Cursive

- Chapter One -

It was the best time of early Autumn. The warm light reflected soft tones on every surface, dying the scenery in a comforting orange from the afternoon into the late evenings. The cafe at which he worked, bathed in the light of the evening sunset, set a tender warm mood which contributed to all the customers that had come in today. The busiest hours had already passed and only a trickle of patrons had entered in the past hour. Now, lingering customers sat and chatted at the tables which left him with nothing to do at the till. He busied himself with wiping the machines down after use during the day.

He had started this job out of necessity though not in the monetary sense. People made him nervous, he was timid and this job served as a way for him to curb his fear. It was easier now, taking orders did not require much speaking and occasionally customers would start a conversation with him - small talk he began to think, was not so difficult as long as it never deviated from weather or schoolwork. At the end of the day, he felt it could even be rewarding. If not for this job, he would be studying in his room missing the sun setting in front of him at this moment.

Siegbert saw one of the remaining customers pack up to leave, giving a friendly wave before heading out the door which he returned. A college student and regular here, who frequented during midterms and finals and always ordered the same beverage. He smiled and put down the blender and carefully replaced the blade inside. Grabbing another, he kept his eyes on the windows that let the sunlight pour into the cafe.

Customers rarely deviated from specific groups. Adults grabbing a coffee with friends during the afternoon, students either ordering smoothies before rushing back to class or camping themselves at a table cramming for a test, or children with parents stopping by for a treat after a day apart. He chewed his cheek - he hated this feeling. Envy was juvenile. He thought of something else, to the first dates and break ups he had witnessed while working. It was with the utmost control that he diverted his eyes away from those scenes. Romantic love was not something he had ever experienced and admittedly, secretly, he was curious.

But there were no couples here, there remained only an older gentleman reading the paper and a young woman on her laptop. Siegbert thought to start putting the chairs up and sweep the floor for tomorrow. His boss had stayed in the back after rush hour, leaving him alone at the front. As if on cue, he emerged with dramatic flourish making a beeline for the espresso maker with an unsettling expression. Siegbert had to ask, it was the polite thing to do.

"Is anything the matter, Jakob?"

"I'm fine, Siegbert, nothing you could help with. I must apologize though since I had to call you in today." Jakob said matter-of-factly. Siegbert saw his brows draw together in the reflection of the machine. "Dwyer claims to feel unwell today."

"Yes, he told me the same." Siegbert agreed. He was familiar enough from working with Dwyer to know that he was just taking the day off but there was no reason to add oil to Jakob's already ablaze fire regarding his son. Dwyer was never one to work two days in a row.

Jakob sighed and straightened his back so that he stood upright. His eyes never left the machine as he spoke. "I don't understand." He shook his head in frustration and folded his hands behind his back. "Just how does he make such a delicious espresso?"

Siegbert laughed softly as Jakob began inspecting the coffee beans. The cafe usually played mainstream pop during peak hours from the local radio station, it was only during this time that he could play his own classical playlist. He finished wiping the blender and placed it back in the stand. Siegbert was looking for something else to wipe when a customer walked in.

Jakob grabbed him by the shoulder with a smile plastered on his face. He was obviously still irritated at Dwyer by the vice like grip of his hand. "Ah look Siegbert, how wonderful it is to see a new customer. He's so green! Isn't it the best feeling watching them struggle with the menu board?" His voice laced with honey.

There was nothing he could say to this so he waited for Jakob to continue his criticism.

"Gym bag, athletic wear, reeks of sweat - he's all yours! Make sure to close up, I'm going to discipline my son." Jakob gave him a slight push on the shoulder and floated off into the back to grab his things before leaving.

Siegbert kept his eyes on the customer. It was a rare opportunity to be able to stare at someone so shamelessly but the young man was so focused on the menu Siegbert allowed himself this small token of rudeness. His physique, Siegbert noted, was the athletic ideal. Though shorter than himself, he had strong arms and a well proportioned muscular body. He could see the outline of his chest through the red dri fit t-shirt he wore. The young man turned towards the door and Siegbert saw that it was damp with sweat that had soaked through the fabric. He thought the young man was going to leave but he turned back again to face the menu, squinting his eyes at what was written.

