#havent read first man in rome in a while but I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT ANON!!!! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

melonmork · 7 years ago

Text

this is home

in which yukhei works at his parent’s bakery in the town where you spend your summer~ 💕💫💛💖

~the best part of spending the summer in your parent’s home town is the accessibility of everything due to walking and biking trails that connect almost every neighborhood, store, and of course the downtown area

~you’d been spending summers here for a long time, longer than you can remember

~you love taking walks in the warm summer air, watching the birds flying in flocks over head, smelling the breeze that carries the perfume of flowers in bloom, and listening to children’s laughter like a song in the afternoon daze

~and now, this summer seems auspicious already; you arrive at your grandparents’ home just as the setting sun paints the sky brilliant shades of golden yellow and deep orange, and you fall asleep soon thereafter thinking about where you will venture to tomorrow

~mornings here are your favorite, because nearly every morning, like this one, you wake up to a simple melody sung by a bird right near your open window, and the sunlight in your eyes welcomes you back

~this year more than ever before, you feel a sense of home, and the thought lingers through breakfast and even as you say farewell to your family and set out to see what’s new in town

~yes, you think, i’ll go into town today and see what all is there, see if there’s anything new

~you walk leisurely through the paths, sometimes through woody areas teeming with wildflowers, squirrels, and butterflies, and sometimes through a quaint neighborhood with bikes strewn haphazardly on driveways, or an old man reading a book on his porch, enjoying the fresh morning air just like you

~after a relaxing half hour walk, you arrive in the downtown area, welcomed by the familiar scents of street food and the sound of soft, upbeat jazz tunes coming from shops surrounding the blocks

~the thought and feeling of home reoccurs to you instantaneously, and your heart feels a bit giddy at the sentiment. even though you don’t really live here for most of the year, you certainly feel a sense of belonging, and you can’t help but smile at the familiarity of everything in front of you

~you make your way comfortably through the area, recognizing each store and almost every street vendor, save for a few

~the smells tempt you every time you get a whiff of them; you ate a rather big breakfast, but that was nearly an hour ago now, and besides… how does that saying go? oh yeah! “when in rome…”

~so you continue down the street, turning here and there and making your way to your favorite cafe in the area, eager to taste that amazing lemon poppy seed muffin again

~but while you’re on your way, you have to do a double take, because something’s different…

~to your surprise, a local bakery had taken place of the small pottery shop you used to look through often

~your heart falls at first, upset to see that the pottery shop is no longer there, but your stomach wins over your heart after you get a whiff of the pastries and breads inside the new bakery

~you hesitate for a moment, not completely willing to give up on your quest for that divine lemon poppy seed muffin, but you figure it will be there later, and it’s always good to try something new, so you enter into the bakery

~and good lord does it smell heavenly in there

~and it’s not only the smell, but the ambiance of the bakery that enchants you

~the walls are a light yellow, the color of honeysuckles, and small vases with pink roses complemented by baby’s breath grace each little cafe table

~small speakers on the ceiling play soft accoustic tunes accompanied by charming lyrics

~the glass door and the multiple windows let in a cozy amount of sunlight, completing the comfortable atmosphere, and you decide that you aren’t upset anymore at the disappearance of the pottery shop

~nor are a lot of people in the area, either, apparent by the considerable line of people waiting to order a fresh pastry, or maybe a latte

~so you make your way to the end of the line and admire the decorations, the cute light bulbs hanging from the ceiling joining with the sunlight to illuminate everything in the cafe warmly and softly

~framed paintings of fruit bowls, loaves of bread, and people picnicking hang on the honeysuckle walls, and you look at each painting as you wait in line, slowly moving forward

~you’re close to the counter when you find yourself standing in front of a large wicker board covered in photographs which, as you inspect them, seem to be all of the same family

~in most of the photographs, the family is in a small kitchen, kneading dough or stirring something in a bowl or peering into a retro-looking oven

~there are a few photos of the same young boy, who in some photos wears a cheesy grin that lights up his whole face, and in others feeds his mother some sort of baked treat of his own childish creation, opening his own mouth as he feeds the treat to his mother, who looks at him fondly

