It was like he was hit over the head with a rock.

Keith sat there, dazed, staring up at the makeshift stage set up in his favorite roadside coffee shop. More specifically, he was staring up at him. Whoever he was, strumming his guitar and tapping his foot along to the beat. Singing with the softest yet most intense voice that had ever graced Keith's ears. So much that he couldn't shift an inch in the spot that he was sitting in.

He had dark auburn hair, caramel skin, and the deepest blue eyes Keith had ever met with his own. He knew it was probably creepy to be staring for so long like he had been, but it was impossible with the looks and talent like his.

"Damn." Was all he thought on repeat. "Damn." The song he was singing soon ended, and Keith finally came out of his trance, tuning in to the round of applause that fell over the crowd all around him. Keith clapped along too, giving a small smile with wide eyes.

"Thanks, everyone. That'll be all for today, but I'll be back next Wednesday, so come and see me again!" He spoke into the microphone and then began packing up his things from onstage. Keith began panicking. The last time he saw a guy this appealing was two summers ago, and even then he could barely look at him without feeling so nauseous that he almost threw up. He wasn't the best when it came to dating or relationships, so he tended to avoid awkward encounters.

But this was a different scenario. He couldn't just let this guy, this stunning guy, walk out the door, where he'd never see him again and leave Keith wishing he had introduced himself. Before he could think about it anymore, Keith stood up from the side table he was sitting at, almost knocking over his cappuccino, and sped over to the corner of the café where the performer was standing.

Keith didn't know how to begin the conversation. He didn't think he'd get to this stage in his so-called plan. Before he could say anything, the stranger turned around with his guitar case and jacket in hand, ready to greet him.

"Oh." was how it began. "Hey." Keith was frozen, he couldn't form a sentence when actually standing in front of him. "Uh…do you need something?" Was what woke him up.

"Shit, um, I-I'm sorry I just…" Keith looked down at his feet. "Your song…the one you just got done with, it was really good…"

"Oh yeah? You liked it? That was a new one, I didn't know what kind of reaction I'd get from it. But thanks!" There was a minute of silence. "Do you…come here a lot?"

"Uh, y-yeah. I've been coming here since I started college. It's close by so…" This was going a lot more smooth than Keith imagined it would.

"Same for me. I'm a college student too, actually." He held up his guitar. "Music major."

"I'm a Journalist. Well, I guess you could say that." Keith was in his first year of college, and was not adjusting that well. After a pause, he spoke up again. "Do you mind if I…get your name?"

"Oh god, what if he isn't into guys?" Keith felt his face heat up. "What if I'm annoying him? What if he's really weirded out and I'm just making it-"

"Sure thing. I'm Lance McClain. And you?" Lance smiled at him which made Keith even more uncomfortable. He didn't expect this confident, beautiful, and talented person to actually socialize with him, an average looking introvert.

"K-Keith Kogane. It was nice meeting you." He paused. "I'll…see you around. Next Wednesday, right…?"

"Yup. Every week." And with that, Lance gave Keith a grin and walked out the door. Keith walked back over to his table and sat down, burying his face in his hands while sighing deeply. He now made plans to come back every Wednesday, just to hear Lance play.

And that's exactly what he did. Of course he came in between Wednesdays, to study or pick up his usual order in the morning, but the middle of the week was a day he'd never forget to show up on. He came in and sat down at his favorite table at around 7:30 PM, got whatever drink or snack he was in the mood for, and then waited. Lance would come in and set up every week at 8:00, he noticed over the span of a couple days.

Keith would get anxious whenever Lance came into the room, watching him prepare to play for the café, listening to the melodies and gazing intently towards Lance in his position on stage, all while getting lost in his own thoughts. Which was an extreme emotional trip, of course, especially because he knew it would happen every week that he walked into the café. The same cold sweat, fidgety hands, sneaking looks, and overall dizzy feeling Keith would get.

He daydreamed about Lance, he hurt so bad simply because he wanted to get to know him better, but didn't want to be an annoyance at the same time. This was troubling Keith's mind so hard one Saturday night that he hardly noticed Katie, his college friend, come in and sit down across from him at his table.

"Uh, earth to Keith. You alive?" She spoke up, trying to get his attention.

"Mmm…yeah. Barely." Keith took a small sip of his latte. "Sorry I'm just…stressed out."

"Welcome to the club." Was all she replied with before whipping out her laptop from what seemed like nowhere. Katie looked like she hadn't slept in days. Scratch that, weeks. She was a Computer Engineering major, and was assigned essays on the daily. Keith didn't know how she survived honestly, but with the right amount of caffeine she seemed to manage.

"I need dating advice." Keith proposed out of the blue, not knowing any other way to bring up the topic.

"What makes you think I have any experience in that field?" She didn't look up from her computer screen when giving her reply.

"Well…I don't know. You're my friend and I though, maybe, you could help me." He looked over at her as she sighed and slowly closed her laptop.

"Fine. But don't hold it against me if I'm no fucking help. Who's the guy?"

"How do you know it's a guy?"

"Oh please Keith, all you ever gush on and on about when we watch the Avengers is how stunning Chris Hemsworth is. Plus don't think I don't notice how starry-eyed you get when there's someone remotely good looking within five feet of-"

"Okay, okay. I get it. And yes, it's a guy."

"So…tell me about him."

"Here. I have pictures." Keith reached into the pocket of his hoodie pulling out his phone to search through his camera roll.

"You took pictures of him? Secretly? Wow that's a new one."

"Shut it." Was all Keith retorted with as he turned his phone screen towards Katie, showing her a picture he snuck of Lance as he was performing.

"Hmm…" She squinted at the picture for a moment. "He looks dorky. Perfect for someone like you." Katie gave her honest opinion even if it offended Keith slightly, which is what he liked about her. "So he's a musician?"

"Yup." Keith turned his phone back towards him and gazed down at the picture for the hundredth time today. "He's a musician, a super fucking talented one, too. And he's in college like us. I wonder…" Keith kept rambling on, eventually mumbling to where Katie couldn't hear him.

"Hey, speak up I can barely…" She paused and looked away from where they were seated and over towards the café entrance. There, she saw him. Lance was standing outside of the café with a smile plastered across his face, just like in the picture of him that she saw only a few seconds ago. Katie's eyes widened and she frantically tried to get Keith's attention.

"Keith." She said sternly through gritted teeth. "Look!" She furiously tapped his arm, which earned a confused face from him. "Look look look!" Keith looked around the café, clueless, until he finally spotted him. His breath hitched and he turned away, unable to look at him.

"This is perfect! Keith, you have to ask him out!" Her eyes sparkled but she continued to whisper. Keith didn't understand why she was so ecstatic over his personal relationship issues, but he smiled anyways. Keith attempted to look as normal as possible before Lance walked in, which was a wasted effort.

She now grinned slyly at him, noticing how flustered he had become. They both watched as Lance opened the door and walked in.

But what surprised them, especially Keith, was that he came in with somebody else.

A guy. An attractive guy. They came in together, sat down together, and laughed together.

"Like a couple." Keith thought.

Katie's smile faded as it turned into something between sympathy and anger. She looked at Keith, who wasn't better off. His face was void of emotion.

"Keith…?" She wasn't given a response, only a sorrowful gaze before he stood up abruptly. "Keith, no, just wait a sec-" She wasn't able to finish before Keith put his hood up and sped towards the door.

He looked back into the café once more, at Katie's worried face and at Lance and his partner, before turning and walking down the sidewalk in the direction of his apartment.