Was the writing too small, Siegbert thought nervously. I should rewrite it for tomorrow. Moving behind the cash register, he took the notepad from underneath and jotted it down quickly as a reminder. He would have to rewrite this note in his day planner. Normally when working with Dwyer, he kept it with him but Jakob he found out, liked to snoop. When he looked back up, the customer was waiting for him, standing in front of the till.

The customer, though probably the same or only a year or two older than him unsettled him. It was the same feeling he had whenever he looked at his father - insecure and overly conscious. He knew that in front of him stood a capable person.

Siegbert quickly tried to recover himself. This will be good practice as well, he noted.

"..c-can I help you?" he asked politely. He stood so that he faced the customer squarely and brushed off the non existing dust from his apron.

"Yeah, I want to order something." He answered. He spoke with a low, clear voice.

"O-of course, what would you like?" Siegbert logged into the cash register and waited. He cursed himself for his shakiness.

"...I'm not sure. Something to keep me awake." He placed his hand at the nape of his neck as if to support an invisible burden. His grey eyes returned to the menu board above Siegbert's head.

"...keep you awake?" he repeated. "Would an espresso suffice?"

The customer's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! I've heard of that. I'll take...let's see...five? No, ten! Ten sounds good. I need to stay awake all night! Man, I should've figured this out before jumping the gun like this." He dug out his wallet from the side pocket of his gym bag.

"Ten is a bit much…," Siegbert said hesitantly. He had never given feedback like this to a customer before but the young man obviously had no idea around coffee. It was a matter of health not personal bias.

"Ah is it…," he tilted his head to the side like some sort of giant dog. "How many should I get then? I don't really know much about this stuff."

"How about just one to start out." Siegbert suggested. "Have you ever had espresso before?"

The young man shook his head.

"It's quite bitter, so let's see if you like it first. If you want more, I'll make them for you to go."

"Woah, thanks! Sure, one it is. You're really saving me here, bro." He smiled widely, grey eyes crinkling at the corners like a storm outstretched with lightning.

Siegbert blinked. "S-sure, thank you for your order. May I have your name please?"

"Shiro."

"'U' at the end?"

"Just an 'o'"

Siegbert nodded, eyes on the cup as he carefully and deliberately wrote the letters larger than usual. Shiro had moved to the side after paying and waited for his order, his eyes going back to the menu board.

Siegbert made the drink carefully, keeping his back to Shiro as he added a bit of sweetener to curb the bitter taste of the espresso. If it had been Dwyer or Jakob the espresso would be velvety and the added sweetener unnecessary, he thought as the finished the shot and poured it carefully into the cup. He shook his head then as if to remove those thoughts from his head. He completed the drink methodically, reciting the instructions in his head as he continued. He could feel Shiro's eyes on his back as he worked.

He relaxed after finishing the drink and secured the lid tightly, not realizing he had been holding his breath. Then, he turned and slowly walked the hot beverage to the pick up counter.

"Shiro" he said, meeting his eyes. He did not have to speak loudly; Shiro's eyes had never left him.

"Thanks." Shiro replied. He took the cup with a large hand and lifted it to his lips.

"It's hot!" Siegbert blurted out. "Be careful." He flushed at his own outspokenness.

"Oh, guess I'll wait then." Shiro took the cup away from his lips, turning it around in his hand. His eyes stopped as he looked at his name in Siegbert's handwriting. "Hey, this is really nice. You wrote this?"

Siegbert nodded.

Shiro studied him for a minute, grey eyes looking him up and down long enough to cause Siegbert to turn away in embarrassment. "Are you...the type to study a lot? You look...kinda uptight." Shiro asked.

"Well...I do study quite a bit," he admitted, "but did you really have to add in that last part?"

Shiro laughed. "Awesome! I figured you had to if your handwriting is this nice. Did you write out the menu too?"

