This is for you, Bookkeeper2004. :)
Jay was exhausted. He had spent all day in classes prepping him for multiple tests, and of course the Starbucks on campus had fucking burned down yesterday, so he hadn't had his caffeine fix in the morning. On his way to his friends' dorm to see if he wanted to play a mindless videogame, he happened to see something he hadn't really noticed before. A cute little café stood across the street, windows decorated with a few black bird decals. He looked at the time on his phone, decided the coffee was worth the detour, and changed his route.
Upon entering, he looked around the shop, a few people milling about here and there, but when his eyes happened to land behind the counter, he swear he stopped breathing. The man with an apron tied around his neck looked about his age, with white-blonde hair combed back and light blue eyes that sparkled through thin steel glasses practically pushed up to his face they were so far up his nose, pale skin shining under the soft winter sun from the window as he tended to the display shelf of pastries beneath the register.
Jay hoped his face wasn't too red as he approached the barista, who was now close enough that Jay could read the nametag. Zane. A perfect name for the man, who was now looking at him, waiting for any response besides mindless staring.
"Sir? Are you alright?" Zane furrowed his eyebrows slightly as Jay snapped out of his trance, and if he wasn't blushing before, he sure was now.
"Yeah, yeah..." The redhead scratched the back of his head, trying to scan the menu quickly. "Can I get a medium peppermint mocha and a gingersnap?"
Zane nodded, punching the items into the register. "Will that be all?"
Jay bit back the part of him that wanted to ask for the guy's number, but after the awkward exchange, he didn't want to push it. "Yup."
"Your total is $5.03." Zane stated, and Jay handed over the cash while looking more closely at the café's décor. This guy definitely had a thing for birds. Little wire sculptures stood on every table, and the furniture, including the couches in the sitting section, were fashioned from a dark wood to contrast against the stunning birch-pattern tile on the floor.
As Zane handed him his coffee a minute or two later, he decided to ask.
"So, uh, you a bird fan?"
Zane grins, and Jay feels his heart stop. "Very much so. I haven't been able to afford taking care of one myself, but my father is a retired ornithologist. I'm not one for biology, but I appreciate everything avian. We had quite a few birds that visited our property regularly, and I suppose I got attached to them quickly. Each sculpture on a table represents a real life one that I've met. I've made most of them, but my father..." Zane trailed off, turning his gaze to the counter. "Sorry, I did not realize I was rambling. Have a nice day."
Jay frowned at the blonde as he turned away, his cheeks dusted a faint pink. "Hey, it's ok. I thought it was nice. Birds aren't a common hobby."
Zane glanced at him, and gave a small smile in thanks. Jay walked out with his head in the clouds, sipping his mocha with a grin on his face.
Jay came back the next day to see if Zane was still there, and to his delight, he was. He was wearing a grey sweater today with a light blue shirt underneath, the signature apron tied around his neck once again. The café was lazy today, and he was the only person in the space, and the blonde man's eyes lit up with recognition as Jay walked in.
"Good afternoon," Zane mused, and Jay had to struggle to get a decent word out after admiring the man's attire.
"H- Hi," The redhead stuttered, and Zane smiled lightly. "What other flavors off coffee do you have?"
Zane paused for a second to gather his thoughts, counting them out on his fingers.
"You ordered peppermint yesterday, and I have hazelnut, blueberry, coconut, chocolate, and vanilla. Since it's so close to Christmas, there is a seasonal gingerbread flavor as well."
"I'll try that. Medium gingerbread iced coffee with cream, please. Oh, and a cinnamon muffin."
"$5.34."
Jay handed over the money, and Zane made the coffee, Jay nervously shifting from foot to foot as he debated on asking the question that's been on his mind since the last visit.
"Here's your coffee and receipt. I will get your muffin now," Zane went to turn, but a small noise from Jay, almost like clearing his throat, made him stop. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing, but, uh," Jay stammered, his mind formulating a way to get himself out of the awkward situation. "Don't give me a bag. I'm eating in today."
One second later, a muffin on a small plate was handed to him, his fingers briefly brushing the barista's. He hoped Zane didn't notice a blush creeping across his face, and he set the plate on the counter.
"Do you mind if I chat? I've got nothing else to do this afternoon."
"Be my guest," Zane smiled warmly, and glanced around the shop. "Although, if you prefer, we can sit at a table. Although, it might be hard to find a seat when the café's so busy."
