Innoncence Found Part 1 (VIXX N)

Pure, unadulterated Sweetness.  *sighs*







When the new coffee shop opened up a block from your studio apartment, you felt like you'd hit the jackpot.  As one of those crazy students in the middle of going for a double Masters, you were in over your head when it came to schoolwork and you were tired of looking at the walls of your apartment.

Some Like It Hot was more than the usual coffee shop.  For one thing, whoever had designed it understood the concept of comfort.  Instead of wooden chairs that would make your butt fall asleep in minutes, there were big, cushy chairs that you could sink into.  Soothing, tranquil art on the walls that made you feel like you were a million miles away.  A huge fireplace overtook one entire wall and every day that you'd been in there, a fire had been blazing away merrily, keeping the biting cold at bay.

You set up in the area you'd deemed your spot.  Right next to one of the windows that overlooked the street, it was a perfect spot for you to people watch when your brain got too full.  Before you could go place your order, a steaming cup was placed in front of you.  You looked up and came face-to-face with him; the other reason why you loved coming to this place.

Cha Hakyeon was the owner.  It was like he'd taken the concept of Coffee Prince and run with it.  Every single guy who worked there was ridiculously hot, but there was something about Hakyeon that absolutely mesmerized you.  You didn't know if it was the sweetness of his smile or his soothing nature, but whatever it was, it was a balm to your overwhelmed soul.

"Here."

You reached over to get your wallet but he shook his head.

"You're in here every day and look like you need something good to happen.  Just pay for the next one, hmm?"

You nodded dumbly, mumbling a quick thank you, which he accepted with a smile.  He patted your shoulder and turned to go back behind the counter.  You watched him go, a sigh escaping your lips.  He was so pretty.  Sometimes when you got there, you'd forget what you were supposed to be doing, engrossed in watching him work.  But you had to shake it off.  You had a major test coming up and needed to ace it.

At the age of twenty-four you were the ultimate nerd.  You'd graduated from high school with a 4.85 GPA and you were close to graduating college with the same.  You'd always been an overachiever, schoolwork more important than a social life.  But now you were getting older.  You'd begun to realize that there was more to life than scholastic achievement and Hakyeon was 99% of that reason.

As ridiculous as it sounded, you'd never had a boyfriend.  You'd never been kissed.  Hell, guys didn't even pay attention to you other than to ask for help with schoolwork.  In the world of dating you were a nonentity.

You opened your notes and lost yourself in history.  You got so lost you didn't realize the time until you felt a tap on your shoulder and looked up.  Hakyeon looked down at you, concern evident on his face.  He wore a coat and had a scarf in his other hand.

"It's closing time."

You scrambled to gather up your things, stuttering an apology as you did so.  You slung your bag over your shoulder and looked outside.  Snow was coming down hard, wind whistling through the streets and it made you shiver looking at it.  You'd stayed much too late and the idea of walking even the block to your apartment made you want to cry.

"Thank you for telling me.  I'm sorry I got in the zone and lost track of time."

Hakyeon smiled as he walked with you to the front door.  He flipped off the lights and held the door open for you.  Once outside, he took hold of your arm, his fingers gentle.

"Wait a sec.  I'll walk you home."

"Oh, no!  That's okay.  I live just down the street."

He just gave you a look, his eyebrow cocked up.

"I'm walking you home."

You bit your lip, but nodded.  His tone had been resolute and you were too cold to argue with him.  You waited as he locked up and turned to head in the direction of your apartment when he was done.  You walked in silence, your hands jammed in your pockets.  The jacket you wore wasn't necessarily suited for the snow storm that surrounded you, but the walk was so short you figured you'd be fine.

A particularly brutal gust of wind hit you, sending your hair in your face and ice down the back of your neck.  You let out an ungodly shriek, your hands coming out of your pockets to try and pull up your collar.

"Here."

Something warm and soft draped around your neck.  Something that smelled of vanilla and spice.  Hakyeon wound the scarf around your neck before stepping back with a smile.  You smiled back, ducking your head as a blush covered your cheeks.  Now you knew what he smelled like and it made something in you ache.

The walk to your apartment was silent, but it wasn't uncomfortable.  You weren't a woman of words and if he had spoken to you, you knew you'd do nothing but stutter and make a fool of yourself.  Instead, you let the silence cloak you, the stillness a balm to you.  All you could hear was the soft hiss of the snow as it fell down around you and the crunch of it under your shoes as you walked.

