07:54.

juxtapositional to the misty darkness of the previous and dream-like night, morning was met with a milky sun aligning a luminous strip against the dusty, pale-blue clouds, complemented by the busying sounds of rushing cars and people down below from her balcony view.

dulled conversations flitted in and out of her hearing, from her elevated perspective, providing a sense of habitual serenity in this unfamiliar town. her lips blew against her warm drink. roma's skin relaxed and softened at the sensation of the gentle breeze.

her eyes closed, the heavy weight diminishing.

the sun shone. its bright, yellowing rays ignited the streets, its full presence protuberant against the early, aqua-blue sky.

roma sighed; a continuous action that was slowly beginning to become a habit of hers.

the cup of coffee held within her slender hands provided a comfort to her. the soft wind fluttered her white blouse, the garment casually slung over her graceful shoulders feeling smooth against her skin.

she took her last gulp, the warm liquid reminiscent of the bright air of the lasting days. roma shut her eyes, again, momentarily, savouring the gentle nature of the wind.

ambling with bare feet across the concrete tiles and back into her small flat, she had almost forgotten about the events that had entailed the night before. although, she was reminded as she meandered carefully through her not-so-spacious living room, placing the mug on the countertop of the kitchen table and pulling her hair up into a pony-tail.

the boy, baekhyun, was fast asleep, snoring lightly, bare arms and legs sprawled out and spilling over the edge of the venerable sofa, hair draped messily across his forehead.

with the presence of the light pouring in through the french doors, his features were illuminated; delicate and innocent in the morning sun. he was shining, sparkling, almost. last night, he'd seemed so dark, so menacing and cold. his leather jacket and motorcycle boots he'd adorned had created a dangerous perception of him.

but now, in the morning sunshine, he looked angelic. angelic. surreal, almost. the word sounded bizarre, unfitting, playing over in her mind, the idea baffling her. she hardly knew him.

and yet, here he was.

in her flat.

and she didn't know what to do.

the entire setting was strangely beautiful, she decided. maybe, anyway. she tilted her head, admiring the image of him resting so peacefully, breaths leaving his body in short convulsions. his chest heaved up and down, his bare face still a mesmerising feature of her mismatched morning, contrasting to the harshness of previously dark, midnight streets.

she gaped at how the sun-lit rays of light brought out the dark shadows of his characteristics.

roma, deciding that she should just wait for him to wake himself up, wandered over to her kitchen counter, placing more hot water into the coffee pot, in preparation. she felt reposed, as she leant against the table-top, feeling the heavy weight of her eyelids in contact with her skin.

low rumbling vibrations flooded the tiny, enclosed kitchen space, emanating from the coffee machine. roma tried to remain calm. tried to maintain her steady breathing and numbed thoughts, thinking only of her next cup of coffee and of the blazing and colourful streets down below.

just as she was pouring the coffee, a grumble from the other room resounded;

the sound of the sofa creaking; the sound of feet scraping the laminate flooring. roma's ears perked up at the unfamiliar occurrences. she wasn't used to having others in her flat, let alone a stranger.

her heart beat harder; thudding against her rib cage.

unsure of what to do in such a situation, she bit her lip, breathing in deeply, and grabbed two of the full cups of coffee she'd just prepared. bravely, she treaded across the linoleum, eyes fixated on the doorway leading towards his prior sleeping figure.

cautiously, roma peered around the corner, careful to grip tightly onto the two mugs. she attempted to remain inconspicuous, not entering the room completely.

the sun's rays lit a path from the french doors leading up to him.

"ah, fuck."

she could just about make out his figure.

he exhaled a deep sigh of breath, running a hand through his dishevelled hair as he lifted himself up from his reclined position. the repetition of his words from last night's events caught her attention; made her breath become shorter.

she was unsure of what to do next, whether to approach him or not. the boy didn't look menacing in the slightest, unlike last night, particularly due to the shining, pale light of the early dawn seeping in through the fluttering curtains.

he had on only his boxers and a white t-shirt. the muscles of his arms and legs were prominent; his hair fell forward onto his forehead.

the sight made her heart thump ever-so slightly.

his head rested in his hands as he rubbed his eyes, attempting to shield them from the light pouring in.

roma was immobile, stuck on the spot, the heat of the coffee mugs starting to sear uncomfortably within her cupped hands. she breathed in deeply, shutting her eyes briefly.

the boy, with a heave and a weighted sigh, hoisted himself up from the couch. once standing, his eye-line began to drift around the exterior of her living room, squinting slightly. he treaded softly, just as she had been.

he continued on his path, stopping right where she'd been only moments ago. his arm allowed him to lean against the french doors leading out to the balcony.

she sucked in a sharp intake of breath. watching, she couldn't help but notice how the sun's light lit-up his entirety. dark brown strands of hair fluttered along with the softening wind.

bravely--or rather, mostly out of not knowing how to act or what to do--roma stepped forward, using her elbow to prop open the door, the creaking sound alerting the boy.

he turned. facing her.

his piercing dark-brown eyes bore into hers. he looked so delicate, so easily breakable, so different from the way she'd remembered him. with the dark colours of his attire gone and replaced with the pale white, he looked vulnerable, even.

she coughed, shaking her head of all thoughts. gripped the cups even tighter.

