Fall was in full swing in New York and Xyla Villanueva was unprepared, as always. Dressed in only a pair of jeans, blouse and leather jacket, she cursed herself for not checking the weather as she left the warmth and comfort of her little apartment. Of course she picked one of the coldest days to leave. Of course. Xyla wandered the streets of Manhattan in search of a coffee shop, any coffee shop, that wasn’t full of patrons lining up for their annual taste of anything pumpkin spice. The odds seemed slim as she walked past shop after shop and saw nothing but full seats and orange decor. Finally giving up, Xyla turned on her heel, ready to go home, only to feel another body crash into her.
“Fuck, sorry. I’m so sorry,” she said, holding out her hands in the attempt to catch the stranger if they were to fall. “Are you okay?”
A sigh escaped his lips whilst Yoosung waited for the coffee order. He was glad that he definitely wasn’t the only one ordering the infamous pumpkin spice drink, though the urge to tell people that it wasn’t for himself was strong. It was the truth, after all. But he reminded himself that no one cared -- he’d really just make a fool out of himself if he made a scene like that and his therapist was trying to teach him to stop picking fights out of discomfort. Once he was handed the two drinks, he made sure the lids were securely placed on top of the cups and made his way out, only to instantly walk into another person.
He blamed that cursed pumpkin spice latte.
“You--” He cut himself off, reminding himself to be nice. He was fine, there was no need to get angry. “It’s okay.” He finally breathed out, though it took a lot of willpower to keep his voice steady. The ‘please don’t touch me’ was on the tip of his tongue, but he bit it to quiet himself once more. He was LEARNING. “Ah... Are you okay?”









