"Hey, close up the store." In the coffee shop stood a black-haired man behind a counter, an old brew of coffee sitting to the right of him. Shelves stocked with dusty cans and withered plants lined the walls behind the barista. On the other side of the counter sat a tomcat on a stool with an interest in people-watching. He didn't even bother to chase the fly brushing past his nose.

The younger male looked up at the middle-aged man in pink, nodding. "Yeah, I can handle that." The manager took off his apron and hung it in the back, gave the cat a quick pat, and headed home for the night.

"Akira." The barista who was cleaning the counters with a ripped cloth and disinfectant peeked over to where the voice was coming from. Sitting at the booth in the back was a blond male around his age with college-level books scattered across the table. "You ready?"

"Almost, Ryuji. Just let me-" Akira's annoyed gaze shot to the chipped, wooden door as the bells chimed above it. "May I help you?"

At the entrance stood a man about the same-age as Akira-twenty-something-with chestnut hair to his shoulders and a gray peacoat. The customer found his way to a stool in the middle, his caramel eyes lined with dark circles. Upon closer observation, the exhausted man had hairs sticking up on the top of his head, and Akira lightened up. The thought of a customer arriving during closing hours typically irritated him, but Akira understood the circumstances.

Ryuji shot his friend a confused expression, to which Akira responded with a mouthing of words. "It'll be fine," or something like that.

"Coffee," the boy broke the silence, looking up at his sympathetic peer. "I just need coffee."

"Coming right up," Akira paused, not sure what to call him. The only people who sat in the coffee shop were regulars, which meant he was used to talking to customers on a personal level.

"Akechi. Goro Akechi." The black cat a couple stools over hopped to the one next to the new fellow, expecting attention. What the cat wanted, he got. He threw a quick smile to the cat as his eyes struggled to remain open.

Akira pushed his black-framed glasses up and made his way to the coffee machine, dumping out what was left in the pot. Akechi's eyes were still fixated on the barista. He noticed Akira had black eyes, the same color as his hair. They weren't a dark, broken color. The irises of his eyes were somehow warm and inviting, a complete hypocrisy. The man's hair was messy, much like his own. A few strays landed into his face, resulting in a puddle of dark hues.

Akira placed a cup of hot coffee in front of the brunette. Akechi realized he was staring too much and for far too long and before he knew it, the tip of his nose turned red. "Ah, sorry," Akechi apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. Ryuji glanced up at the two, observing them.

"Tough day?"

The boy nodded and took a quick sip of his coffee, careful to not let it burn his tongue.

Akira placed his hands on the counter and leaned forward. "Are you new around here?"

Akechi nodded once more. "I just moved in near here. My mom said she needed help around the house and I grew up in Tokyo, so I figured," he paused and reminded himself that he was talking to a complete stranger, "it was time to return, you know?"

"I see," Akira's face sunk as he made eye contact with the brunette. "So you're busy."

"Come again?"

Akira shook his head in hopes of being ignored. "That explains why you look-." He stopped himself mid-sentence. "I was just going to ask you to hang out with Ryuji and me sometime. You know, when you're free."

Akechi's lips curled into a smile. He wasn't used to people wanting him around. It wasn't exactly like people treated him badly or put him down, but he wasn't the best conversationalist. He was smart and motivated, but not fun.

"So, is that a yes?" Akira shifted his weight onto his left leg, placing his hands in his pockets. "I was just asking because you're new. I figured you'd need a friend or two." He peeked over at the cat from behind his bangs, smirking. "Or three."

"I would love that," he stopped, realizing he never received a name from either boy.

"Kurusu. Akira Kurusu." He pointed over to the boy who was pretending to study at a booth. In actuality, he was hiding his stares behind a book. "And that's Ryuji."

The blond, spiky-haired boy waved a few fingers in his direction. Akechi bowed to Ryuji in acknowledgment. "Tomorrow?" he shyly proposed with a blush scraping his cheeks.

"Tomorrow."

The customer quickly finished his cup and thanked his new friends as he made his way outside. Akira smiled and watched the man leave, but quickly realized he forgot something. He rushed out the door. "What the hell, dude?" Ryuji cursed.

He quickly made his way around the corner. "Akechi!" The brunette stopped in place and turned around, waiting for Akira to catch up to him. "I realized, I forgot to ask for your number." Akechi's cheeks turned red, causing Akira to stutter a few "uhs" and "I means." "Can't really make plans without it."

"Ah, yeah." The man fixed the collar on his peacoat and grabbed his phone from his back pocket. "My apologies, I have been rather busy so the technicalities must have slipped my mind." The two handed each other their phones and exchanged numbers. Once their phones were returned, Akechi faced the opposite way and continued on the path.

"Nice to meet you," Akira spoke under his breath, snow sprinkling the tips of his hair. Akechi shoved his hands in his coat pockets and smiled to himself, lightly biting his own lips.

The black-haired boy headed back to the store and grabbed the keys from the kitchen behind the counter. Ryuji gathered his books into his torn up backpack and met his friend at the door. Akira turned the open-and-closed sign around outside and locked the door, placing the keys under an empty, chipped flower pot.