Perpetual Rain ✓

Vanilla

"What are you doing?" Taehyung questioned as his body whirled back around to face you.

"Getting my wallet...?" You said, your tone dripping with confusion as to why he would even ask that and your knitted brows reflecting the same.

Without a word, he thrust one of the two large white coffee cups he held out toward you. Your eyes darted to the cardboard cup and back up to him, unsure of his actions. What was he playing at?

"You said it was your preferred drink." His words uttered simply, almost in a matter of fact tone. 

"Yeah...?"

"Here."

"Oh, no. That's fine! I can get my own." You attempted to respectfully decline. Free things always made you feel guilty, not to mention from a stranger. 

"Are you really going to make me waste an extra cup?" The gaze in his dark obsidian eyes becoming a bit colder. Were you supposed to be afraid of angering him? 

"Uh..." A mutter from under your breath, his daunting gaze caused you to swallow your empty throat. 

"Take it." He insisted with no signal that he'd back down from the offer, his eyes boring holes in you as he remained firm, like a statue in a museum strong in its convictions. But, it was just a cup of coffee.

"At least let me pay you for it." Caving, you held your wallet up to showcase before prying it open in attempts to get a few bills free.

He shook his head, his brown locks rattling about for a moment before he more or less forced the cup into your hands, leaving you in a soft sense of surprise. 

"Pay me back by drinking it with me." He suggested, though it sounded more like an order.

Overwhelmed, you felt a ping of guilt and a soft mixture of fear. It wasn't often people were so kindly forceful with you, but you also didn't want to disrespect the offer and waste the drink. This man did help you out yesterday and the place was populated... what could it hurt?

"O-Okay." You sputtered as you took the cup into your hands, shifting it to your right as you tucked your wallet away into your bag.

Taehyung led the way, picking a seat near the front counter just beside a fogged window that led to the outside world. He claimed the right side of the table that faced the entrance and you occupied the left.

Setting your cup down you pulled your bag's strap from your shoulder and hung it on the corner of the chair before pulling it out. The metal legs scraped against the floor as you made room to let your body lower into the plush cushion. There you sat, directly across from this strange man you had met only yesterday. What were you to do?

You wrapped your fingers around the cup, letting its warmth radiate through the curved cardboard takeout container and heat your chilled fingers. Your chipped, painted nails tapped against the cup nervously. You clearly weren't the manicured princess that people strive to be in today's world. 

He raised the cup to take a sip of the white chocolate mixture. Lowering it, his tongue rolled across his lips, savoring the aftertaste. You averted your eyes to your own cup at that sight, you didn't want to stare.

"Well... what do you think?" You decided to ask in an attempt to break the bone-crushing silence as you kept your gaze locked on your own fingers.

"It kind of tastes like a melted vanilla milkshake." He stared down at the cup in his wonder of the flavor, unsure if he enjoyed it or not.

"I told you." You said softly with a smile as you followed suit and took a drink soon after.

"Y/N." Taehyung called out your name. Your head snapped up at the sound. You were sure you had never heard your name called in such a lulled tone before, at least not by a stranger.