It's seven o'clock and here he comes again, Mr. Punctuality himself. Nanaba was leaning against the counter in the coffee shop, looking at the man who just stepped in from the rain. The man shook his head from the wetness, his hair immediately falling back the way it usually was - parted from the middle - and walked towards the counter to order a... Big milk coffee, one packet of sugar. Nanaba sipped his own coffee when he had gotten it from the barista and continued observing the tall, strong-built man waiting at the counter from some distance away. His short beard and mustache were neatly trimmed, and his black coat fitted him well, giving him the look of a... Gentleman. He looks like a complete gentleman. He carried a small briefcase in his left hand, while his right was preoccupied with holding his smartphone. He sighed heavily as he searched for a number and having found it, he raised the phone up to his ear. Judging from that sigh he must be calling... "Hange," the man murmured and began chatting of some things Nanaba did not understand. Having paid for his coffee, he left, still talking on the phone, Nanaba shortly following.
Nanaba first noticed the man a few weeks ago and ever since he's gotten more interested in him. Every day he sees him at least once: in the coffee shop and from there on the way home. Sometimes he catches a glimpse of him in the metro station when he has early classes. They both take the same route from school or work - from the shop they walk to the nearest underground metro stop and only then do they part ways; Nanaba goes to one direction while the mysterious man walks to the platform across him. You probably don't even notice me, even though we take the same way home almost every day.
To say the least, Nanaba was interested in that man, more in a platonic point of view. Due to his androgynous looks and his curiosity it wasn't hard for him to find himself in homosexual relationships and later on, he even admitted being gay himself, even though it just started with some harmless bi-curiosity. Not him, though, he doesn't look like one. Nanaba stared at his feet while sipping the murky liquid in the cup and hearing the electric whinny of the subway-train and after a minute, the man doesn't stand on the platform across from him anymore. Make it home safe, whoever you are.
Just like clockwork. Once again, Nanaba was waiting for his coffee when the man stepped into the shop. Nothing had changed since yesterday: he still looked the same, had the same things, ordered the same drink. For some, routine is good.
They stepped out of the shop, like the day before and the day before that, and walked for about five minutes. Nanaba nuzzled deeper into his big scarf to fight the chill. It's like he isn't even fazed by it, he thought as he watched the man walk briskly some meters ahead of him, not paying any mind to the howling wind around him while Nanaba himself had to bend over to walk against it. Just how worked-out is he? Seems pretty fit... He was glad to escape the lousy weather when they went underground, but something was different. They didn't part ways. Where is he going?
To Nanaba's somewhat awkward surprise they went to stand on the same platform, almost side by side. I stopped too late, I walked too close... I think that's the closest I've ever been to him yet. He's... really handsome up close. Fuck! The man under observation had noticed Nanaba quite nonchalantly staring at him, and was now looking back. Crap, I just made it even more awkward by turning away so fast. "Can I help you with something?" was the sentence that made the blond-haired youth jump and almost burn his hands with spilling hot coffee. The man seemed to be as if looming over him, he's... He's so goddamn tall! "I, uhh, yes, I mean, no, no, I'm alright, I..." Nanaba muttered and stuttered, feeling he was making an utter fool of himself (which he was). "So which is it?" the man asked in a deep voice, cocking an eyebrow like he was amused for some sort. The different thoughts going through Nanaba's head were countless until he suddenly blurted out: "We get coffee from the same place, you know. And we walk home the same way too." After that, it went from total chaos to complete numb silence in his head. Why...?! "Your point?" Nanaba felt as if his stomach had just sunk underground. My point, exactly! "So... would you like to get coffee sometimes? Like, together, not after work." Having asked that, the young man felt his cheeks turn crimson red when he saw the man widen his eyes in surprise. The man inhaled deeply and looked away in thought. "How old are you?" he asked, his tone unsure. Nanaba was used to that, though, so he didn't mind. Of course he didn't mind looking young. "Twenty-two. I am finishing my bachelor's this spring, I'm a university student." Well, that sounded very desperate and I just took away a quarter of chit-chat over coffee when, no, IF he agrees. God, just say "no" already, I feel awful as it is. "Sure, why not." Wait, what? "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," the man said and stepped onto the train that had just slid in front of them. "Y-yeah..." Nanaba answered quietly and half-waved back to him from the platform. As he watched the train speed away, he could feel a smug and fulfilled, sweet smile creep onto his face. He loved it, the feeling he had at that moment. I... fuck, that was my train too!