calicos and daisy chains | kjd
part of love notesâ an exo ot9 valentineâs day special
âËâĄâĄÂ summary: your favorite barista takes you to paint some pottery.
âËâĄâĄÂ word count: 1.1k words
âËâĄâĄÂ content: jongdae x gn!reader | fluff | no warnings
Medium vanilla latte with oat milk, extra shot? Iâm just kidding. I was wondering if you were free sometime soon to go on a date? I think youâre beautiful and I would love to get to know you better outside of our little morning routine. Of course donât feel pressured to say yes or anything. I promise your coffee will still be as delicious as always. Jongdae
The first thing you notice about Jongdae is how good he smells.
When he gives you a friendly hug in greeting, youâre met with the smell of coffee and a hint of cinnamon, a bundle of warm and cozy deliciousness that immediately puts you at ease, reminding you of your favorite coffee shop. And of course it does, because well, Jongdae works there.Â
âItâs nice to see you out of uniform,â he jokes, gesturing to the cozy way youâre dressed versus the business casual you usually wear in the mornings.
âI could say the same for you,â you reply.
âItâs nice to be out of it. Letâs get inside, itâs freezing.âÂ
The employee behind the counter guides you through the process of picking out some pottery to paint, letting the two of you browse the shelves for something you like. You wander indecisively next to Jongdae, looking for something that catches your eye.Â
âI already know what Iâm doing for you,â he says, reaching out to grab a mug. âYou know that we do discounts if you bring in your own cup?â
âI did not know that,â you remark, raising your eyebrows. âThat wouldâve been nice to know. Do you know how much money I spend there?â
âI kept meaning to tell you but it always slips my mind. What are you thinking about painting for me?â
âIâm not sure.â Your gaze passes over several plates, bowls and cups before finally landing on a figurine of a cat, curled up and asleep with a small smile on its face. You pick it up and hold it out to Jongdae. âThis one kinda looks like you.â
âWhat?â Jongdae laughs, a loud clap of laughter that rings throughout the small studio. âYou think so?â
âYeah, smile with your mouth closed for a sec?â You giggle when his lips perfectly curl at the edges, similar to the small statue in your hand. âItâs a spitting image of you.â
âI like it,â he says. âPaint it good for me.â
The employee seats you at a table and sets you both up with a set of paints and art supplies. You start by painting the base of your cat white, planning out in your head where you want to put the calico spots. Jongdae is similarly concentrated, painting the entire base of your mug in a pretty, pale green color.Â
The silence is so comfortable that you donât even realize that several minutes have passed without you saying a word to each other until Jongdae clears his throat softly. âSorry, I got so focused I forgot that I wanted to ask you about yourself.â
You laugh, your paintbrush almost skittering across your project. âWhat do you want to know?â
âWell mostly I just wanted to ask if things are going okay at work,â he says. âI noticed that youâve been adding an extra shot recently.â
âOh,â you say quietly, focusing back on painting orange spots on your cat. âThere was a pretty crazy deadline that I was going insane over. My boss had me pulling crazy hours because of other peopleâs incompetence. But itâs over now so I can sleep at night, so Iâll be going back to my regular amount.â
âThatâs a relief,â he smiles. âYou know itâs not good for you to drink that much caffeine.â
You snort. âOh yeah? And how much caffeine do you drink, Mr. Barista?â
âNot that much anymore!â he protests. âJust one coffee in the morning.â
âAnd how many shots of espresso are in that coffee?â
âI donât have to answer that.â
The conversation flows naturally. Jongdae makes you laugh until your cheeks hurt as you learn more about each other, your projects becoming more and more painted as time goes by. He starts to add a daisy chain to the bottom of your mug, and you add blush to the cheeks of his cat.
âWhat do you like to do in your free time?â you ask.
âI like to sing,â he admits. âIâm actually getting my Masters in music education so I can shift from this barista job to teaching vocal students.â
âReally? Thatâs incredible.â
Jongdaeâs cheeks turn pink. âIâm glad you think so. There are some people who think thatâs unrealistic, or that Iâm just doing it because becoming a singer didnât pan out.â
âWell those people are stupid,â you say. âI bet youâre a great teacher and an even better singer.â
The corner of his lips quirk upward in a crooked smile. âI donât know about the teaching part yet, but I do think Iâm a pretty good singer.â
âIâll have to hear you sometime.â
He gasps in mock-surprise. âAre you asking me on a second date?â he asks, raising an eyebrow.
âHmm⊠hold up that mug for a sec?â He does, and you pretend to inspect it thoroughly. âYou did a good job. You earned yourself a second date.â
He pumps his fist in the air and you stifle a laugh with the back of your hand. The employee comes by to check your progress and nods at your projects in approval.
âIf youâre satisfied with it I can take them from you now, then weâll fire them and you can pick them up in about a week.â
âThat sounds perfect, thank you,â Jongdae says. The two of you finish up and walk outside to the parking lot. âWe have to come back, huh? That means we have to go on another date. At least to pick these up again.â
âOr I could just make you do it,â you quip.
âDo that and thereâs no guarantee I donât just run off with the mug. I think itâs a damn fine mug if I say so myself.â
You jostle his shoulder lightly with yours. âHow else am I supposed to get a discount on my daily triple shot latte?â
âDouble shot.â
âTriple.â
âHey, you promised!â he whines.Â
You reach out and grab his hand, delighting in the way his protests die in his throat the second your skin comes into contact with his. âLet me hear you sing and then Iâll cut down on the caffeine.â
âOkay.â He rolls his eyes, but squeezes your hand all the same. âDeal.â
well, that was fun! want to try another?
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