Siegbert nodded again. I don't think penmanship and intellect have much correlation, he thought.

"Yeah, I thought so! I was just connecting the dots, can't believe I hit the jackpot. When I saw it I was like woah the writing looks legit! I've never even considered that before, first time I even noticed a person's writing. I didn't really understand all the words though. What is a 'quad, half caf, no whip, no foam, sugar-free, venti whatever it was? Do people actually order that kind of stuff?"

He smiled at Shiro's exasperated expression. "You'd be surprised. It is my job as a barista to accommodate every order." he said. "But my penmanship isn't anything special, you should see my father's.."

Shiro smirked with a slight shake of his head. "Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, huh? Well I don't know what any of that means, I just needed something to stay awake. I'm pulling an all nighter tonight. There's a midterm tomorrow that I absolutely have to pass."

"I understand. May I ask how the studying is going?"

"I don't know yet. That's why I'm pulling an all-nighter." Shiro blew into the small opening of the lid.

Siegbert's mouth fell open. "If you have to pass, why did you wait until now to study?"

"Ahh...I just can't focus long on something so boring. I thought if I did it all tonight in one go then I'd be set for tomorrow." He explained sheepishly.

"The look on your face tells me that you know this is not a correct way of thinking. When is it tomorrow?" Siegbert continued.

"First period." Again, a chagrined answer. He looked to the side, clearly knowing he was in the wrong. It felt like scolding a grade schooler.

"First period? You only have half a day to study then. And why are you starting now? It's past 8 already."

Shiro frowned. "Well I get what you're saying...but hear me out here. I had classes in the morning, then rugby practice, then I got hungry, and I usually fall asleep after getting home from practice so I thought to get coffee and here we are." He ended his short rant with a defeated spread of his arms, careful of the coffee still in his hand.

"I can't believe it, you're remarkably calm for having put yourself in this position."

"Hey how about you help me study? You any good at history?" He looked back at Siegbert now. Shiro's eyes shone bright and eager.

"You want my help?," Siegbert stuttered.

"I know it's a lot to ask but I could really use the help and it doesn't have to be for the whole night. Just help me get started. I'll definitely pay you back!" Shiro pleaded.

"I...well I'm not sure I can be of help with your schoolwork…," Siegbert mumbled.

"I'm sure you can! You know where bottom is when it comes to history? I'm about 6 feet under that so any help would be good! Please, Siegbert!" Shiro leaned his body weight over the pick up counter and folded his forearms on top. He looked like a giant dog on his hind legs, Siegbert noted.

Siegbert hesitated at the use of his name. It always embarrassed him when customers looked at his nametag. He forced his eyes off Shiro's forearms. "I'm not sure if I could..what level is it?"

"Third year history."

"Oh, we're the same age then. I guess...I could help. I've always found history interesting." He said finally.

"Woah thanks so much buddy! I definitely owe you one! What time are you finished work?" Shiro adjusted the strap of his gym bag on his shoulder.

"I'm done at 9 but I'll start closing in about 15 minutes if you want to wait." Siegbert answered.

"Yeah, sure. We could go to my house. No one's home so you could stay over-"

Siegbert's flush had Shiro stop mid-sentence. His brows lifted when his words sunk in and his flush matched that of Siegbert's. "I-I mean in our guest room! We have a guest room! O-or...anywhere else! Whatever works for you." Desperately he tried to save himself, Shiro's hand went to the nape of his neck again, looking down at his feet.

Siegbert turned away helplessly trying to hide his embarrassment. "Let's just stay here, Jakob won't mind as long as we don't steal anything and it's clean in the morning. Just pick a table...over there," he waved his finger vaguely to the seats in front of the windows of the cafe, "and get started while I finish up."

"S-sure thing!" Shiro stammered, still flustered from their earlier exchange. "Do you need any help with closing?"

"No, I'm fine." Siegbert said. Please just go. "The boxes aren't at all heavy but thanks for the offer." He desperately wanted to crawl away and hide behind the counter.

