Bean Delphiki wasn't in love.

What he felt for the boy in the flower shop wasn't love, because Bean strongly disagreed with the whole "love at first sight" thing. However, Bean Delphiki was a strong advocate for the "stare at cute boys" thing. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone. Ever.

"You know, repeatedly watching someone without them knowing is considered stalking."

He'd especially never admit it to Alai, the smug asshole. Bean could literally hear the smirk in his voice.

"I'm not watching him, I just... glance over sometimes. I can't help it if I can see him through the window," Bean responded, with a half-hearted glare towards his friend, who was more right than he'd like to admit.

Completely unaffected by Bean's glower, Alai continued.

"Ever since you noticed him, Starbucks has become your favorite hangout," Alai said pointedly. "And you don't even like coffee. I'm the only one who ever orders! You just drink water and stare at the flower boy."

"First of all…" Bean trailed off, trying to think of a good comeback. But everything Alai had said was completely true. Bean only came to Starbucks for Flower Boy, and every time he came all he could think about was how to find a way to talk to him.

So far, Bean's mental list was kind of falling short.

1. Flower based pick-up lines

2. Go to the shop, fake an allergic reaction, and ask Flower Boy to drive me to the hospital

3. ?

That was it. Bean wasn't particularly hopeful about any of the things on his list, and decided he'd have to be certifiably insane to try either of those options in real life.

Bean and Alai made their way over to the shop, with Bean's heart practically beating out of his chest.

The door chimed loudly when they entered, and Bean cringed inwardly. He'd been hoping to enter in stealth mode, and go in for the metaphorical sneak attack. He looked around, but no one seemed to be coming. Maybe the coast was still clear. He didn't want to talk to Flower Boy until he was completely ready.

"Okay," Alai said in a hushed tone. "Once you find him, do you know what you're gonna say?"

Bean began nodding before it hit him that no, he really didn't. He shook his head.

"Alright… Maybe you should ask for help with something?" Alai brainstormed.

Bean shrugged. "That'll do."

"Alright. I'll be over here when you're ready to go."

Alai started to walk off, but stopped and turned around slowly at the last minute before turning to corner onto an aisle. "Good luck."

Bean smiled and nodded once, before turning the other way, on the lookout for Flower Boy. As it turned out, he didn't really have to look hard.

Less than ten seconds after parting with Alai, Bean was on the ground, covered in both mulch and the limbs of none other than Flower Boy himself.

"Sorry," Flower Boy said, with little empathy in his voice. It was clear to Bean that Flower Boy knew exactly whose fault this had been, and he sure as hell wasn't pretending it was his own.

"No, dude, I'm sorry, I should have been watching where I was going," Bean said, calmer than he thought was even possible, as he propped the now half-empty bag of mulch upright for Flower Boy.

"This was totally my fault…" Bean leaned forward to read Flower Boy's nametag, so he could finally stop calling him that. "Andrew."

Andrew stopped scooping mulch back into the bag long enough to give Bean a stare piercing enough to make Bean shiver. "I go by Ender, actually," he said, returning to the mulch.

His tone of voice was way more casual than Bean had expected, considering he'd just been on the receiving end of one of the boy's menacing death glares.

Ender paused again, but this time, he didn't look up. "What's yours?"

"My…name?" Bean asked, before realizing what a stupid question that was. "It's Bean."

He replied too quickly after realizing. Luckily, Ender didn't seem too put off by it. (Or if he did, Bean couldn't tell. Bean had a feeling that Ender had a mean poker face.)

Ender stood, and swatted the mulch off his newly-stained white apron.

"I'm going to get a broom and a dustpan," He explained, but he was already walking away.

Bean suspected Ender was just being nice by offering an explanation. It was clear he just wanted an out, and that he expected Bean to use the opportunity to leave the shop and avoid an awkward situation.

Well, too bad, Ender, Bean thought determinedly. Awkward is my middle name.

Bean jumped to his feet and ran a couple steps, before falling in step with Ender. "Wait. I want to help clean up. If you're cool…with that?" Bean added that last part because Ender had stopped, and now appeared to be staring straight into Bean's soul.

Ender sized him up, an angr look on his face, until he'd apparently decided that Bean was being sincere.

"Alright. Follow me, then."

Ender took the lead, walking a bit too fast for Bean's short legs to keep up, so Bean trailed behind, walking as fast as he could and trying not to break out into a jog.

Ender stopped and pushed open a door labeled "Employees Only," holding it open for Bean.

When they both made it though the door, Ender grabbed a broom and dustpan from the back and, without making eye contact with Bean the entire time, they returned to the scene of the mess.

Silently, Ender thrust the dustpan into Bean's hands, and the shorter boy held it steady as Ender swept the remaining mulch into it.

It only took a moment, but to Bean it felt much longer, because when Ender finished sweeping, he'd looked up, and for the first time since Ender stopped being mad at him, he looked him in the eyes.

And, Bean thought wistfully, They were beautiful.

Dark blue eyes, finally seen by Bean in a resting state instead of under furrowed brows, and Bean had never seen so much intelligence before in a single person.

Caught up in the moment, Bean found himself blurting out, "Willyougogetcoffeewithme? Please?"

Ender's eyebrows shot up.

"Woah," he said, lips breaking into the tiniest of smiles. "Slow down there. Did you just ask me out?"

He seemed amused now, and Bean could feel his face heating up.

"Yeah, I just... I'm sorry, I..." Bean couldn't force the right words out if he tried.

Ender was really smiling now, seeming to take pleasure in Bean's discomfort. "Relax, Bean. Yeah, I'll go out with you. Come back when my shift ends at five."

And with that Ender left, taking the broom, dustpan and bag of mulch with him back to the "Empolyees Only" room.

Bean stood there, waiting for his heart to slow down until Alai emerged from the aisle he was hidden in.

"Good going, Bean, you did it!" Alai said, patting him on the back. "I totally thought he was gonna punch you or something, but I guess he liked your clumsiness after all!"

Bean said nothing, but grinned wildly as they left the shop with another chime of the door.

"You did forget one thing though," Alai said mischievously as they crossed the street.

"You don't like coffee."