When you reached your apartment, you reached up to unwind the scarf from your neck and handed it to him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome.  Have a good night."

"You too."

He nodded and turned, walking away, his hands jammed in his pockets with his head down.  The scarf hung from his pocket, dragging on the snow covered sidewalk.  You watched until he disappeared around the corner before pulling out your key and unlocking the door.  You shut the door behind you and trudged up the stairs to your tiny studio.

Once inside you dropped your bag by the door and kicked off your shoes.  Running a hand through your hair, you glanced around at the room, a dejected sigh escaping your lips.  If you'd been asked five years ago what you thought your life would be like, it wasn't this.  Ever since you were a little girl you'd dreamed of being a female Indiana Jones without the guns and things.  Archeology and ancient history had always fascinated you.  You were this close to achieving that dream, but sometimes you wondered if it was worth it.  You'd never lived, so what was the point of escaping into ancient history when you didn't have any history of your own?

Melancholy wasn't something you usually allowed yourself to dwell on, but tonight it seemed to be there no matter what.  You were tired.  And stressed.  Mostly tired.  You wished you had some way to relieve the pressure inside of you, but you were at a complete loss as to how to do it.   Studying was done for the night, so you settled down with a book, needing some sort of escape.

The next day you went back.  The snowstorm had ended just as abruptly as it had begun and the city was coated in beautiful white powder.  As you walked, you let out a breath, watching as it crystallized before disappearing.  You'd always loved the winter.  There was something about the pure whiteness of snow that made you feel like every day was starting anew.  And it made your heart happy.

You pulled open the door of Some Like It Hot and walked in, a skip to your step.  You couldn't wait to see Hakyeon again.  The disappointment was almost shattering when you saw Hongbin manning the counter, but you bit your lip and put down your things.  When you walked up to the counter, Hongbin smiled at you, his dimples flashing.

"If it isn't the chronic scholar!  Would you like your usual today?"

"Yes, please."

"One vanilla chai latte coming up!"

He took your money and turned to start it up.  You moved to the other end of the counter and waited, drumming your fingers against the marble.  You really wanted to ask where Hakyeon was, but didn't feel like you had the right. 

"Here you go!"

He slid the mug over to you, the whipped cream on top already melting.

"Thank you."

He nodded with a smile and you went to sit down.  You opened up your notes and tried to get to work, but not having Hakyeon there bugged you.  Every day for the last two weeks you'd been going there; ordering your vanilla chai latte and sighing over how pretty he was.  Today was the first day without him and honestly, you were feeling kind of lost.

It got so bad you finally resorted to headphones.  Maybe music drowning out the silence would make it go better?   Massive Attack began playing in your ears, the beat enough to get your mind in the zone.  After the debacle of the night before, you'd made sure to set an alarm on your phone, not wanting to be the last one there...again.

When the beeping went off in your ear, it startled you enough that your pen dropped out of your hand, rolling across the table and clattering on the floor.  With a curse you stood up and bent down to grab it, but another hand was already there.  Your gaze went up the long arm to a face you'd begun to know better than your own.  You watched his lips move but couldn't hear him.

"What?"

He rolled his eyes and lifted a hand, pulling one of the buds out of your ear.

"I said, it's nice to see you today.  No ill effects from the cold last night?"

You straightened up, stuffing the pen in your bag.

"No, I'm okay.  Thank you again for lending me your scarf."

"It's no problem.  I was planning on being in earlier this morning, but my dog had to go into the vet."

"Oh, no!  Is it okay?"

He chuckled, straightening up with a nod.

"Yes, he's fine.  He decided that my garbage can looked like a good place to get food and got into something he shouldn't have."

"Oh, dear."

"How's the studying going?"

You picked up your notes, closing the notebook and shoving it into your bag with your other things.

"It's okay.  A lot to handle, but I'm tough.  I'll get through it.  Only a month to go and I'll graduate."

He grinned, his hand coming out to cover yours where it rested on the table.

"That's wonderful news!  Maybe when it's over, you'll let me take you to dinner?  To celebrate?"

You froze, your mouth gaping open slightly.  Did you just hear him correctly?  Did the guy you'd been crushing on for the last two weeks actually ask you out?  No, you had to have heard him wrong!

"Um..."

He lifted his hand off yours and stepped back, his demeanor changing from friendly to a bit cooler.  You shook your head, your hand reaching out to him when you realized he'd misunderstood.

"No!  I mean, yes!  I'd love to celebrate with you!"