~the odd photo out is the one of that same boy wearing a high school uniform, holding a diploma and standing in between his parents, wearing that same bright smile but looking much more handsome, and naturally so; in the photo, he is tall and seems mature, and you think he must be around your age in the picture

~you gather that this family of three-the mother, the father, and the son-is the family that opened this bakery here

~the line moves forward, and so must you, so you reluctantly remove your gaze from the photos and shuffle forward until you’re standing in front of the display of pastries, cakes, and sandwiches, all of which make your tummy growl on sight

~it’s so hard to decide because everything looks so absolutely delicious, and your heart (and tummy) is torn between the chocolate croissant and cinnamon bagel

~which you unfortunately do not have the time to choose between before it’s your turn to order at the register

~the same woman from the photos you were looking at earlier stands behind the register, wearing the same pretty smile as in the photos, her face a little more lined than back then but no less beautiful, and you can’t help but smile back at her motherly appearance

~“what can i get for you, darling?” she asks kindly, her smile genuine and inviting

~“well…” you start, but then stop, because you still havent decided between the croissant and the bagel and you’re really too torn between the two to make a decision on the spot

~someone behind you clears their throat in an attempt to express their impatience, and you pick up on the hint and try to hurry yourself

~suddenly, the son from the photos appears behind the mother and leans his hip against the counter and says, “if it’s pastries you’re interested in, i recommend the chocolate croissant! it’s not too heavy and it’s got just the right amount of chocolate. plus, i made them this morning, so they’re especially good today!” he gives you a big smile, the same one as in the photos, and then pushes back from the counter and busies himself again near the coffee grinding machines

~that’s pretty much an inarguable omen, you decide, so you tell the nice lady that you’ll have a chocolate croissant and a chai latte and then make your way to one of the two person tables near the windows with your order number

~as you sit there enjoying the sunlight, you think about the son, who you suppose you were right about regarding age.. he looks to be fairly young, maybe just barely an adult

~what shocked you, though, was the depth of his voice… somehow, it differed so starkly from the brightness of his smile, and you couldn’t help but think of it as attractive

~as you wait, your mind wanders to other topics, like the swimming lake not too far from your grandparents’ house, and the mangos you plan to buy tomorrow morning at the local produce market near the residential area of town

~your mango daydreams are interrupted by the smiley boy, who surprises you as he places your mug and croissant gingerly in front of you

~and he surprises you further by sitting down across from you and starting a conversation

~“are you new in town? i havent seen you come in the bakery before” his question is amiable and he raises his eyebrows innocently, and you cant help but notice how absolutely brown his eyes are…. they’re lovely

~“oh! not really, i spend every summer here with my grandparents, and i got here just yesterday!” you respond, giving him a smile and stirring your latte as a means to busy yourself

~“ahhh, cool! well, i hope to see you in here a lot this summer! my name is yukhei, by the way. enjoy your croissant!” he smiles warmly at you and then pushes in his chair and leaves, returning your goodbye wave before going back to the counter

~and throughout the rest of the morning, even while you eat your delicious croissant, you can’t rid yourself of the soft smile and the flush that lingers on your face and in your heart, all just because the smiley boy, yukhei, took a little time to meet you

~he probably introduces himself to all the new customers who dine in, you think, and the thought finally removes the blush and soft smile at his actions

~two mornings later you return to the bakery, this time for bread as well as breakfast

~you come a lot earlier than your first visit, so only a few other people are in the cafe, and there’s no one in line

~so you walk up to the register and order two loaves of bread and a muffin from yukhei’s mother, then sit down with your number at the same table and you doze off as you look at the flowers in the vase, still sleepy from having not rested well the previous night

~you snap out of your doze at the sound of a plate being set down in front of you, and your tired eyes look up to see yukhei, his face sleepy like your own, too

~he’s smiling sheepishly at you and he apologizes for waking you up and you tell him it’s okay, dont worry!! but he still apologizes again

~and this time he asks, “is it okay if i sit here for a minute?”, motioning toward the chair across from you

~“of course!” so he seats himself and leans his elbows on the table and rests his chin in his palms

~“i felt bad that i never asked your name,” he begins, “so im glad you came back in… i thought i might not see you again…” he hesitates saying the last part, smiling shyly and slowly moving one hand to rest behind his neck