With that, Shiro trotted over to a nearby table with drink in hand. He chose a wooden table by the fireplace with two cushioned seats facing the windows. Shiro began extracting notebooks, textbooks, and pens from his gym bag after what Siegbert noticed to be thrown in with runners, athletic tape, and towels. When he saw Shiro seated comfortably with his head finally in a book, Siegbert walked swiftly to the storage room and closed the door behind him. His heart was still racing from earlier. He covered his face with a hand and rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger. Am I really so transparent? Leaning against the door, he slid down into a squat and dropped his head. He hoped to the gods that no more customers would come in tonight.

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Chairs stacked up on the table, cash out completed, and door locked, Siegbert sat poised beside a listless Shiro with history notes and flashcards scattered around them.

Shiro sighed. "My brain is exhausted." He brought the cup to his lips and took another swig. "You know," he began, drawing circles on the lid with his finger, "people said espresso is really bitter but it's actually kind of sweet."

Of course it is, since I added sweetener, Siegbert thought. "Pay attention please, Shiro. The only way you can pass this exam is if you actually read the passages."

"This is seriously boring stuff. Maybe it's hopeless. I'm just not really into politics." Shiro pressed his cheek onto the wooden table. His bangs fell into his eyes and Siegbert couldn't help but think that this was what he looked like when waking. He forced his gaze away, pulling a textbook closer to himself.

"Start by reading the question and understand what they're asking you. Then skim the passage looking for the same keywords to help you answer your question. Instead of remembering everything as singular facts, think of them like an interconnected story to make it more interesting. Those keywords should help jog your memory when reading them so it would be wise for you to be aware of them. It'll be a good way to save time...in case you fall asleep during your test tomorrow… er..today." He said with a smile.

"Funny. But tempting." Shiro's lips quirked up at the corner. "What time is it anyways?"

"A little past 2 in the morning. Don't you dare give up now, you're not even close to ready."

"I'm not, I'm not. There are just a million other things I'd rather be doing right now. Notably sleeping. Eating is another. But thanks for staying with me, Siegbert. Isn't it getting late for you now? I could walk you home if you'd like."

Siegbert raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like I need you to escort me?"

"Nah, that's not what I meant." Another smirk and Siegbert's heart skipped. "But it's the least I could do." Shiro's tousled hair gave him a boyish air. His smile was as guileless as his offer.

Siegbert found himself laughing. "I don't mind staying here." His answer was honest and in a moment of daring he admitted, "I have a hard time saying no. I think that should be clear to you."

"I'm a lucky man to have met you." Shiro chuckled. "I should be thanking you instead of complaining. If you ever think of something I could do for you, let me know! I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you. We're pals now, you know?"

"I'll keep that in mind. How about you just worry about passing for now. Read the next passage and answer the two questions under it."

Shiro lifted his head with a small groan. "Sure thing, pal."

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The shrill sound of the alarm woke Siegbert to the bright sunlight seeping in through the cafe's windows. Having woken first, Siegbert found himself able to witness a sleeping Shiro seated next to him with a book under his head. He turned off the alarm, allowing him a few more minutes of rest. They had stayed awake for most of the night, until Shiro had started building a fort with his textbooks and Siegbert knew nothing else was going to stick in his brain. He helplessly admired Shiro's face now, far more closely than he ever thought possible. Though his stocky body was what people would initially notice about him, Siegbert thought it a shame since his face was just as much if not more worthy of attention.

He rested his head in his hand, drinking in the sight before him. The light from the sunrise bathed him in gold. Thick brown hair, tousled from his seated sleeping position had remained held back by his black braided headband. With his eyes closed, Siegbert could see thin brown lashes spread outward like sunrays spilling from his lids. A nose that was regal and straight, unharmed from athletics and full lips slightly chapped from sleeping with his mouth ajar.

Siegbert noticed he had inched his face closer in examination and he pulled himself back with a sigh. He stroked Shiro lightly on his forearm to wake him. With a slight rouse, Shiro's eyes fluttered open and after a couple blinks at Siegbert, they widened in realization.