The grin that came to his face took your breath away.

"Excellent!  Just let me know when your finals are over and we'll go out.  May I have your phone number?"

You pulled the other bud out of your ear and disconnected your headphones before holding your phone out to him.  He snickered, but typed in a number and then pushed the call button.  When his phone went off, he pulled it out of his pocket and disconnected.

"Now we have each others.  I'll see you tomorrow."

With that he walked way, leaving you feeling horribly befuddled and bewildered.  What had just happened?

A month later and you still felt bewildered, but in a good way.  Hakyeon had texted you the night you'd given him your number, asking how your day was.  Telling you he looked forward to seeing you the next day.  That he couldn't wait to take you out to celebrate your graduation.  You'd responded, not quite as eloquently as he had, but enough to show your interest.  Two days after you'd started texting, he called right before you went to bed and you spent three hours talking about anything and everything.  You were completely overwhelmed by him, but you never wanted that feeling to go away.

The Saturday after your finals was D day.  Your first date ever and you were a nervous wreck.  You'd pulled out the only dress you owned, thankfully something tasteful and classic, but it didn't feel quite first date special enough.  But you didn't have any extra money to buy a new one, so you made do.  You'd left your hair loose around your shoulders, your bangs pulled back and clipped with a pretty barrette.  Makeup light and subtle and pretty dangling earrings you'd gotten years ago on vacation.

You'd never really thought of yourself as impatient, but as the hours ticked by, each one seemingly slower than the last, you thought you'd lose your mind.  You'd worn a trail into the floor, pacing from one side to the other.  The room had never seemed so small as it did in those long hours.  By the time the door buzzed you were so agitated you thought you'd lose your mind.  You buzzed him up and waited by the door, your fingers tight on the knob.

Before he'd even reached the door, you'd pulled it open.  His eyes opened wide, eyebrows shooting up.  You had your jacket on and your shoes slipped on before he could say a word.

"You ready?"

A smile came over his lips, but he just nodded his head, his hand coming up to cup your elbow.  He led you down the stairs to the street and stopped before going any further.

"You look beautiful."

You glanced down at yourself and shook your head.  If anyone looked beautiful, it was him.  Black slacks, a deep red sweater that showed off his coloring, white collar of his shirt a stark contrast to his sun-kissed skin.  A black leather jacket over it all, making him look downright delicious.  You, on the other hand, were anything but.

"Thank you," you stuttered out.  "You do too."

You wanted to die on the spot, but all he did was chuckle softly as he led you down the street.

"Do you like Italian?  There's this great little restaurant not far from my shop.  Would you like to go there?"

"Yes, please."

The walk wasn't very far and when you reached the restaurant, he slid your coat off before holding out your chair.  You sank into the seat, moving forward when he pushed it in.  He sat down after taking off his jacket and smiled at you.  Before conversation could start, you were presented with a wine list.  Since you'd never had wine before, you were completely lost.  Hakyeon must have realized it because he asked for a bottle of something you'd never heard of before.

Once you were alone, he began to talk, asking you questions about your schoolwork, about you, about your likes.  You'd never had someone so interested in what you had to say and you were at a bit of a loss.  But as time progressed and the food arrived, you'd gotten comfortable enough to start asking him questions.

The conversation was really beginning to flow by the time dessert came around.  Hakyeon ordered a tiramisu that just about killed you it was so good.  You told him how you'd applied for a position in Greece.  That you were worried you'd get turned down due to lack of actual work history.  Hakyeon listened to your worries before leaning over and clasping both of your hands in his.

"Whatever happens, I'll be there for you."

You looked down at his hands, his long fingers warm against your skin.  You wanted to turn your hands over; to clasp his fingers in yours, but you couldn't.  Not yet.

"Thank you, Hakyeon, but you don't even know me."

"I'm getting to know you.  I've seen your dedication over the last month and half as you've studied your ass off.  I can see the passion on your face when you talk about your dream job.  So, in a sense, I do know you.  And I want to get to know you even more."

"But why?"

He didn't answer, just stared at you, his gaze warm and direct.  You could feel your cheeks getting flushed and went to pull your hands back so you could cover them, but he held on tight.

"You have no idea that I like you, do you?"

"Like me?  As in a friend?"

He chuckled softly, before lifting up one of your hands and pressing the back of it against his lips.  You could feel his breath ghosting over your skin, sending goosebumps down your back.  He held your hand there for a long moment, his eyes drifting shut.  When he opened them again, there was an emotion that shown from there.  Something you'd never seen before.