~you tell him your name and smile shyly too

~“wow! pretty name!” he gives you a big smile, the one from two days ago and the one from the photos, and it makes your heart skip a little beat, because u are quite sure you’ve never seen a smile so pure and radiant on a boy so tall and alluring

~“thank you, yukhei,” and he smiles and leans his chin back into the palm of his hand, and there’s a moment of comfortable silence where the pale early morning sunlight shines on his fluffy hair, his pretty big nose, his shapely lips and his cute eye bags, and you take all of his beauty in

~“there aren’t a lot of young people here,” yukhei says, “so i was so excited when i saw you… no offense to the older people” he laughs and runs a hand through his hair, making it even fluffier and messier, and you laugh with him

~“yeah, most of the people our age have moved out of town, huh?”

~you and yukhei spend fifteen or so minutes talking about the town and what you like about it, getting excited when the other person mentions a place you’re both familiar with

~his mom eventually calls him back to the register once more customers start filing in, and he lingers a moment, still laughing at something you said, before getting up and pushing his chair in… but he hesitates there for a moment, and then says, “i’ll see you tomorrow morning?” with a cute, hopeful expression, and of course you can’t say no to yukhei’s big brown eyes, so you laugh and tell him that you’ll see him tomorrow morning

~and you do see him the next morning

~and the morning after that

~and for the next month, you go to the bakery to see him at least five mornings a week, spending fifteen (or thirty, if his mom is feeling extra sweet) minutes with him talking about your lives, about your own home towns, about the swimming lake

~yukhei tells you about how much he loves baking, how it’s so fun to knead dough and the outcome is so rewarding, how icing cakes is meticulous and exciting as well as frustrating, how baking muffins and cookies is easy and fun

~one morning about a month after you two became friends, yukhei perks up from where he was taking a little nap on the table and practically yells “I FORGOT TO BAKE THE PUMPKIN MUFFINS!!” and you’re like dude????? what should you do? and hes like come on, come help me bake them quickly so my parents dont get mad

~he quickly gets up from the table and grabs your hand in his own, leading you quickly behind the counter and back into the kitchen

~he grabs two aprons from a coat rack on the wall and hands you one, then puts on and ties his own in a few seconds while you’re still standing there confused

~“are you sure it’s okay for me to be back here?” you ask, a bit apprehensive even if yukhei is the son of the owners

~“eyyy, of course. want me to tie that for you?” he gestures toward your apron, and you stutter out a “sure” and hand him the apron

~he was in such a rush a second ago when he tied his own, but this time he’s meticulous, standing close to you and draping the apron carefully over your head, then gently placing his hands on your shoulders to turn you around

~his long fingers quickly tie a bow with the apron strings behind your back, and he mumbles a soft apology when his fingers graze against your back

~the intimate moment is over as soon as it started as yukhei quickly guides you over to a metal countertop and asks you to grab a bowl and a whisk while he prepares the ingredients

~yukhei works surprisingly silently, adeptly and precisely measuring each ingredient and asking you to pour them into the bowl in a specific order as he mixes

~in not ten minutes, you and yukhei finish the prep and put the muffin pan in the oven, then let out a simultaneous sigh and lean back against the counter

~and then you hear yukhei let out a low chuckle

~you look over to find him smiling at you, shaking his head slightly and still chuckling

~“what??” you ask through your own giggling… you can’t help it, his smile and his laughter are just so contagious

~“you’ve got flour all over your apron, and some even in your hair! how did you manage that~” he teases, with nothing but kindness and laughter in his tone, and you look down at yourself and laugh too, because u really did manage to get flour all over yourself

~“here, hold still.” yukhei leans the arm closest to you on the area of the counter directly behind you, then leans in and narrows his eyes, looking at your hair

~you’ve tried so hard not to develop a crush on him throughout the past month because you’ll have to go away in two months anyway and you don’t want to deal with the heartache

~but he makes it so hard even when he’s just sitting across from you talking about how he stubbed his toe on a desk chair right after he woke up that morning, so how, in moments like this one, are you supposed to not fall … hard… for him?

