Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. Before he knew it, six months has passed. On the weekdays, Yuan would order a black coffee to go while on any other day he would order his coffee and sit at the table by the window for most of the day. (Alicia teased him for remembering his schedule that well; he just gave her a look.) Kratos found out that Yuan was an interesting guy to talk to, given that you understand how he craft his words. Yuan quickly became his favourite customer, even Alicia likes him. Every time they talk and chat (flirt) Kratos knew he was going to have a good time, he didn't know what it was, but they just clicked.
It was as though they knew each other, in another life.
Just when he gave a cup of coffee to a regular, Damien decided to drop by.
"Get me a cappuccino!" he practically yelled into the mostly empty café as he came rushing in.
The regulars were used to seeing the man bursting into the shop like that. Kratos was already making his way to the coffee machine, "Shouldn't you be at work right now? Who pissed you of this early?" but he suspected that he knew who it was.
Damien somehow managed to slump into the chair nearest to the counter gracefully. "Kaiden, who else!"
Damien is a famous model working at the city's most well known modeling company, Eternal Wings. The CEO, Kaiden Knifewood, was Damien's classmate –rival- since elementary school. He mostly went and worked there to annoy him.
The auburn haired man walked over and placed the cappuccino on Damien's table. "That bloody half elf was too stubborn for his own good!" He took a sip of his coffee, giving a sigh. "I keep on telling him that working with Yggdrasill will just make things complicated, and we don't need that!" He drank the whole cup and would have banged the cup down like he was drinking beer if it wasn't for the owner sitting right in front of him. "I mean had he even met the guy before?!"
Kratos leaned his face into his right palm, chuckling as he says, "You do know that I helped Yggdrasill start his business right? Besides he's not that bad of a person." Then again, he did change a lot after Martel… But still.
The brown haired took his hair tie off, shaking his head lightly as his shoulder length hair was released. He reached up to retie it but his hair tie decided to snap.
"Seriously!"
Kratos chuckled some more before standing up, walked over to the table to stand behind his long time friend. He ran his hands through his hair, massaging his skull just the way he knew he liked it. Damien went limp almost immediately and sighed happily.
"I love it when you do this," he leaned his head back. "Marry me kitten, I need you in my life."
Kratos hummed and continued working his magic on the man. Not long after, the doors slide open.
"Good morning Yuan," Kratos smiled, "I'll be with you in a moment. Let me finish up here."
Yuan stared at them with a strange look on his face for a moment before nodding and heading to the table he sat at yesterday.
Kratos massaged Damien's head for a bit more before stepping back. Damien practically whined but Kratos ignored him and walked over to Yuan.
"So, what would you have today?" He asked.
Yuan ordered black coffee again, as Kratos was about to walk away, he spoke, "Are the food on display handmade?"
Kratos nodded, "Made them myself." They heard Damien crying "Try them, they taste heavenly!" Making Kratos flushing a bit. And also an urge to wipe that smirk off that handsome, finely crafted- Kratos stop.
Yuan let out a small smirk, "Well, I guess I'll have a chocolate cookie then." Kratos was surprise but got over it quickly. "That's a first for you Mr. Yuan."
"Well we have to try something new don't we?"
As Damien predicted, Yuan gave Kratos a surprised face and gave him a pleased nod for the cookie. Kratos waved the compliment away and walked back to behind the counter.
Alicia took over just as Damien went to the toilet. Kratos went over to Yuan's table.
"I see you like that cookie very much."
Yuan nodded like the jackass he is, "I find it exceptional."
Kratos bent at the waist and leaned in close, "Well what do you think I could add to make it better?"
Click!
The two men turned their heads towards the source of the sound and found Damien standing there with his phone up as though he was talking a photo.
"Don't look at me like that!" his hands were up as he said quickly, "You two looked too good and I had to."
Kratos denied him is cappuccino for the rest of his time there.
During closing time, he found a napkin on Yuan's table with a phone number written on it.
My number.
After six months and I finally get it. Kratos was satisfied until he realized, why am I so happy with myself?
"LOOK OUT!"
Kratos dunked his head down as something flew over his head and bounced onto his lawn, he stared at the…thing until he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
The living room was a mess, the sofa was over turned, and the coffee table was covered with equipment more suitable to be in a lab, the TV was covered with symbols and equations that made his eyebrows raised and ohmygod Noishe-
"Lloyd, Genis, Colette, clean this up and get object X off my lawn or else you won't get dinner."
Said teens groaned and moved to get work done. Kratos himself walked into the kitchen to make dinner.
Whoever said that spaghetti with tomato sauce is the only spaghetti is crazy.
The teens were done just as he finished setting the table. But when they sat down something bounced past the kitchen window.
Genis stood up wordlessly as he walked out of the door, there was a shout and he came in with object X in his hands, he walked into the living room, presumingly to put said object into his bag.
Dinner was a quiet affair, with a few words exchanged and the clicking of silverware.
"Dad," Lloyd said as the man was washing the dishes, "Damien sent this photo of you and this one guy..."
Oh no.
"Never knew that Mr. Yuan went to your café."
Kratos turned to look at his son, "You know him?"
Colette was the one who spoke up, "He's one of the school counselors."
"He wasn't there the last time I went to your school."
"He started six months ago."
Just my luck. "Don't worry about it," Kratos putted the dishes away and walked towards the living room. "He's just a regular."
"You two sure get along pretty well."
At this moment he thanked to whatever god that was listening for his son's obliviosity. "He became a good friend," has he? "I enjoy his company."
While Lloyd and Colette looked content with his answer, Genis face had the look that meant he knew what was happening in the photo. Kratos want nothing more than to dunk the brat into a pool, maybe the ocean.
"Well it's getting late," why you little shit, just like your sister. "Colette, we should go now."
"Oh," Colette looked at the time, then she gave the Aurions a wave, "Goodbye Lloyd, Kratos, thank you for having us."
Kratos and Lloyd said their goodbyes, before Lloyd walked towards his room, leaving Kratos standing alone in the kitchen.
With nothing better to do, the man took out his phone.
To: Yuan
Yuan? This is Kratos.
To: Shithead
No coffee for you.
After he fed Noishe and took a bath did he check his phone again.
From: Yuan
I see the number got to you.
No shit.
From: Shithead
Kitten nooooooo pls wht did I do to deserve this? :(((
To: Yuan
Just to make sure you didn't give a porn star's number, so youre a counselor at the local high school?
To: Shithead
You know what the fuck you did
From: Yuan
Charming. And yes. Started working there six months ago. Who told you?
From: Shithead
Come on babe don't be like that ;((((
To: Yuan
My son goes there
To: Shithead
Fuck you
From: Yuan
Ah, I see. You have a son?
From: Shithead
-random cute pictures of various cute animals-
Come onnnnn im making up for it ;))))))
To: Yuan
Yes, his name's Lloyd. And before you ask, my wife passed away
To: Shithead
We'll see
From: Yuan
My condolences, she must have been a great woman to have won your heart.
Kratos blushed at that.
To: Yuan
She was. It's getting late, see you tomorrow?
His phone beeped just as he got under the covers.
From: Yuan
Of course, have a good night.
"…Why are you helping me?"
"I won't judge you just because your ears are pointy; now hurry up before the soldiers come."
A pause.
Two hands clasped together.
"Yuan Ka-Fai"
A smile given.
"Kratos Aurion."