"From the moment you walked into my shop, I've wanted to talk to you.  You were so adorably clueless, your head in your books.  How you can be so smart and yet so completely oblivious is beyond me, but you are."

"Hey, now!"

He pressed another kiss to your hand, before lowering it back to the table.  He kept his grip firm, not letting you go.

"Take a walk with me?"

The abrupt switch in conversation had you reeling, but you nodded.  He stood up and came around to help you to your feet.  He draped your jacket over your shoulders, pulling your trapped hair out of the collar before you could.  He paid the bill and after slipping on his coat, he reached out and took your hand.

The walk started out as a slow meander.  The snow had long since melted, leaving behind a crispness that made your breath fog as you walked.  Hakyeon held your hand close to his body, your arm constantly bumping into his as you walked.  You seemed to be the only two people in the world, the street completely empty but for the two of you.

You reached a fountain, one of many in the parks around the area.  It was silent, the water turned off for the winter months, but it was still beautiful.  Hakyeon stared at it, his eyebrows furrowed.  You risked a peek at him, wondering what he was thinking.

"Hakyeon?"

He glanced at you, his face smoothing out into a smile.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded, his other hand coming up to cup your cheek.  His fingers slid along your cheek, down over your jaw, to the back of your neck.  You stared at him, no clue what he was doing.  When his head started to lower, you got a clue.  Your eyes snapped shut and you scrunched up your face, nerves on fire.  His lips ghosting over the tip of your nose was not what you expected and your eyes popped open to see him millimeters away from your face.

"What are you doing?"

He kissed your nose again, his fingers rubbing soothing circles into the back of your neck.  You hadn't realized how tensed you'd gotten until you relaxed.

"Have you ever been kissed before?"

"Um...no?"

"That you had to end that on a question tells me you haven't."

"You'd be right," you whispered, a hint of shame coming over you.  You really were hopeless.

"Hey, look at me."

You did, those beautiful chocolate brown eyes that made you feel like you were the most beautiful woman in the world, right there in front of you.  He leaned in again, his lips pressing softly against yours.  You blinked, not knowing what to do with yourself.  Your one hand was clasped tightly in his, but your other hand just hung limp at your side.

He pulled back and shook his head.  You knew you had to have a weird expression on your face, because he let go of your hand and reached up to tap the end of your nose gently.

"Let's do this again, hmm?"

You nodded dumbly, your eyes blinking so many times it felt like they'd fall right out of your head.  He pulled you close so that his mouth was right next to your ear.

"Close your eyes.  Don't think so much.  Just...feel."

You did as he asked, closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths.  You were so nervous and so in your head you couldn't enjoy the moment.  It was embarrassing that he'd realized that, but at the same time it was very reassuring.  It meant he was focused on you and your needs.

This time, he kept his movements to almost a glacial pace.  The one hand at your neck, moving in soothing circles.  The other cupping your cheek, thumb brushing over the apple of your cheek.  You could feel the warmth of his body so close to yours.

"Put your hands on my waist."

You did, feeling the solid muscle even under all of his layers.  You slid your hands under his jacket, the wool of his sweater scratchy against your palms.

His lips brushed over your forehead.  Each eyelid, his lips ghosting over them so gently you barely felt it.  The tip of your nose, making you scrunch up because it tickled.  The curve of each cheek, the smile on his lips evident.

When he reached your lips, you were ready.  You kept your mouth relaxed, moving to his cues.  His lips brushed over yours; once, twice, three times.  No pressure, no tongue.  You sighed, your hands fisting in his sweater.  You needed something more.  You didn't know what you needed, you just knew you needed something.

And he gave it to you.  The fingers brushing over your cheek slid behind your ear, tilting your head slightly to the side.  The pressure of his lips against yours firmed, the wetness of his tongue sliding over your lips.  It happened three times before you realized what it meant and opened for him.  His tongue slid between your lips, brushing over your teeth.  He tasted of vanilla and mint, an intoxicating combination on your tongue.

The moan escaped you at the way he made you feel.  As his tongue flicked over the tip of yours, enticing you, your hands slid over his back, pulling him closer to you.  Instinct had taken over and you were going with it.

As a first kiss, it was everything you'd ever dreamed of.  It was that one moment that would be crystal clear in your mind, like a fossil long preserved.  And it was pure in its innocence in a way that you never would have expected.  And it was good.