~honestly

~he focuses on gently brushing the flour out of your hair, and while doing so he absentmindedly chews on his bottom lip

~your attention, naturally, is drawn there, and you wonder what his lips taste like

~pumpkin muffins? sugar? coffee? chocolate croissant? cocoa, or maybe even fruit? maybe they taste like those mangoes from the street vendor right outside…

~your attention is drawn away from the taste of his lips (to your dismay) as he leans back and inspects your hair from a further distance away, no longer chewing on his bottom lip (which is now pinker than before, and it makes ur heart beat faster)

~“okayyyyy much better” he says, making finger guns and shooting them at you (complete with “pew pew” sound effects bc this is yukhei)

~you laugh at his silliness and try to laugh off the racing of your heart too, which doesnt work as well as you had hoped

~especially since yukhei, with your permission, is untying your apron and removing it from around your neck, this time not mumbling an apology when his fingers graze your back and the nape of your neck

~yukhei turns to you after hanging up the aprons and thinks for a second before speaking

~“i have tomorrow off” he says, and you nod, listening

~“would you… er, could we hang out?” his hand goes to rub the back of his neck and you internally thank the heavens for it because his arm always looks so good from your angle

~“sure! i was planning on getting some mangoes tomorrow morning from the vendor just outside. should we meet there at the normal time?” you ask, surprised by your own confidence and simultaneously excited at the opportunity to spend a whole day with yukhei

~“yeah! yes! yeah man let’s do it!” his eyes light up and he holds his hands up for you to high five them, and when you do, he briefly tangles his fingers with your own and holds your hands in the air

~and for a moment you’re just holding hands with him and both of you are laughing

~he holds eye contact with you as you let your hands drop and he’s still got his cute grin on his face and his hair is messy and floofy and your tummy is doing somersaults

~that confidence you had just a minute ago??? she is Gone and now you’re standing there kind of nervously, looking a little too often at your fidgeting hands between stealing glaces at yukhei’s pretty features

~you don’t know what else to do or say and yukhei is literally just standing there smiling at you and he’s so close and you feel like something is going to happen and you’re not sure if you’re ready for that so you quickly say that you should get going

~he opens his mouth in an O and after a moment he’s like “oh, yeah, okay” and he becomes a bit awkward too and after a second of standing there quietly, he opens his arms for a hug and smiles shyly at you

~so of course you oblige, wrapping your arms around his surprisingly strong waist and his big hands rest gently on your back

~then you pull away and say goodbye and he walks you out of the kitchen and waves at you as you leave the bakery, still waving even when you’ve turned around and left

~and then he remembers the muffins

~the timer goes off just as you leave the bakery, and he doesn’t hesitate a second, sprinting into the kitchen to take the muffins out of the oven, fumbling to get a muffin out of the pan without burning himself, and snagging a paper bag as he sprints out of the bakery to catch up to you

~you’re just taking your time walking through the street on your way back home when you hear someone yelling your name and all of the people around you turn their heads too, wondering what all this commotion is

~you stop walking and look around, startled until you see yukhei running toward you, his hair going every which way in the breeze and he’s weaving through everyone quickly

~when he comes to a clumsy stop in front of you, he’s panting and he has to lean down and rest his hands on his knees for a second before standing back up and huffing “you forgot… a muffin!” then he smiles and laughs loudly and hands you a paper bag, crumpled from where he was holding it

~you laugh from shock, still startled but so fond as you look at him, panting, his whole face lit up by his unabashed smile

~then, just as quickly as he came, he waves goodbye (after wiggling his eyebrows at you lol) and starts jogging back to the bakery

~”gotta go, my dad’s going to be pissed!” he yells as he weaves through the crowd again

~and you’re left standing there, still taken aback, shaking your head and laughing at the boy who ran after you and ditched his job just to give you a muffin

~it makes you feel special… which yukhei hopes it did!! because you are special to him!!

