The awakening scent of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air of your apartment. It was an odd time to be making coffee, too late in the day in most people’s opinion, but perhaps not for avid coffee connoisseurs or people who needed a midafternoon pick-me-up. To some people, the best time for coffee was all the time, and on some days that was the case for you, but not particularly today.
You made sure to make your bed neatly and pull the blinds on your window to let all the natural light in to let your plants thrive for once in a while. But none of that seemed to matter as you took the completed pot off the burner to pour it in your favorite mug and add all of your fixings. Today was a special day because it was the one day a week you planned to have a remote coffee date with your boyfriend. Today was a special occasion and distance was rough. You had your laptop set up on your desk, a cozy blanket already set on your chair just the way he had asked you. It was looming closer and closer to your meeting time, setting off the butterflies in your stomach like a million fireworks.
Having to spend so much time away from him took a huge toll at first. After becoming accustomed to always being around at the drop of a hat, the distance really hit hard. It took some working on, but the two of you found multiple ways of enjoying each other’s company without physically being in each other’s company. You looked forward to your weekly plans, whether that was meeting him remotely for coffee, or having a movie night over the computer, sometimes even doing something that resembled a get ready with me. If you could see his face, and hear his voice, for the most part that was good enough for you and you would take what you could get.
So, you moseyed to your room and set your steaming mug against the table while you finessed the cozy blanket he’d set you over your shoulders and settled into your chair. The time was ticking closer and closer, so you took a couple of deep breathes to compose yourself before noticing the ringing icon in the bottom corner of your screen. It really could only be one person, so you smiled at it affectionately before clicking to accept the call.
The camera lagged for a second, but once Juyeon popped up in pixelated glory on your screen, you were as content as could be. He spent a few quick seconds shaking out his hair before making eye-contact with the camera, and on the other end, your smiling face.
“Hi,” he cooed first.
“Hello,” you replied sweetly.
“It’s a little brisk out today, I hope you’re staying warm. What did you decide on today?” he asked, speaking about your coffee. You reached over to raise your mug.
“You know I never change,” you reminded him and took a small sip.
He chuckled, breaking gaze with the camera for a moment to reach for his coffee, displaying a nice homemade Americano in his favorite insulated cup that you sent him as a return care-package.
“And I can see that you don’t, either,” you laughed.
“Never,” he replied, “how’s your blanket?”
You snuggled in to it a bit, pulling it more closed over the front of your body. It was warm, uniquely you.
“It smells like you, which I know was the point, but sometimes it makes all this a little harder,” you replied.
Juyeon frowned. It was never his intention, but he should have known. He didn’t have a good reply, and when he didn’t have a good reply, or a reply that he thought would satiate you in any way, he blew you a kiss.
“We’ll be together again before you know it,” he reminded you. The end was near, and when it was, the two of you planned to move in together. That meant if coffee dates had to be at home, at least they would still be presently with each other. Just to make you laugh, he maneuvered up to directly kiss the camera—it worked every single time. “And, mine still smells like you, so even though we’re far apart, we’re still somewhat together. I go to bed every night with you right here with me.”
It was sweet, albeit mildly reassuring. You were the same. Even if you couldn’t cuddle into his back like you had the times you’d spent the night with each other, it was a close second, even if it was manufactured warmth it was warmth enough that reminded you of him.
There was a lingering silence that he let you have while you marinated in the reality of the situation, knowing you were getting existential by the look on your face. He was ready to purposefully interrupt you and bring you back to him.
“I miss you, baby,” he said, a little quietly.
“I miss you, too, Jujube,” you replied with a smile, looking back up at him.
“The sweetest candy, just for you,” he returned, reaching forward to the camera and you knew that if he was in your presence, that was him playfully pinching your cheek. He did his best to make it seem like you weren’t so far apart.
You spent a lot of time on that call, as was typical every week, even if most of it was filled with silence. Most of the time he tried to ask you about the shows you’d been watching, or the books you’d been reading, the hobbies you tried to pick up (the ones you stuck with and the ones you didn’t like as much) and sometimes you’d show him the product of those hobbies. He always made sure to make you smile as much as possible, and was always very good at it. You often stayed on call far past the end of your coffees, but neither of you minded—just counted down the days when you’d be with each other once again.
