Crumbling Bridges {YuJae} | complete

eighteen

TW for some internalised homophobia :c

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After having tasted all the chocolate muffins from all the cafés in town, Jaehyun and Yuta find their favourite place to spend the spring afternoons. The café is independently run by a kind old woman who always greets them with a warm smile and the offer of discounted hot chocolate, and since it's on the outskirts of the city the couple can enjoy the quiet bustle of just the occasional customer.

Today, it's Jaehyun's turn to pay for their food. He grins from ear to ear at the thought of presenting his card at the end, happiness fizzing through him before even consuming any sugar. By the time they've finished their heart-shaped shortbread, coffee cake, and hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and a generous mound of whipped cream, Jaehyun can hardly sit still. He's been feeling that way a lot these days. Hyejin always raises an eyebrow when she catches him mid-daydream and when he realises he's smiling to himself, he scolds her for not tidying her room to push her attention away from his lovesick antics.

Because that's what he is. Lovesick. Johnny said he's been acting strange. Yuta said he's been so much happier and that it's adorable. Yuta calls him adorable a lot. It always fills his stomach with butterflies in a way that nothing else ever has before. He's surprised there's any room for them after eating all the food, but then again, there's always room for Yuta, because the Japanese has a special way of strolling into his heart and sticking around, a catalyst for emotions Jaehyun didn't even know existed.

"Have I mentioned how much I love your dimples?"

"Yes. At least a hundred times." Jaehyun kicks Yuta's foot under the table, his battered sneakers against the elder's boots, and they play footsies for a while, lazy grins on their faces.

"I love your dimples." Yuta says it again. Jaehyun doesn't care that the man at the next table along keeps glances at them and scoffs at his giggles and blushes. He feels like he's twenty-nine turned nineteen on a first date with the college sweetheart.

"Did you go to college or anything?" Jaehyun can't help but ask out of curiosity. He reckons Yuta was the definition of college sweetheart. "Is that where you met your old bandmates?"

Yuta nods, scraping the lumps of melted chocolate from the bottom of his mug.

"I studied literature. It gave me something to do for a couple of years, I guess."

"What a surprise." Jaehyun's nose scrunches as he laughs, then he laughs harder when Yuta pouts and kicks his foot a little harder in return.

"That obvious, is it?" Yuta leans on his elbow and tilts his head to the side as his eyes roam over the younger.

Jaehyun shrugs, head down to hide the dusting of pink on his cheeks. A voice in his head scorns him for asking what now seems like a dumb question. He pockets his hands and twists his fingers together, chanting in his head that he shouldn't let a small joke get to him, that it would be stupid to get embarrassed over something so miniscule and harmless when he's on a date with Yuta. The fourth date that week.

"And what about you?" When Yuta asks the same question back, Jaehyun nibbles on his bottom lip, debating what he should say. There's so much they still don't know about each other. He hadn't thought that far when he spoke up.

"I studied economics. It sucked. Like... I hated it." He picks up a few biscuit crumbs with his thumb and licks them off, the sugar a temporary distraction. "With a passion." He tries to laugh but it doesn't come naturally as just moments ago.

"Then why did you study it? You could've switched major or dropped out." Jaehyun should have known Yuta would press for more. His insistence to not let a topic drop makes the younger uneasy at times.