"Oh crap, I fell asleep! What time is it?" Shiro's eyes went to the windows to see the sun rising. He brought a hand up to shield them from the bright light.

"A little past 7:30. The morning staff is going to be here in about ten minutes, you should leave before they arrive." He spoke as gently as he could.

"Yeah sure, my uniform is in my bag anyways, I'll get changing. You actually ended up staying the whole night, huh? I really appreciate it." He gathered the papers and stuffed them into his bag without a care. Then, he fished around his bag once more, tugging out a wrinkled button up shirt and creased dress pants wadded into a ball.

"You're welcome. I'm going to go home before I - you're changing here?! Couldn't you at least go to the bathroom?!" The back of Siegbert's neck flared as Shiro pulled his gym shirt off exposing the sharp cutting lines of his abdominal muscles.

"What's the harm? Turn around if you don't want to see." Shiro had moved on to untying the drawstring of his shorts.

"I don't need to see. I have to clean some things up so go on ahead." He turned around, facing the espresso maker which he used to catch Shiro's reflection.

"Sure thing. Alright I'm done, you can turn around now." Shiro said. Siegbert could hear the faintest of amusement in his voice. He tried to keep his face neutral as he turned around and it worked, until he saw Shiro's school uniform.

"That crest…," Siegbert began.

"Yeah, I go to I.F Private High School. Go Dragons and all that. You have my number now, right? Don't be a stranger, bro. Anyways, see you later."

Siegbert nodded. They had exchanged phone numbers during their night together. "R-right...good luck Shiro."

With a quick wave over his shoulder he was off. Siegbert watched his retreating figure until he was out of sight. From behind him, the back door opened and Dwyer walked in with eye bags and bed hair, supporting himself with a broom from the supply closet.

"Good morning, Dwyer." He greeted. "I didn't know you were opening this morning."

"Morning. Oh yeah, my old man threw a fit when I skipped yesterday so he told me to come in before class and get everything ready for when he arrives. Thanks for covering for me yesterday." He yawned. "You're here early, Siegbert...don't you have classes today too?"

"Yeah, I should be leaving. I thought I'd help you a bit with opening." He looked around the cafe and his eyes caught the espresso maker. His thoughts drifted back to Shiro's figure in it's reflection and he grew lightheaded.

"Ahh that's great of you to offer. How about you start on the chairs and I'll count the cash? Oh, first let me make you coffee, you look like you need it." He shuffled himself to the espresso maker using the broom like a walking stick.

"Thank you, Dwyer. I guess I could stay for a little while."

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The results of the midterms were posted on the boards outside of the school a week later. Siegbert, though he had lost a night of studying to help Shiro, still managed to rank first in his class. He politely thanked his classmates for congratulating him and sent a quick text to his father informing him of his results. He slipped the phone back into his pocket, his father rarely answered promptly because of his busy schedule but he would reply later tonight like always. It used to upset him when he was younger and greedy but he had long since grown out of those expectations.

Out of curiosity, he went down the lineup of boards to see the results of other students. While skimming through names he was not familiar with, he started to worry as he was neared the end of the 300 member class list. Finally, he breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw Shiro's name, a good 200 people after his own and on the very last board in the line.

"Siegbert?!" A voice called out behind him. He already knew who it was before he turned around.

"Ho there, Shiro."

Shiro, jogged the remaining few meters to him, a friend of his, Siegbert assumed, following behind in an unhurried walk. Siegbert gazed at Shiro, his uniform was pressed and crisp so unlike the wrinkled mess of clothing he had seen him pull on from when they were together. Thinking back to that, Siegbert amused himself with how his cousin Forrest would have reacted to seeing Shiro's disheveled appearance. Shiro had reached him now, breathing steady from the short jog in the warm sun of the afternoon.

"You go here?! It's great to see you again." Shiro gave him a good slap on the shoulder.

