I'm not that horrible," Jisung commented as soon as he finished reading, "I'd love to be able to tell him that you want to shower him with kisses because your eyes really go to his mouth when you talk to him, but I'm not going to say a word to him, I'm sure he's figured it out by now.”
“I don't look at his mouth as if..." he started, but Jisung raised one of his eyebrows and Junhyung ended up shutting up all of a sudden.
Sungho always smiled cutely at him when he talked to him and Junhyung liked those smiles because they made him feel something inside him, something he had never felt before. He also had to admit that on more than one occasion he had found himself thinking about what it would be like to kiss his lips, those thick lips that seemed so soft and delicate.
"You should thank me for pushing you in the right direction," said Jisung, probably knowing what was going through his head at the moment because sometimes he felt like he was an open book to the older man. "And you already have a second date," he added, pointing to the affirmative answer Sungho had sent him.
~
Junhyung looked out of one of the large windows and sighed deeply. With the nice day outside, he was sure that not many people would come into the coffee shop to have a bite to eat and play with the cats. Normally, people chose the regular coffee shops on days like those, when the weather was great and it was neither hot nor cold, to have a drink and sit for a while before continuing to enjoy the day outside and only stopped by the cat cafe when they planned to stay inside longer, either because it was a horrible cold day, to stay warm, or because it was so hot that they couldn't be outside and sought the coolness of the air conditioning until the heat passed. They would probably be lucky to get a couple of people in that afternoon.
As Junhyung walked away from the windows, the door to the shop opened and through it Sungho walked in, careful not to let any of the cats out into the hallway outside. A smile immediately appeared on Junhyung's face, a smile he couldn’t contain because he was there and he no longer cared in the least that there were no more customers for the rest of the afternoon because Sungho was there.
“Hello..." said Sungho, waving his hand a little shyly at the sight of him. Junhyung responded in kind as he approached him.
“I didn't know you were coming today..." he commented.
“I didn't know either," the boy replied, smiling. I was at the dorm trying to concentrate on doing things... but all I could think about was... you..." he whispered. "That I... missed... you..." he added.
Junhyung felt something stir inside him at Sungho's words. He had never dared to say something like that to him even though it was obvious that whenever he went some time without going to the cat cafe and couldn't see him, he missed him terribly. He felt more depressed without the boy's presence there and when he did go, it seemed that everything became easier and he felt happy, just knowing that he was there, just seeing him for a few hours. Those days after their date he had missed him even though they had sent each other a few brief messages. Junhyung wanted to reply to Sungho, but before he could open his mouth to do so, Sungho spoke again.
“Don't mind me," he muttered, "I have to get down to Japanese, I'm going to sit where I always sit," he added, "if you have some free time and don't mind keeping me company, I'd appreciate it.”
Junhyung nodded and Sungho smiled at him, then told him what he wanted to drink and went to the sofa where he always sat. He couldn't help but watch him as he walked there, seeing how as soon as he sat down on the couch and put his things down on the table, most of the cats in the cafeteria would go towards him as if the boy was a magnet for them and they couldn't help themselves. He sketched a smile and then went to order the order he had quickly placed for him and as soon as it was ready, he didn't hesitate to sit next to the boy for most of the afternoon, unable to take his eyes off him as he concentrated on what to do and how he sometimes complained adorably that something didn't go his way. If Junhyung was a brave person, that afternoon when they were practically alone in the cat cafe, he wouldn't have hesitated to give Sungho a kiss.
~
“I can't believe this cat is even resisting to you," commented Wookjin, his shift partner that afternoon, as Junhyung tried unsuccessfully to get the new cat his boss had brought to the cafeteria to stop being afraid of everything and open up a little to the strange new world he had ended up in. “If he keeps going on like this I'm sure the boss will take him back to the shelter where he got him from.”
“It's all new to him and he doesn't feel comfortable with anything here," Junhyung stretched out his hand again, showing Junji the teddy he had for him to approach. “He'll need a little time to get used to everything.”
“Time... or have your cat charmer friend come over," the boy said.
Junhyung's eyes widened because he didn't know how he hadn't thought of that before when the answer to everything was more than clear. He loved cats and the cats loved him too, but he had always needed a little time to endear himself to them; however, Sungho had needed nothing more than to make an appearance for all the cats on the premises to adore him. He had a way with cats and he was sure he could be of help in making Junji feel comfortable in that space, but it hadn't occurred to him to think about it until Wookjin had said so.
