The barista called your name and you quickly grabbed the two drinks you had ordered off the counter, thanking her before exiting the little cafe to go back into the bookshop.
The smell of coffee mixed beautifully with the smell of paper and ink, a smell you wished someone would make a candle out of. However, something was missing.
“Steven?” You called out quietly, slowly walking through the rows of tall shelves and looking down each aisle for your sweet boyfriend.
You had left him in this general area while you got some coffee, leaving him to hold the basket of books the two of you had picked out so far.
“Yeah I’ll wait here, love,” he told you while reading the back of a book he had found intriguing, but you had your doubts. When it came to any shop with books, Steven rarely stayed in one place.
You looked at the signs above the shelves carefully, scoping out each section until you landed on the one you knew Steven would be in.
It was your first time at this particular bookshop, having stumbled across it by accident on your way home one day when you took a different route than usual. All it took was a quick peek in the window for you to know you had to bring Steven there with you.
You both had the day off today, so you wanted to surprise him with an impromptu date. You hadn’t told him where you were taking him, knowing he was always beyond excited to find a hidden gem within the city.
“Okay close your eyes,” you told him with a giggle, holding his hand tightly in yours.
The street the shop was on was fairly quiet as far as London went, tucked away from the usual hustle and bustle. You wouldn't have made this little display otherwise.
“Oh god, what in the world are you up to now?” Steven asked somewhat nervously, but with a grin as he shut his eyes. He trusted you.
You couldn’t help but to laugh a little at his reaction.
“I promise you’ll like it,” you assured him, leading him carefully around a corner where the bookshop was nestled between some other buildings.
If you hadn’t seen the little sign poking out the other day, you surely wouldn’t have known this place even existed.
You stepped backwards onto the little step by the door to the shop, pushing open the door with one hand while holding Steven’s hand with the other.
The bell above the door chimed, and he looked towards the sound with his eyes still closed tightly.
“Where are you taking me?” He asked with a sweet chuckle, squeezing your hand tighter.
“Careful, there’s a little step here,” you warned him, watching intently as he slowly moved one foot to find the step, then the other.
As you led him into the building, you watched as he started smiling that beautiful smile of his.
That’s when you knew the gig was up.
“I know this smell,” he confirmed your suspicions, making you crack an equally large smile.
“Alright alright, open your eyes,” you said through little bouts of laughter, taking in the absolute look of awe that crossed his face as he did so.
“Oh wow,” his eyes lit up and he looked at the rows upon rows of tall shelves, stocked full of all sorts of books, old and new. “This is amazing! How did you find this place?”
“All it took was getting on the wrong bus,” you explained, unable to stop smiling and you watched his eyes dart around excitedly. “Figured it would make a good date. And they have coffee!”
You made it to the history section of the surprisingly large shop; it had looked smaller from the outside.
You continued looking down the aisles until you finally found Steven as he was flipping through a rather large book, completely unaware of you walking up behind him.
“Steven, coffee,” your voice pulled his focus away from the book he was holding, and he spun around to face you quickly.
A look of guilt immediately overtook his features, but he relaxed once he saw you smiling and shaking your head.
“I recall leaving you in the poetry section,” you teased as you handed him his coffee once he closed the book he was looking at, putting it carefully in the basket with the other ones.
“Yeah, I was there. Then something happened,” he matched your joking tone, taking a sip of his coffee. “It was the craziest thing. I saw someone walk by with a book about the Roman Empire, and then I was over here somehow.”
“Good thing you’re cute,” you continued to mess with him a bit, just to hear his quiet little laughs.
You bit your lip to stifle your laughter, letting out a little gasp of surprise as Steven suddenly pressed his lips to yours. Just a quick little peck.
“I love you so much,” he whispered so sweetly, warmth blossoming in your chest.
“I love you too, Steven,” you whispered back, momentarily forgetting about the world around you. “Let’s keep looking around, shall we?”
You went to pick up the basket from the floor with your free hand, finding it quite a bit heavier than you remember leaving it.
Steven grabbed it with his free hand as well to help you carry it, letting it swing between the two of you.
You’d have to come here more often.