~and his tummy is fluttering just as much as yours as he runs back to the bakery, sort of proud of himself because he saw the blush in your cheeks and your ears and he saw the way you smiled at him and thinking about it boosts his confidence

~his mood is fantastic for the rest of the day, even after his dad threw a dirty dish rag at him and ruffled his hair for running off

~”yeesh, the things young boys do when they’re in love,” his dad says as he walks out of the kitchen, shaking his head

~in love? yukhei considers those two words all day, finding that they feel and sound write in a sentence with his name and yours, and it makes him grin like a goober at random moments during the day

~you are also grinning randomly all day because u cant stop thinking about his hands holding your back and how nice it would be to run ur fingers through his floofy hair

~and you even think about stealing little kisses, sitting next to him in the grass under the shade of a tree, the wind playing with ur hair and his fingers playing with yours

~that night neither of you sleep very well, and yukhei sets out early to be at the mango vendor because he has too much energy and was getting impatient waiting at home

~on his way into town he picks a bunch of wildflowers, orange and pink and yellow and white, to give to you

~he ends up helping the nice old man who runs the mango stand set up his display and cart and helps him run the stand while he waits for you to arrive

~the old man thinks yukhei is just the greatest young man in town and he gives him a bunch of free mangoes

~so when you arrive a little bit earlier than the agreed time, yukhei quickly bids the nice old man goodbye and walks up to you

~ur cute boy is grinning ear to ear, in one hand holding a bunch of wildflowers that, while still lovely, are beginning to droop, and in another hand he’s got five mangoes

~”hi!” he says, and he tries to wave, but the mangoes just fall out of his hand, and he hangs his head and laughs and you help him pick up the mangoes, taking a few so he doesn’t have to carry them all

~”hey, yukhei,” you respond, smiling back at him and giggling at how excited he seems

~”these are for you!” he hands you the flowers and u laugh again and thank him, telling him that they’re beautiful

~”just like you~” he says, and then he looks down at his feet before looking at you again, embarrassed by his own flirting, but proud of himself because of it too

~you thank him shyly and then you two are on your way, walking down the street, making light conversation about the summer, about the morning songbirds, about all of the street vendors; you laugh at his silly jokes and exclamations and he listens eagerly to your stories about here and about home, laughing at your jokes, too, even when they’re kind of lame :’-)

~eventually you find a bench in a park and you sit next to him, pulling out a bagel sandwich that you cut in half for you two to eat for breakfast, and you eat together, content to just be there in each other’s presence, even when the conversation lulls

~the day is so beautiful: a few fast moving white clouds grace the blue sky, songbirds speak with each other pleasantly from the trees all around, and the soft breeze moves through the park, dancing with the flowers and the grass and the trees, cooling you down and bringing you the subtle scent of the summer morning

~you mention it to yukhei, and he nods in agreement, admiring the lovely morning in the park, pointing out pretty views and cute dogs passing by

~and then he turns to you and looks at you with the same admiration, as if he’s beholding the loveliest sight he’s ever laid his eyes upon

~in fact, that’s exactly the thought going through his head

~and he’s also thinking that he has to tell you today because he doesn’t want to waste any more of the summer without you knowing how he feels

~he stands up, holds a hand out to you, smiles, and tells you to come with him, so you take his hand tentatively and follow his lead

~he walks you across the park, not saying anything, but as he walks he intertwines his fingers in yours and holds your hand tightly, as if he might lose you in a moment

~finally you reach the edge of the park where the grass meets the swimming lake you often visit, but he continues walking, entering a slightly wooded area, making sure you don’t trip on roots or stumps

~when you ask him where you’re going, he just smiles softly and says “you’ll see”

~eventually you reach a small clearing at the edge of the woods; the sun shines onto the little patch of forest, wildflowers like the ones you’re holding surrounding the grassy clearing

~it sits right on the edge of the lake, and your breath hitches in your throat because it’s so beautiful

~yukhei lets go of your hand and walks into the clearing, then turns to face you, smiling, pleased by your reaction

~finally, you manage to say that it’s beautiful, and yukhei nods and takes a deep breath and then rubs the back of his neck

~”i’ve wanted to bring you here for a while now,” he says, and he faces the lake now, watching the dazzling sunlight reflect on the water. “i’m glad you like it.” his voice sounds a little more serious than usual, and you’re a little worried because his smile has faded and he’s watching the water so intently

~you decide not to question him though; you walk over and stand by him and look out at the water too, recognizing points of reference from a different vantage point now

~you’re still admiring the view when he turns to you and abruptly says “i like you. a lot” and then he sighs again and looks back out at the water

~for some reason he thinks you’ll tell him that it won’t work, that you can’t be with him because you live somewhere else, that you aren’t into him like that, so he feels sad and a bit deflated

~until you say “i like you a lot too”

~he’s like “okay, i understand.” cause he wasnt expecting you to say that to him so upfront

~and then a second later his face lights up and he turns to you, his playful, excited grin returning to his face, and he says “wait, seriously??! oh my god! wow!” hes laughing that cute laugh of his and he opens his arms again for a hug, this time not gentle at all as he holds you tightly against his chest and happily sways back and forth, still laughing, burying his uncontrollable smile in your hair

~you’re laughing with him, also hiding your smile against his neck

~he smells like cinnamon and sugar and clean laundry and… home

~home, you find yourself thinking again, this is what home feels like.