“I'm going to tell him, let's see when he can come by," he commented, "although I don't know if he'll have time, he was very busy with his work and preparing for his exams because the semester is coming to an end.”
“You don't lose anything by trying," Wookjin replied.
Junhyung took out his phone and sent a short message to Sungho telling him about the problem and asking him to come by the day he had a free time to help, and he replied that he would come by the cafeteria as soon as he could. That afternoon, Junhyung kept trying to get along with Junji whenever he had a free time without success and he didn't really expect Sungho to show up at the place a little before closing time and even less expected that it would take him only a few minutes to get JunJj to feel comfortable with him and approach him without hesitation.
“You really have a way with cats," he told, impressed, and on that occasion, he decided to be brave enough to give him a short kiss on the cheek.
4. Summer
Sungho was happy. He had never felt that he was particularly unhappy, maybe during exam time he felt frustrated, sometimes he had felt sad because things didn’t go as he expected, but once he thought of another way to do them or changed his goal, he was no longer unhappy, but he had never been unhappy according to the dictionary definition of that word. Nevertheless, that Summer he felt completely happy, exultant. He had finally finished his exams, he had passed them all, so he didn't have to sit for the make-ups later and he had left behind that chaotic semester in college and he could finally say that he had made progress in his relationship with Junhyung, despite the few times they had been able to meet because Sungho had been too busy studying, but they had made progress and that was really the biggest reason for his joy and happiness. Since Junhyung had kissed him, things had only improved between them, little by little they had left behind the shyness, the awkwardness between them and had started to talk more, to get to know each other better, to express without fear and without reservation their feelings for each other.
Sungho was happy because Junhyung was affectionate with him. He hugged him and sought his touch and sometimes even said nice things to him even though words were not his forte. He, for his part, had started to stop hiding and waiting. He would never have thought that his crush could come to anything and he had only devoted himself to being an observer and trying to make Junhyung feel comfortable with him, but he began to reciprocate all of the boy's gestures and also began to put his feelings into words. Things like "I missed you" or "I really like you", short phrases that seemed simple, but deep down they were not. He liked being together with Junhyung, even though they had barely been able to see each other since he started studying seriously for the exams, but the moments they had been together and had been able to share, both in the cat café and outside, he treasured them in a special way and, now that he was finally free, Sungho intended not to separate from Junhyung to continue getting to know him and falling more in love with him every day... because Sungho was falling in love with him, with Junhyung, and not only liked him, he really loved him.
That day they had arranged to meet near the Han River, to spend the day on its banks and the view of the city in those Summer days was so different from the other seasons of the year. There were many people in that area taking advantage of the water activities that could be done in the river and everything around them was green and fresh, due to the fact that it had rained the night before. It was cloudy and quite humid, besides being hot, so, the few minutes he was waiting for Junhyung he felt like he was melting and slowly turning into a puddle of water, but the boy arrived quite fast and Sungho, despite the heat, the first thing he did was to open his arms for Junhyung to hug him when he arrived, whispering that he had missed him terribly and the younger boy responded to the show of affection by leaving a short kiss on his cheek.
~
“Are you dating the cat cafe guy then?” Yongsoo asked. Sungho nodded, "He was really handsome, so, I'm happy for you, hyung.”
“He's... not just handsome..." he couldn't help but answer him. “He's... a charming guy...”
Sungho sighed. It was true that he had been smitten with him at first sight because Junhyung was so handsome and he had come back to the coffee shop just because he wanted to see him again because he was probably the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his life, but after a few days he had started to realize the rest, how charming he was, how kind he was, what an amazing person he was in general and now that he had had the chance to get to know him better because of his dates, he felt that the boy was so much more to him than anyone had ever been and he was the best person he had ever met. Junhyung was so much and everything at the same time and Sungho didn't even know how to explain it... not that he could, because Taeyeob intervened at that moment in the conversation.
“I'm interested in knowing if you've already slept together and if he's good in bed," he said, "because the younger guys are the worst... I remember when I slept with..."
“You don't need to give us details, Taeyeob hyung," Yongsoo cut him off, "although I'm also interested in how you're handling that," he added, looking at Sungho with his eyes sparkling with curiosity and putting on an adorable expression, the expression he always used to get his way. Sungho sighed. He hated that expression because it forced him to do what he wanted.
“No... we haven't slept together yet," he said.” I don't know why you're so interested in my sex life.”