"Sure," Jay waited for Zane to grab a drink for himself, a vanilla latte with a sprinkle of nutmeg on top. The redhead unconsciously thought how the drink suited his almost-crush, and let the man lead the way to a table near to the counter, so he could be ready if a customer appeared out of nowhere.
"So," Zane slunk into his chair, sipping his coffee while keeping his gaze on his company. "I don't believe I ever got your name. Might I receive the pleasure of this information?"
"Jay," He said simply, "I assume your nametag is correct?"
"Indeed," Zane glanced down to the plastic on his apron, which was handwritten in sharpie. "Do you go to school at Ninjago University?"
"Yup, I'm an electrical engineering student. You?"
Zane shrugged. "I had to chose between getting a degree in chemical engineering or starting a business. When I saw this building open up, I took my chance. It's not much, I know, but I enjoy baking, and the coffee attracts others my age."
"You know, you just have to find a few more employees and you could take the classes you want. I'm sure there are plenty of kids on campus who'd take up a job offer."
"I've thought about that before as well. But my father..." Zane paused, lifting up his glasses to swipe at an eye. Jay's heart softened, realizing he'd hit a sore spot. "My father is hospitalized right now, and I can't afford to do anything else, especially take college courses. I have to have money ready to assist with the expenses, lest his insurance not cover enough."
"Sorry, I didn't know," Jay gnawed on his lower lip, unsure of what to say, He was going to ask for the man's number, but the moment seemed wrong. "What's he like?"
That seemed to lift Zane's mood. He gave a small smile as he collected his thoughts, Jay taking a bite of his muffin.
"As you learned yesterday, he is a fan of birds. He taught me how to handle them at a young age, so I didn't get bit as often," Despite the information presented, Zane rolled up his sleeve to show a few scars on his arm. "As you can see, birds are still unpredictable. He used to take me ice skating in the winter out on a lake near a site where he knew a few owls lived, and we'd stay up late together to see if we could hear any."
Although Jay could still see the sadness in his eyes, his face looked a little brighter, and warmth practically radiated from him.
"Ice skating sounds like fun. I've never gone. My parents and I lived kind of in the middle of nowhere, so I didn't do that kind of stuff. My dad's a 'double e' too, and I grew up tinkering with all sorts of things. He liked to build little windup toys for me when I was little."
"I think our fathers would have gotten along just fine," Zane mused, taking a sip of his drink. "I lived in the woods. Log cabin. Perfect for winter, when one fireplace in the living room heated up the house enough for both of us, and we would sit by the flames and drink tea together."
Suddenly, just as he was about to respond, Jay felt his phone buzz, its signature vibration indicating Cole was calling him.
"Sorry, give me a minute," Jay apologized, and answered the phone.
"What?" He deadpanned.
Listen dude, I have this great idea. I need you for a modeling project, asap.
"You need me?" Jay cocked his head in disbelief. Of all times for Cole to demand his presence...
Yeah. You're going to go great with this whole storm theme I have going on. See you in a few?
"Cole, really, I..." Jay glanced over at his company, who was straightening out the wires in the sculpture on the table they were sitting at. "Fine, ok. Just give me a few."
Thanks a bunch man. See you in a bit.
Jay hung up and set his phone on the table, Zane turning his attention back to the college student. "Leaving so soon?"
"Unfortunately. When an art student asks you to model, it's hard to say no."
"I'm afraid that is not a problem I deal with regularly," Zane stood, smoothing his apron. "Enjoy the rest of your afternoon, Jay."
Something about hearing Zane say his name gave him goosebumps. "You too. See you tomorrow?"
"I'm here everyday," The blonde stated almost teasingly, taking his normal spot behind the counter as Jay waved goodbye, holding his muffin and drink in one hand, phone with his contacts list open in the other, hopefully gaining a new addition soon.
Contrary to what Zane had promised previously, Jay returned only to find a hastily scrawled "Closed Until Further Notice" sign taped to the door. Disappointed, he sighed and continued on his way, headed to his friends' dorm to crash. He arrived, and found Kai and Cole lazily playing video games on Kai's bed, the TV set up on Cole's.
"Hey guys," Jay greeted, and sat down between them, Cole immediately eying him with suspicion.
"Loverboy not open for business?" He asked, clearly remember Jay's extremely gay and panicky rant yesterday during the modeling session. Jay shook his head, watching the screen to distract his mind from worrying about Zane.
He's probably just sick, right? Yeah, hard to work a café when you're sneezing.