"um," she began, voice stuttering. you're an idiot, she told herself. "good morning."

in contrast to her shaking and evident nerves, he didn't appear phased in the slightest. his eyes brought back a flood of images from the dark memories of last night. how frightened he had then seemed; how his body had convulsed uncontrollably and how helpless he had been, with no self-awareness of his surroundings.

but now.

now, he was just staring at her. perhaps events such as this were a regular occurrence to him. not that anything at all had happened between the two of them last night; she'd simply offered him a place to sleep, to rest from whatever it was that had caused him to be found in such a state as he had been.

roma opened her mouth to speak again, but he beat her to it, silencing her.

"good morning," he smiled.

she swore that, as his lips curled up at the corners and as he uttered those familiar words with that unfamiliar deep and husky voice, the sun shone more brilliantly, illuminating his face.

she had to catch her breath for a moment; repose herself.

"i made you some c-coffee," roma stammered. without wanting to embarrass herself further, she stumbled over to the small, living-room table, careful not to trip, placing the drink down for him.

"thank you," he beamed weakly, voice softer and deeper.

roma was supposed to feel awkward. or, at least, worried and uncomfortable with a complete stranger in her apartment. and yet, she wanted him to speak more. to tell her what to do next, as she had no clue whatsoever.

"did you sleep well?" she asked.

he was walking slowly back to his made-up bed, towards the coffee, feet patting across the tiles. with an elegant gesture, he picked up the mug and took a sip before answering.

"good, thanks," was all he said, taking a few more tentative sips.

the boy seemed an illusion. and she knew that that was a weird thing to think, but the attitude of his stance and the fluidity to each of his movements suggested otherwise. who was he? she asked herself for what seemed like the hundredth time.

she didn't know this boy, and yet, each of his slow-moving actions left her breathless and desperate for more air.

"so, um, do you--do you, like, have s-somewhere to go now, or after this, or...?"

she trailed off, heat flushing to her cheeks. roma silently cursed herself.

he laughed lightly, causing even further embarrassment for her.

"bored of me already, love?" he joked, laughing again.

roma wasn't sure if she possibly could have redder cheeks than she did at that moment. in one sense, she was mad at how comfortable and at ease he was in such a situation, and how fumbling and clumsy she was.

"no, it's just," she started, "um, i thought that, maybe--"

"don't worry, love. i'll be off soon."

roma was startled at his abrupt response. she observed as he drained his coffee, his tongue poking out slightly to wet his lips once he'd finished.

she breathed.

suddenly, she spoke, without thinking.

"were you okay last night? what even happened?"

the question appeared to make him stop in his tracks.

body weight shifted from one foot to another as he paused momentarily, seemingly unsure of how exactly to respond. he bit his lip in thought.

"i just felt a bit dizzy, and must have passed out, i think. bit too much to drink."

he smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head, but she could sense an aura of tension. she could sense the darkness flitting past his eyes; the hidden something that he wasn't willing to tell.

"oh, right."

roma wasn't sure what to respond, either. she twisted her hands together, wanting to be able to articulate something sensible to the boy stood in front of her.

"but anyway, thanks for letting me stay. really appreciate it."

roma replied with the sweetest smile she could manage to muster, although it came out more as a plain nod in recognition.

"no worries," she said. her voice barely audible above a whisper as the full realisation of what was happening to her sunk in.

what was she doing?

he finished his coffee and placed the cup down. roma envied how graceful and fluid his movements were. even placing a mug onto a table appeared elegant as he carried out the action.

"well, i suppose i'll be on my way, then."

roma nodded, and she couldn't for the life of her understand why her heart was fluttering or why she didn't want him to leave.

just as if her apartment was his own, he placed the mug on the kitchen counter as he walked past, disappearing through the doorway towards the bathroom. she could hear the water running, could hear the sound of him coughing.

all these mundane sounds. so unlike what she was used to.

out of needing a distraction, she wandered over to the kitchen sink and started washing up. why she felt this sudden emptiness at the thought of him leaving and being alone again, she didn't know.

but by that point, he'd returned, face fresh, jeans and leather jacket back on, standing at the doorway with an almost-smirk.

"thank you, again. for letting me stay."

his voice was deep and resonated from within and made her lips form a small smile.

he pulled on his black, motorcycle boots.

he opened the front door.

roma's heart beat.

"roma, was it?"

she couldn't remember whether she'd introduced herself before, but it sort of didn't matter. not right now, anyway, when the door was ajar and he had one foot already outside.

"yes," she spoke breathily.

the door was being held open. the sunlight pouring in.

"see you around, roma."

with that, he was gone.

//