~after the bear hug, yukhei takes a mango from his pocket (yes he was keeping mangoes in his pockets) and he also takes a little pocket knife from his pocket and adeptly cuts up a mango, giving you one half to eat, and when you finish eating your half, he gives you the stone to eat the fruit off of too

~yukhei when he gives you the stone: “im only giving this to you because you’re so special to me~”

~you: “oh hush,,” but you’re blushing and u have to look the other way because you don’t want him to see how big you’re smiling

~your attempt is futile though, because he definitely notices and it makes him smile even bigger

~after you two finish the mango, yukhei lays back in the grass and puts his arms behind his head and you watch him, openly admiring his arms and chest and his profile, and when he sees you looking at him he smiles and makes a silly face to make you laugh

~a few minutes pass, you sitting beside him, propped up by your arms with your legs out in front of you, both of you just enjoying the peaceful and beautiful day

~then yukhei sits up beside you, his shoulder nudging against yours, and he leans his face teasingly close to yours at the very moment you look over at him

~he smiles cheekily and watches your cute shocked face for a minute, shamelessly letting his gaze linger on your lips

~but then he leans back again and you look back out to the water in another futile attempt to hide your smile

~”can i lay my head in your lap?” he asks suddenly

~he really just wants to be close to you all the time and he’s trying so hard not to come off too strong right after he confessed to you

~you smile at him and nod and you think about your daydreams from just yesterday… the ones about his hair… about his lips

~he situates himself so that the back of his head lays on your thighs and he’s looking up at you and you get so shy when he says “you’re beautiful”

~again you try to hide your face, this time holding your hands in front of yourself and smiling widely from embarrassment, butterflies playing around in your tummy

~yukhei’s hands come up to yours and he gently pulls them away from your face, resting one of your hands on his chest and holding it in his own and leading your other hand to his hair

~he closes his eyes, smiling softly as you run your hands through his hair

~it’s even softer and fluffier than you imagined and your heart soars when you see how happy he looks, laying in your lap while you play with his hair and massage his scalp

~you two sit like that for a while, unhurried, enjoying the intimacy with each other which you’ve both been thinking about before falling asleep for the past couple weeks

~and then yukhei slowly sits up and sits criss cross beside you and asks you to face him, so you do, sitting criss cross too

~his expression is still so peaceful and content, his pretty lips curved in a small smile and his big, sleepy eyes fondly looking into your own

~again, his gaze falls to your lips, and he watches them for a moment

~and then he brings a hand up to your jaw, gently cupping your face, his thumb rubbing your cheek slowly and softly

~”can i kiss you?” he asks, his deep voice quiet and each word deliberate, and you can’t even get any words out to respond, you just nod and try not to breathe too fast

~he leans in now, and you watch breathlessly as his lips part every so slowly and then in a moment you’ve closed your eyes and his lips are on yours

~and it’s so so much better than you imagined

~his lips are soft and he tastes like mango and the moment his lips touched yours he let out a low hum that made your whole body flush from head to toe

~the kiss is relaxed and sweet, your lips moving slowly in tandem; it doesn’t last very long, but it’s perfect, and he lets out a little sigh when he pulls away and it makes you feel like you must be in heaven... you must have just kissed an angel

~his thought process is exactly the same

~he leans his forehead against yours and whispers “i’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” and you laugh and say “me too”

~in your head, that same thought repeats over and over again

~this is home, you think as you press another chaste kiss against his lips, this really is home.

i hope you enjoyed this! it's quite long, im sorry, ahhhh! shoutout to my gorl ira for coming up with this concept with me!!! 💐☕️💫🌳🌊🍰

357 notes · View notes