"Wait, did I miss something?" Kai paused the game, looking over at the other two with curiosity. "Jay have a boyfriend or something?"
"No, but he's got his eye on this cutie from the coffee shop down the road."
"Zane?" Kai asked disbelievingly, and the two looked at him, bug-eyed.
"You know him?" Jay raised an eyebrow, to which the hothead nodded.
"Yeah, white hair? Blue eyes? Speaks like he's giving a TEDTalk?" Kai confirmed, and Jay nodded in confirmation.
"Cool. Yeah, he's nice. A little too obsessed with birds for me, but he's pretty polite," Kai resumed the game, not reading too much into the situation. Cole paused it again.
"Do you have his number?" Jay asked a little too hopefully, and Kai smirked.
"No, and I wouldn't give it to you even if I did. You gotta put yourself out there, man."
Jay groaned, falling back onto the mattress.
"There there, little one," Cole teased, patting his knee. "It'll be ok."
"Yeah. He'll be back before you know it," Kai reassured, and Jay only grumbled in response, not getting up from his flopped over position on the bed.
It took a bit over a week, but Jay walked by one Tuesday afternoon to see the sign was removed. He stopped himself from running inside the café, and had only just walked inside when he noticed Zane looked a little off from normal.
"Hey, you doing ok?" Jay asked, forgoing a greeting in favor of cutting right to the chase. Zane glanced around the shop, almost as if reassuring himself that it was truly empty.
"No, not really," Zane leaned on the counter, resting on his elbows. "However, I do need money to sustain myself, and I can't go too long without an income."
"Yeah, I guess not," Jay didn't really know what to say, so he hoped that sufficed and walked over to stand beside Zane, who had taken off his glasses and placed them on the glass rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. "But you really should take a longer rest if that's what you need."
"I- I'll be fine," Zane stilled the movements of his hands, bringing them to a resting position. "Do you want anything?"
"Got any teas?" Jay asked, and the blonde nodded, standing up straight and putting his glasses back on. "We have peppermint black tea, regular black tea, chai, and green tea."
"I'll take a chai. Medium," The college student watched quietly as Zane prepared the hot water, pulling out a ceramic mug, knowing Jay's intention of staying for a chat.
"Cream or sugar?" He glanced up as he poured the water onto the teabag, pulling on the string to help it seep into the scalding liquid.
"Just a splash of cream."
Thirty seconds later, Jay was served his tea on a small platter, the tag on the tea back adorned with a small snowflake. Jay looked at it closer, and Zane noticed him staring.
"I make my own mixes of tea. I mark the bags with small icons so I don't mess them up."
"Why bother with making your own?"
"I figured that if I'm selling tea, I might as well make it worth the money. Most people don't notice, and I take a bit of pride in that," Zane may have given Jay a small smile, but the redhead could see it was strained.
"Really, are you alright? I think maybe you need another day off."
"No, no. Working helps to distract me. Well, at least when there's people here. You happen to arrive when my day is slowest," Zane brewed himself a cup as well, selecting the peppermint black tea instead.
"You want to talk about it?" Jay offered, the selfish part of him cursing that he couldn't ask for Zane's number today. He would never be able to bring himself to put stress upon the man when he was obviously upset.
"Maybe," Zane cast a glance to a wire sculpture next to the register, its wings encompassing a tip jar. "Allow me to ready my tea first, if you will."
"Of course," Jay nodded, and made his way to the sitting area in one corner, two sofas and a few bean bags surrounding a low table with a few coasters and a chess board, along with a few novels stacked next to the arm of a couch.
When Zane was ready, he made his way over holding his mug, sitting down on the sofa opposite Jay.
"Nice space you have here," Jay complimented to get the ball rolling. Zane glanced around at the décor, and smiled softly.
"The books are my own little library, if you will. Students take ones they like and give their old favorites, so my collection is constantly renewing. I'm thinking about making a little shelf for them, maybe a sign," Zane fantasized, and Jay felt his heart flutter at the thoughtful expression in his eyes.
"Sounds neat," Jay complimented, and then promptly cringed at his word choice.
"Thank you, but you don't need to avoid the issue. I know why you want to talk," Zane's smile faded quickly, and Jay only nodded slightly, not sure how to respond. "Well, I was out for so long because as you know, my father is in the hospital, and..."
Zane trailed off, folding his hands in his lap. "He- He was diagnosed with early stage pancreatic cancer. They don't know if he'll be able to recover, or how long he'll live if he doesn't."
