Cheeks

The ringing bell, signaling the arrival of a new visitor, forced Namjoon to be distracted from the fascinating reading of the book. Leaving a bookmark in the form of a caramel candy wrapper on the last page, which he never had time to read, the alpha put the binding aside and walked out from behind the counter. Near the rack with novels stood a short omega, from whom a light aroma of delicate cream wafted. On his light coat there were wet spots from raindrops, and his damp hair, its color reminiscent of silver, fell onto his forehead in barely noticeable curls. Inhaling the pleasant smell of sweetness and street cold, Namjoon involuntarily admired his customer, who was intently wandering around the bookshelves with his eyes, barely furrowing his neat eyebrows and pursing his plump lips, like the petals of ripe pink peonies. The omega himself resembled a marshmallow, so soft that you wanted to cuddle him like a little kitten. “Hello, can I help you”, Namjoon asked, looking up from contemplating someone else’s beauty. “Hello,” the visitor answered, shuddering. “You scared me”. “Oh, sorry,” the alpha smiled and extended his hand to the omega. “I didn’t want to scare such a charming omega. I’m Kim Namjoon and I’m ready to answer any question you have about my store and books.” “Nice to meet you, Kim Namjoon, and I’m Park Jimin,” the guy smiled kindly, answering the light handshake. “Since you volunteered to help me, then tell me where I can find Impatience Of The Heart by Stefan Zweig?” “An excellent choice,” Namjoon nodded and disappeared behind the next shelf, leaving the visitor alone. Jimin looked around. A small room filled with cabinets full of a wide variety of books, divided into categories; warm light pouring from chandeliers similar to English lanterns; green ficus trees standing on wooden window sills; an old piano nestled in the corner between large windows hung with chocolate curtains; the unobtrusive aroma of coffee emanating from a tall alpha in a beige sweater and cute glasses that emphasized his expressive eyes that seemed like pieces of pure amber; a small counter made of dark wood, on which stood a bowl of caramel candies — it was all so cozy that Jimin wanted to stay in the small book world and drink cocoa with marshmallows, listening to Namjoon’s magical voice, whose timbre enveloped his ears with some inexplicable warmth. Lost in thought, the omega did not notice how the alpha returned. Having woken up only after the weightless touch of a strong palm on his shoulder, Jimin saw in the hands of the seller the very book he had come for. “It was in a single copy, the rest were taken apart,” Namjoon explained politely, handing the soft cover to Park, who ran his fingertips over the cover, which showed a young couple: a man in a military uniform and a young girl in a light summer dress. “Lovely,” Jimin breathed, looking into the eyes opposite, which were so radiant with kindness. “I take”. “Okay, anything else?” “I think not,” the guy gave the book back so the seller could pack it. Going behind the counter, Namjoon took out craft paper and white ribbon. “Help yourself to some sweets,” the alpha nodded at the vase. “Thank you,” Jimin smiled and, taking a couple of pieces, unwrapped one and threw it into his mouth, enjoying the pleasant taste. Accidentally catching his eye on a book lying on the counter, Puck raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Tell me, is this book for sale?”, He pointed to the one he liked. “Oh no, this is mine,” Namjoon looked at the omega, who literally lit up at the sight of the book. “Where were you able to get it? I’ve been looking for it for several months now and can’t find it, it was a limited edition,” Jimin asked, still in surprise. “The author of the book is my friend, so I was able to ask him for one copy for myself,” the alpha deftly wrapped the novel in paper, carefully sealing the corners with tape with cats. “It’s great to have writers as friends,” Jimin sighed frustratedly. “That’s true,” Namjoon agreed, tying the book with ribbon. Suddenly the bell rang. The room was filled with a calm melody, like a winter lullaby. Taking out his phone from his coat pocket, Jimin walked to the window and answered the call. Namjoon did not listen to someone else’s conversation, he only glanced furtively at the omega who had become so beloved to his heart with his boundless charm. Alf still had the desire to touch the soft cheeks, which only resembled baked buns. When Jimin returned to the counter, Namjoon handed him a small paper bag with paws, closed with white paper clips. Having paid, Park was about to leave, but was stopped by Namjoon’s hand. “It’s raining outside, let me see you out,” the man asked, momentarily touching his palm, the skin of which seemed like the most delicate fluff. Turning to the glass doors, Jimin noticed large drops flowing down in a race. “It’s really raining,” the omega nodded. “I will be glad to see your company”. Smiling joyfully, Namjoon took his coat from the hanger and, throwing it over his shoulders, turned off the light in the store. Taking out a transparent umbrella from a small cabinet, the alpha handed it to Jimin and told him to go out. Park went outside and immediately opened his umbrella, saving himself and the book from the chilly drops while Namjoon closed the door. The man looked so funny trying to get the key into the hole that Jimin couldn’t help but chuckle quietly, which went unnoticed. Having finally managed, Namjoon went up to the omega and took the umbrella from him so that it would be more convenient for him to carry the bag in his hands. “Where we are going?”, asked the alpha. “To that house,” Jimin pointed with his hand to a new building across the road. “Fine”. The sun was not visible in the gray sky, only bulky clouds overtook every piece