"Yes, I did not think to mention it." Siegbert said simply; he felt his shoulder throb. "I see you managed to pass, congratulations."

Shiro's face brightened in appreciation. "Thanks to you. Seriously, I owe you big. Still...I should have asked, sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. It's nice to see you too, Shiro." Siegbert said. His eyes shifted to Shiro's friend who had finally caught up to them.

"Oh, this is my pal, Asugi." Shiro shifted over when Asugi reached them.

Asugi was built smaller and more slender than Shiro with explosive red hair and a sucker sticking out from his mouth. Siegbert could only tell it was a sucker guessing from the small handful Asugi kept in his shirt pocket. He wore his uniform haphazardly, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his shoulders, and his tie loose and knotted carelessly. When he lifted his arms behind his head, Siegbert could see the defined shape of his triceps from his exposed arms.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Siegbert." He extended his hand.

"Oh, so you're Shiro's guardian angel. Like he said, I'm Asugi. The pleasure's all mine, Lemon." He grasped Siegbert's hand in a firm shake. "Shiro, since when did you become friends with the smartest guy at school?"

"What are you talking about? Have you two met before? Why didn't you introduce me sooner?" Shiro badgered.

"Seriously, you can be such a meathead. Lemon here is the top ranked student in our entire year. He's also general Xander's son. I bet his notes would sell for a small fortune." He swished his sucker to the other side of his mouth with his tongue.

"I-I'm not smart! I just try to study. I'm nowhere near the level of my father. I shouldn't even be compared to him." Siegbert waved his hands in front of him as to dismiss the thought. He felt the back of his neck heating up again. So, I guess I'm a lemon now?

"Hmm..sure," Asugi shrugged. "If you got this guy to pass, you have to be something special."

Shiro gave Asugi a playful shove. "Ah whatever dude! Guess your dad is some kind of big cheese huh? Well anyways Siegbert, I really never knew you went here. We're in the same year and everything." He folded his arms and tilted his head. "Where have you been all this time?"

"This guy is in one of the college prep classes, of course you'd never run into him." Asugi chided lightly.

"Don't think on it too much, Shiro." Siegbert added. "I've actually never been to this side of the board during test results so I had no idea either until I saw your uniform."

Shiro laughed. "Well that's true! I've never had any reason to look for names at the top of the class myself."

Asugi eyed him and with a jab at Shiro's side said, "Amazing how you say that without any shame."

Siegbert couldn't help but chuckle at their playfulness. Too soon, the bell rang for the end of break. He was a little disappointed to be saying good bye but he wasn't one to doddle.

"I'll see you, Shiro and it was nice meeting you, Asugi." Siegbert said, taking his leave. He gave a slight nod to them both.

"You bet." Asugi replied.

"Ah so soon," Shiro frowned. "I'll see you later, Siegbert."

Siegbert began walking back to the building for college prep classes when he heard Shiro call out to him.

"Siegbert! Remember to think of something I can thank you with! I'll be waiting!" Shiro yelled across the courtyard. Siegbert turned back to look at him as did many other students. Shiro, unaware, waved radiantly over his head and beamed at Siegbert.

"Of course, until next time Shiro!" He answered back. What an infectious guy, he thought.

Siegbert turned around and continue to his classroom. He felt Shiro's insistence a little peculiar but blamed it on his over friendly nature. Still, it was a bit odd having someone want to do something for him other than maids and butlers. The words had branded themselves in his mind as he took a seat at his desk. Though it was unnecessary, he pulled out his planner and in his finest pen he carefully and deliberately wrote the letters larger than usual - "Shiro".

I've always thought of Shiro and Siegbert as what their fathers were when they were younger. Maybe if the nations weren't so divided this would be them in another life. Anyways, I really love couples that have a mutual admiration for each other. I hope you enjoy this story. I apologize for this chapter being so long, I didn't realize they would have so much dialogue when I began writing. The following chapters will (hopefully) be much shorter. Reading, commenting, reviewing, and even clicking on this story is always so appreciated. Thank you in advance! I'm grateful to you all 3