Jay could only stare in shock, Zane gently gnawing on his thumbnail to keep himself from crying, aware it was an extremely unhealthy behavior.
"I know there's still hope, but I can't help but feel hopeless," The barista's voice cracked as Jay racked his brain for any response to this. "There's nothing I can do to help."
"Zane, I... I'm so sorry," Jay felt stupid, but there was nothing else he could say without sounding like a Hallmark card, so instead he swapped couches and gingerly tested the waters with Zane, gently wrapping his arms around the blonde's skinny frame.
"Thank you," He mumbled, resting a hand on Jay's arm, not up for returning the gesture.
"You want me to get you anything? I can run down to the gas station and get you some food besides pastries, if you want."
"No, I couldn't ask you to do that for me. It's nice to have someone to talk to, even if we've known each other for only a few days, really."
"Yeah. It feels like longer," Jay unwrapped his arms from the pale man, but stayed on the sofa. "Too bad winter break is in a week or so. I won't see you for a while."
"Well, in that case," Zane swiped at one eye, and reached across the table to grab a pen and a receipt from earlier that day that someone had left. He scribbled something down, and handed it to Jay. "My phone number, in case you wish to contact me during your break."
Jay nearly squealed like a little girl being gifted a pony, but kept a cool façade as he pocketed the paper.
"Thanks. Until then, my afternoons are still free," Jay smiled, and Zane gave his own small one in return, the expression becoming quite the signature style for him. They talked for a few more hours between customers until Jay had to leave to do homework and study for his midterms, and as he left he realized Zane didn't charge him for a single drink.
Winter break had been over for a few weeks now, and Jay was sitting at a table doing some research for a paper, eyes focused on his laptop. Miraculously, Zane's father was on the road to recovery, and Zane had slowly returned to his pleasant self, personality as bubbly as ever. Jay had come in to talk with his crush, but found him to be unusually busy, so he was content with doing schoolwork while he waited for business to die down.
He was so focused on the article he was reading that he didn't notice Zane place a cup down next to him until the blonde was already walking away, throwing a smile over his shoulder. Jay glanced over, and his heart stopped as he saw the drink.
It was a latte with the message Date? written in foam, and Jay felt his cheeks flush red as he looked up at Zane, who nodded and awaited Jay's response. Jay returned the gesture, too breathless to do anything else, and he was almost dying from nerves as he waited for the shop to inevitably clear out. When the last customer strolled out through the door, Jay practically ran to the counter, where Zane was helping himself to a sugar cookie.
"Of course. I- I've wanted a date since the first day I've walked into the café," Jay confessed, still awestruck.
"I gathered that fairly quickly. Your complexion does nothing to hide your embarrassment. Also, the first time you ordered, you kept looking between my face and my nametag before I got your attention. It doesn't take a mathematician to put two and two together," Zane laced their fingers together, Jay squeezing back.
"Then why didn't you say anything?"
"Well, I had to make sure I wasn't missing any pieces of the puzzle. First, my father's illness put a halt to anything I would have attempted early on. Once he was on the road to recovery, I was not sure what to do, but then one of your friends clued me in to your attraction."
"Kai?!" Jay stammered, and Zane nodded. "I thought you two weren't friends!"
"We're not. But he told me that if his best friend was going to start dating me, he might as well make it well known that he is the 'big brother' figure, so to speak."
"Oh boy," Jay grumbled. "Don't listen to him, he's all bark and no bite. He's a real softy at his core."
Zane merely hummed, moving his thumb up and down the side of Jay's hand. "Does tonight work for you?"
"Yeah, just gotta change first."
"Likewise," Zane glanced down at his apron. "As you know, I close at five, so I should be free for dinner, if that is alright."
"Of course. Chen's Noodles?" Jay suggested, and Zane nodded.
"Fine by me."
"Nice. Do you think I could meet your father sometime?" Jay asked hopefully, and Zane grinned, any mention of his father enough to make him overjoyed lately.
"Absolutely. I am sure he would be delighted to meet you. That is, if you are alright with him teasing you as if you are his own," Zane asked jokingly, and Jay snorted.
"Yup, my parents are the same way. You'll also never leave their house hungry."
There was a beat of silence between them, and Zane noticed Jay glance at his lips, if not only for a short second.
"Do you wish to kiss?" Zane leaned in closer, his breath mixing with the redhead's, said college student nodding, tilting his head upwards to meet the blonde, and the pair instantly knew they never wanted to let go.