It was noontime on a Wednesday, and as it seemed Matsuda's stomach knew just what that meant. When he had stepped off of the train, pushing through the throng of other business people, his stomach had already started to growl at the thought of what awaited him.
Cookies. Matsuda lived for his Wednesday cookies. He shoved coffee down his throat every work day just to keep awake, but on Wednesdays he could finally sit back and just enjoy himself for an hour or two. And, he thought as he pushed into the quaint little shop, seeing a certain cute someone may or may not have been another reason for looking forward to his weekly excursions.
The door jangled loudly at his entrance, and he grinned sheepishly to the other patrons, a young woman typing furiously on her laptop and two old men playing shogi. None of them looked up.
An awkward smile still stretched across his face, Matsuda turned to the counter. The smile froze in place. He was right there, a hand on his cocked hip as he raised an eyebrow. Staring straight at him. For a moment, Matsuda forgot how to breathe.
Shaking himself off, Matsuda approached the counter, feeling strangely hot. A small smile splayed itself along Light's lips as Matsuda drew closer.
"Your usual, Matsuda-san?" His voice rang cherry sweet, yet tinged with an underlying edge. Matsuda blinked, then nodded. Light's smile pulled tighter, and he turned around, hips sashaying as he bent over the coffee maker. Matsuda couldn't look away.
"You can take a seat, Matsuda-san. You don't need to wait on your feet." Amusement colored his voice. Matsuda flushed red, but managed to turn around.
Still burning slightly, he chose the seat closest to the black counter. From there, he could watch Light work, but not seem quite so creepy about it as if he had been up close like before. Besides, the counter… shielded Light well enough.
His fingers drummed half-spastically against the table as he waited. Around the room, the customers seemed engrossed in their activities, the two men now bent over and muttering in a fervor over the shogi board. Still, Matsuda couldn't shake the feeling that they were watching him. Waiting for him to mess up.
"Two cookies and a medium hazelnut, two creams, three sugars." Matsuda jumped at Light's voice. How had he gotten right in front of him?
Gingerly, Light set his order down on the table. "Is this seat taken, by the way?" A small glow danced in Light's eyes.
"Uhhhh-"
"Perfect." Light neatly slid in. Blushing profusely, Matsuda reached for a cookie.
"Sh-shouldn't you be at the counter? Not that I don't want you here."
"Mmm, it'll be fine without me; everyone's paid. And besides, if anyone does try to take from the till, you'll stop them. You're a cop." Light waggled a finger at him teasingly.
"Uhhh, how did you know that?" A strange feeling bubbled below Matsuda's waist.
"I have my ways." Light gave a knowing smirk. "So, Matsuda-san, what is an officer like you doing in a place like this? Surely you have better things to do?"
"I, well, I… like the food here." Matsuda was acutely aware of how he still had a bite of cookie in his mouth.
"I can tell." The smile still stretched across Light's face. He was enjoying himself, that was for sure.
"Oh." Matsuda felt the same strange heat from earlier flood him. "It's good food, if you like sweets."
"Uh huh. May I?" Light reached forward, hand pointing at the uneaten cookie as he looked at Matsuda expectantly. Something twinkled in his eyes.
"...Sure." How could he refuse that face?
"Thanks!" Light smiled, snagging a chunk off the cookie. "I haven't eaten since this morning." Impossibly pink lips smacked as he dropped the chunk in his mouth. Matsuda flushed.
"You never did answer my question, Matsuda-san. Not completely. I mean, you could get cookies from anywhere."
"I like the view. T-to the street."
Light grinned. "Of course, Matsuda-san." A beat of silence passed as Light nibbled on another bite of Matsuda's cookie. "Is that X-men?"
Matsuda started at Light's question, ears growing hot. Light was staring at his bag, which had somehow slipped open. The ruffled edges of his comics half-spilled out onto the chair his bag sat upon.
"...Yeah." A sheepish grin spread across Matsuda's face. Why hadn't he left them at home?
"What issue?" Light looked at him expectantly.
"Uhh, I beg your pardon?" By now Matsuda's face had to be bright red.
"I was wondering where you were; I used to read them in highschool, but it's been awhile."
"Oh. It's, uh, just back issues. Nothing new as of this decade."
"Ah. Favorites of yours?" "
Yeah… I like to keep them with me, so I can pull them out whenever I have downtime. I've had them since I was a kid, actually."
Light was smiling again. "Cool! I never did get that much into X-men; my friends cared about it more." His voice turned nostalgic. "Though, I am I still quite fond of the mutants."
"They're great." Matsuda internally berated himself for adding so little to the conversation.
"Mmm. Magneto had quite an… interesting ideology." Light had grown quieter, more thoughtful. Matsuda found himself nodding along.
"I can see that. Oh!" A bright red "1" flashed on his watch. "It's time for me to go."
For a moment, Light looked crestfallen. Then: "I'll be right back; don't go anywhere!" He jumped from his seat, half dashing ot the back of the cafe.
Matsuda checked his watch again, and frowned. If he didn't leave now, he'd be late. Except… he really didn't want to mess up what was happening. Light should only take a moment.
Indeed, a second later Light appeared, sliding fluidly past the counter. He slammed a crumpled paper on the table. "My number. Call me. When you have a chance, I mean." The teasingness from earlier was gone, and Light looked almost… unsure. Vulnerable. Matsuda smiled, as wide as his mouth would go, and carefully placed the paper in his bag. Right in the left compartment, where he wouldn't lose it.
"I'd love to." A small smile broke across Light's face at his words. Matsuda still held his smile, gathering up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.
For a second, Light hesitated, a small blush covering his face. Slowly he held his arms open. Matsuda closed the distance in less than a second. Held it for a little too long, too, he realized, as Light's laughing "Don't you have work?" met his ears. Flustered, Matsuda nodded, quickly disengaging.
"Bye." He sheepishly waved, face burned red.
Light smiled. "See you soon."
As he left, Light waving after him from where the table, Matsuda smiled. For once, he had something other than coffee to look forward to.