“What a pair of prudes!” Taeyeob spat and Sungho just rolled his eyes.
~
The rain had caught them by surprise in the middle of the street and Junhyung had ended up taking him to his apartment, the one he shared with one of his friends, because they were much closer to the place and he hadn't wanted him to spend more time in soaked clothes. Sungho had been very grateful for that because he was quite prone to catching colds if he got cold and had simply followed him there without questioning anything else, but once he found himself in the bathroom of the apartment, naked, looking at the clothes Junhyung had left him to change into, embarrassment ran through him from top to bottom and he felt himself go completely red because he couldn't help thinking about what Taeyeob had been telling him ever since what was between them had started to go swimmingly —and even before—. And Sungho was no prude, in fact, he had on occasion masturbated thinking about Junhyung, imagining it was his hands touching him, but he had never brought it up with the boy because they were both a bit shy and he didn't know how to bring it up. However, standing there in his apartment, having showered and wearing clothes that smelled like him, Sungho felt that maybe it was time to open that particular melon.
Sungho quickly got dressed and then came out of the bathroom, appearing before Junhyung to tell him that he was done and could take a shower as well. The younger boy looked him up and down and Sungho felt the shyness he had felt moments ago come back to him, sending to the back of his mind the thought that maybe they could do something that day. That look burned him like fire and left him breathless for the entire time Junhyung's eyes were fixed on his body, he could only breathe again when the boy finally passed by him, heading for the bathroom. Sungho dropped like dead weight on Junhyung's bed, sighing deeply and feeling hornier than he had ever been before... and Junhyung had only looked at him... he was in for some very bad times when they started touching each other, sharing kisses and caresses for hours.
He tried to relax and think of other things so he wouldn't keep getting horny, alone, in that room, while he waited for the boy to get out of the shower... though the thought of Junhyung showering didn't help him much either. Sungho took a deep breath and tried to calm down and relax several times; however, the moment the younger boy appeared before him, everything he had achieved had ended up going down the drain because the sight before him was too perfect and erotic. Sungho couldn't help but lick his lips at the sight and then simply got up from the bed and walked towards Junhyung, trapping his lips with his own in a wet, tongue-heavy kiss that left them both breathless.
“Wow...” Junhyung murmured as soon as they broke apart. “I didn't expect it... but I like it...” the boy gave her a short kiss and then whispered in a sensual way, causing Sungho to lose what little shame he had left. “I want more...”
~
Junhyung hadn't expected that taking Sungho home to put on dry clothes because they'd both gotten soaked in the rain would end up with them tangled under the sheets, but there they were. Sungho running his delicate fingers over his body, causing every fiber of his being to feel too hot, his skin burning wherever it was touched. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about the older one dressed in his clothes as he showered, and when the latter had kissed him right out of the shower, he hadn't been able to help himself. He hadn't realized until that moment how much he had needed that kind of touch with Sungho and he was enjoying it too much, because it was delicate, it was soft, it was everything he needed. He couldn't stop sighing over and over again as the other touched him, his sighs growing in intensity as his fingers got closer to his member. Junhyung touched and kissed him too, his hands roaming over his smooth, white skin, his lips kissing here and there, not stopping in one place, not leaving a single spot on his skin free of his touch and his lips.
He adored him. He adored him too much. He adored Sungho when he smiled at him, cutely, adorable. He adored him when he pouted his lips concentrating on some task. He adored him when he played with the cats. He adored him when he had seen him dressed in his clothes, which were a bit too big for him. He adored him in all his moments and, at that moment,she adored him as he lay naked on his bed, breathing heavily, sweating and with his thick lips swollen and completely red from his kisses. He had never felt that way with anyone and he didn't think he would ever feel the same way with anyone else but him, so as he kissed him, as they touched each other, he couldn't help but tell him, tell him how he felt, tell him how much he liked him, how much he loved him, and feel Sungho's smile against his lips.
When they both reached orgasm, Junhyung felt in the boondocks, his mind completely blank, breathing raggedly and his body totally weak, too sensitive, his heart beating rapidly inside his chest. He might become addicted to that feeling, might never ever want to let Sungho out of bed ever again.
~
Jisung kept looking at him and smiling as if she knew something. That smile gave Junhyung a bad feeling, but he didn't dare to ask him why, mostly because he knew that if he did, his friend wouldn't stop bothering him about whatever it was. However, he couldn't ignore those looks and smiles for much longer because he was sure that the longer it went on, the worse it would be. For that reason, Junhyung finally put the chopsticks down on the table, sighed and asked the other what he wanted.