of land, pouring icy rain. The tops of slender trees, planted on both sides of the asphalt, swayed in the light wind. Bright red leaves, as if spinning in a slow waltz, fell to the ground, falling into small puddles and floating through them like serene boats. The aroma of wet asphalt and freshness settled in the lungs, mixing with the smells of coffee and cream. The tips of his fingers and nose were red from the cold, and his hair was barely noticeable. Not far away, people were scurrying across the bridge, hurrying somewhere, covering themselves with umbrellas, bags and hoods from unwanted moisture. On the way, Jimin and Namjoon did not meet anyone; apparently, no one wanted to walk through the small park in the rain. During a fascinating conversation about the importance of reading detective stories, the omega did not notice that it was quite crowded for the two of them to walk under one umbrella, and therefore Namjoon tilted the small shelter towards Jimin so that he would not inadvertently get wet. Large cold drops hit the material and the man’s face, but he continued to listen to Jimin’s thoughts and never stopped talking. “Detectives develop thinking very well. That is, when you read it and begin to think about the culprit of the whole situation, thinking through every outcome, at this time the brain is activated and develops in the mental plane. By the way, why is your umbrella transparent?” “I really like looking at the sky. It doesn’t matter what it is: cloudy, clear, night — I just love to see different pictures on it every time. Sunrises, sunsets, figures from the clouds, countless stars — all this fascinates me. And until a certain moment, nothing attracted me more than the sky. I like to see beauty in everything, but the sky always seemed like something especially beautiful”, Namjoon shared, stopping near the desired house. “What moment?”, Jimin was curious, not wanting to interrupt the conversation. “Meeting you and your cheeks,” the alpha grinned cheerfully, watching the embarrassed omega, whose cheeks and lips were filled with blush. “This is the first time I’ve seen people’s lips turn red out of embarrassment.” “It happens”, Jimin smiled, again drowning in someone else’s amber eyes that looked at him studyingly. “What attracted you to my cheeks?” “They seem so soft, like marshmallows or a bun. I want to cuddle,” Namjoon admitted, looking down at the floor, a little embarrassed by his revelation. “Squeeze,” the omega came a little closer, squeezing the bag tighter in his hands and trying not to melt into a pink puddle at the mere sight of the embarrassed man, who now looked like a big bear cub. Namjoon was confused for a second when he heard Jimin’s words, but he immediately pulled himself together and, with the palm free from the umbrella, touched the guy’s soft cheek, melting from the touch. This omega seemed to be plush; the alpha had never seen such tenderness anywhere else. Gently poking his cheek with his index finger, Kim almost jumped with delight that filled him at that moment. A sea of admiration flooded my soul. Jimin inspired peace and exciting sparks that scattered throughout the body with a pleasant tingling sensation. Namjoon was about to squeak when he lightly squeezed the soft cheek with two fingers. The happy smile never left his face, and his eyes shone brighter than any star. Jimin, as if spellbound, watched the tender alpha and simply melted, looking at the charming dimples appearing on the alpha’s cheeks when he smiled. This large man seemed like a small child who had been bought his favorite ice cream. “I’m about to burst from cuteness”, Namjoon breathed, removing his hand. “Who will I go to for books then?”, Jimin chuckled. “I bequeath my store to you in exchange for you letting me crush your cheeks,” the alpha said in a serious tone, placing his hand on his heart. “I agree,” Puck laughed and brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen on his forehead. “Will you come for tea? Coffee? Cocoa? Juice? Water?” “What a good assortment you have,” the man grinned and looked at his wristwatch. “I have to refuse, my mother is coming to see me today, I have to have time to prepare dinner”. “Oh my God, how cute this is!”, Jimin exclaimed. “Then run home quickly and please your mother with delicious food. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you”. “Thank you,” Namjoon smiled again. “I want to compensate for my refusal with a date. What do you say?” “I will say that I agree. You just need to specify the time and place”. “Call me when it’s convenient for you”. “I don’t have your number”. “You have”. “Where?” “It’s just there,” Namjoon shrugged and, from Having given the umbrella to the omega, he waved goodbye to him and ran away, hiding himself from the rain with his hands. Shocked, Jimin hurried to go home to quickly warm up. Having undressed, the guy went into the kitchen and, taking scissors, cut the top of the bag to get his book. But along with the packed package, he pulled out the very book he had talked about with Namjoon. A light book in a hard cover with an image of a man holding a white mask on his face, and an interesting title in italics Litsedeev Theater. The detective that Jimin had been dreaming about since it came out, but couldn’t find it. And now his cherished desire is in his hands. Opening the first page, the omega saw a small card attached to a paper clip, on which was written “For Park Jimin from Kim Namjoon. You can find my number on the sticker on the wrapper of your purchase :)” Smiling happily, Jimin ran his nose over the white pages, which carried the same aroma of fresh paper and a light veil of coffee smell that remained from the previous owner. Clutching the book to his chest, Jimin dreamily raised his gaze to the ceiling, knowing that he would not miss this alpha.