Prologue

Malik sat at his usual spot at his favorite coffee shop in Domino, sipping at his usual mocha and alternating between looking out the window and looking at the counter in the center of the shop. No, not the counter, but a certain boy behind the counter. Said boy would blush and duck his head, hiding his face with his white bangs every time their eyes would meet, causing the tanned blond to grin.

See, there was a reason why Malik came to this specific coffee shop, which was at the other end of the city, at least three times a week. Sure, the place was cozy and the coffee was good, but the real reason was standing behind the counter at that very moment.

Malik had met Ryou a couple weeks before when his sister took him out for coffee at this very shop, which was right across the street from the Domino Museum, where the older Ishtar was hosting an exhibition on Egypt. At the sight of the cute barista with the unusual white hair, the Egyptian boy couldn't help but lean against the counter, flashing his biggest grin before trying to strike up a conversation. Trying being the important word. The boy, who he came to know as Ryou, politely answered his questions, keeping his eyes glued to the counter before handing him his drink and turning to the next customer. At that point, Malik usually gave up and went after another, but something about the boy with the white hair and the feminine features intrigued him, and he was soon infatuated. And so began the constant visits, the caffeine addiction and flirting attempts.

Finishing the last drops of his coffee, Malik stood up, walking towards the counter. It was starting to get dark, maybe he should head home soon, He wouldn't leave without having his usual chat with the feminine employee though, so he dropped his cup on the counter slightly louder than necessary, causing Ryou to look up. Seeing who was standing not two feet away from him, the glanced back down at his cleaning rag he was using to wipe the counter. "Hey Malik."

"Hello Ryou," he hummed, hoisting himself up to sit on Ryou's workspace. After hanging out at the same place for a while, the blond knew the do's and don't's of the place. Since the boss had left in the early evening and there was only a handful of other customers, Ryou would let him sit on the counter, acting as if it bothered him but not asking him to get off. "What's new in your pretty little life?"

Ryou rolled his eyes, smiling as he saw his friend take his usual spot on the counter. "Nothing much has happened in two days, you know." He wiped at an imaginary stain. "And you?"

"You know my life is uneventful." Malik answered. They both stayed silent for minute before the blond spoke up again. "So I was wondering," he drawled, looking up at the ceiling. "as much as I love seeing you with your cute little apron, how you would look in the outside world. Say, at the movies or something." He glanced back at Ryou, his faithful grin plastered on his face.

The white-haired boy turned bright pink, looking up to lock eyes with Malik before glancing back down. "Are you... asking me to the movies?" He asked timidly.

Malik nodded, his grin widening. "But of course. Say, you aren't going to brush little old me off, are you?" He pouted, giving the other boy the best puppy eyes he could muster.

Ryou giggled, biting his lip. "No, I'd love to. Go to the movies, I mean." his pale complexion was tinged pink once again as a blush crept up his face.

"Great!" Malik beamed, leaning in closer. "So I'll meet you here tomorrow, yeah?" He ran his finger along the other's smooth cheek, ignoring the tinkling of the bell over the front door of the shop. Ryou's skin was hot under his finger as the other stuttered an affirmative. Malik winked as he hopped off the counter. "See you tomorrow then, Ryou." he waved over his shoulder before heading out of the shop, grinning to himself.

It was dark outside the shop, and he shivered as his purple hoodie did nothing to protect him from the harsh December winds. Heading towards his motorcycle, the blond dug through his pockets, slipping a cigarette between his lips before rummaging for his lighter. "Dammit, where's the damn thing..." he mumbled around the cigarette.

"Malik Ishtar?" A rough voice called, causing him to look back.

"Hm?" he called, unlit cigarette still hanging from his lips. He saw no one between the lit coffee shop and him, and he was about to turn back around when a strong arm wrapped around his waist, pining him against something - someone - standing right behind him. He could feel a warm breath against his ear, and he wiggled in the other's grasp, dropping the nicotine as a "what the fuck?" left his lips.

"Don't worry, this will only sting a little bit," the voice crooned in his ear.

"Wha-?" Malik started to ask as a blow to the head made him flinch, the coffee shop at the end of the parking lot growing fuzzy before everything went black.

A/N: Very short prologue before the story actually starts. Now, off to figure out how FFnet actually works with publishing... /first time writer here