"Me? I don't want anything," Jisung replied, his smile growing much wider. “But...don't you have anything to tell me?” Junhyung shook his head, somewhat confused. He didn't know what Jisung meant by that. “Come on, I heard you moaning two nights ago," the older replied. “Well, I heard you and probably the whole block. Well... you and your companion, who I guess would be Sungho, your cat boy," he added, "he has a very good voice, by the way, I wish someone would moan my name in that voice.”
Junhyung could do nothing but blink rapidly, again and again, feeling his cheeks and ears turn bright red. He hadn't thought that Jisung could have heard them, hadn't even thought of that possibility. The other was away at work when they got home that afternoon and then they hadn't left the room until the next morning. He hadn't seen Jisung and it hadn't even occurred to him that he had come home while he was with Sungho. He wanted to open a hole in the floor and crawl into it so he wouldn't come out because of the embarrassment that Jisung had heard them. The other was far from puritanical, that didn't bother him, but Junhyung didn't like that he had overheard that intimate moment between Sungho and him simply because he hadn't been able to think clearly from the moment Sungho laid hands on him and hadn't thought about the possibility of Jisung coming home. He also wanted to beat himself up for being silly, in addition to the embarrassment he had on top of it, but he finally ended up pulling himself together enough to be able to reply to Jisung.
“Next time I'll make sure you're really not at home or coming home before I bring him," he said.
“But is there going to be a next time?” Jisung asked, extremely interested and Junhyung could do nothing but roll his eyes. “I want you to tell me all the details of the night, the messy details, because I imagine you liked it," said his friend, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“I'm not going to tell you anything, hyung," he replied.
Jisung continued to insist throughout the meal and Junhyung was infinitely grateful that he had a shift at the cat cafe that afternoon so he could use it as an excuse to escape his interrogation.
~
“Do you have gossipy friends too?” He couldn't help but ask Sungho in one of his short breaks at work, his head on the othe's shoulder, his hands clasped under the table. “Or do I only have nosy friends?” Sungho laughed and, by the way he laughed, knew what he was going to answer.
“I have nosy friends too," he said. “I don't know if you remember the boy who asked you if you thought he was cute, but that's the nosiest of them all.”
Junhyung smiled. He remembered that, even though he didn't remember much about the boy, he practically hadn't noticed him because he only had eyes for Sungho, but he remembered that conversation that had happened so many months ago because after it, the older boy hadn't been to the cafeteria in a while and he had thought too much about whether he had done wrong in telling him that he thought he was cute. Junhyung found it unbelievable that in the Winter of that year he had been freaking out about how he felt about SungHh and about Sungho's reaction to some words he hadn't been able to stop, too sincere because it had only been a few months, but everything had changed too much between the two of them. Stolen glances and shy smiles were all Junhyung had almost expected to get in the end, but he was glad for all the steps they had both taken over the months, the passing of the seasons, to where they had gotten to.
“If your nosy friend and mine met... would the world explode?” Sungho questioned, making him laugh. “I think it would be the worst idea in the universe for them to ever meet.”
“I think I agree with that," he muttered.
At that moment, the alarm that had been set on his phone to warn him that his break was over vibrated inside his pocket and Junhyung turned it off, getting up from the couch and walking away from Sungho's touch with resignation because he wished he could be together with him every second of the day... but he had to work. He gave his boyfriend a smile and he responded to it cutely, causing Junhyung to want to lean over him to kiss him. He didn't because he was at work, but when they got out of there that night, he would kiss him all he wanted and that happy feeling and anticipation made the afternoon of work so much more enjoyable for him, along with the sight of Sungho smiling as he played and petted all the cats in the cat cafe that came up to him and adored him almost as much as Junhyung adored him. He almost felt like he was one of those cats, totally mesmerized by the way Sungho was and how precious he was. And Junhyung wished he could spend many, many more seasons together with Sungho so that he could continue to discover more facets of him and continue to feel happy being together with him.
Final notes:
—Yes. cats have all the artistic names of OOO members because I didn't feel like thinking of cat names, sorry for being so basic.
—Funfact (?) The guy that rub agains Taeyeob at the pub is none other than Kyubin and yes, I'm preparing a little extra story about it, something little elaborated, but it serves its purpose.
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