(A/n: Thanks to my internet suddenly going out for so long, the Halloween chapter is going to be uploaded after this chapter. Merry Late Christmas though! ️
Summary: After a sudden, perplexing breakup, Stan became heartbroken and devoid of the Christmas spirit. After hours of just wandering aimlessly through town, he happens upon a famous cafe he and his ex used to go to. Feeling emotionally exhausted, he enters hoping a steamy cup of coffee can melt away his sorrows. But little did he know someone in that cafe was about to lighten his spirits in their own way.
Any errors or mistakes will be taken care of soon enough. Please enjoy)
Chapter 18: From Cold To Warm
Today is a day Stan feels he'll never forget. But not in a good way.
It is currently a snowy night on one of the best holidays that occurs each year. Reefs as well as green, red, gold, and silver streamers hang across buildings and lamp posts throughout the town. Stood tall and beautifully adorned in only red and gold streamers in the very center of the town is a white tree, a golden star beaming as bright as the sun resting on top of it with fake gifts underneath it.
The black haired young man is the only person lacking the holiday spirit, trudging along the sidewalk past a few happy families and couples with no destination set in mind. How can he think straight when his brain's been replaying what happened this afternoon for the past few hours, still trying to process the unexpectedness behind it.
Just this morning he'd woken up in his boyfriend's arms, something that happened often whenever he'd spent the night there. It was winter break, and Stan had planned on spending the two weeks they had in his boyfriend's home. Of course getting permission from his parents first, who were a bit reluctant because they wanted to celebrate Christmas together as a family. Understanding this, Stan promised to come home tonight, which pleased his parents and they agreed to his proposal.
Feeling overjoyed about today, the teenaged couple began their date, starting with breakfast at a cafe. It was a famous place that attracted a lot of customers upon their grand opening, mainly from the females. Not only was their coffee and desserts delicious, but the male baristas were charming and friendly. Hardly any couples went there, in fact they were practically a rare sight. A few days after the cafe's opening, a weird rumor suddenly came to surface online stating that either the workers or the beverages and pastries were causing women to break up with their partner. Not a lot of people believed it at first, however it did spark some's interests. After checking out the cafe himself along with his boyfriend, Stan deduced that neither the employees nor the drinks and treats were at fault for..hypnotizing these women into doing what they did.
They were just insensitive and shameless, thus the rumor died not too long after.
The rest of the boys' morning was occupied outdoors, looking at the decorations and chatting as they ambled through town. Stan enjoyed moments like this, the fact that today was a holiday made it all the more meaningful. That's why he couldn't wait to give his lover his gift, one he's certain the other would cry tears of joy over. The mere thought made Stan giddy, which his boyfriend took a seconds notice in.
Smirking with an eyebrow raised, he asked, "What's got you so excited all of a sudden?"
Chuckling playfully, Stan flashed him a grin. "It's a secret."
Once afternoon struck, Stan's boyfriend declared that he had something to tell him. The noirette began to feel nervous, even more so at the serious yet troubled expression on the male's face as they locked eye contact. Before Stan could ask, the other abruptly grabbed his hand and dragged him out of town, heading towards a park. A scarce amount of people were there, most being couples such as themselves. Simply basking in each others presence amid the cold, the news predicted that it's going to snow sometime this evening.
The two walked at a leisure yet tense pace until they came to a stop in a vacant part of the park. They stood side by side, neither looking prepared to speak.
When a minute passed by and his boyfriend still appeared hesitant, Stan took it upon himself to break the ice. "W-what is it you wanna tell me?" He couldn't even begin to wonder what it could be, perhaps he was ready to give him his gift or...he's ready to take their relationship a step further...?
His lover remained quiet a second longer, turning to face the sapphire-eyed teen with tears threatening to spill from his brown ones. After giving Stan's hand a firm squeeze, he released him.
"Stan...I...want to break up."
A vibration in one of his coat pockets jolts Stan out from his reminiscing. Realizing that his feet had stopped some time ago, he stares down at the blurry snow covered ground while pulling out his smartphone. Wiping his eyes, he looks at the caller id, straining a small smile at the timing of his mother calling him. Sucking in a deep breath to steel his nerves, he presses the answer icon and raises the device up to his ear.
"Hello?" He frowns at how monotone he sounded.
There's a brief silence on the other end. "Stan is something the matter?" His mother asks, concerned. "You didn't sound too happy when you picked up."
Stan nips his bottom lip, his eyes watering all over again. "N-no I'm fine, just I'm on my way over and i-it's super freezing out."
Another few seconds of silence follows, Stan can practically sense how dubious she feels. "Okay then, hurry home so you don't catch a cold. See you soon."
"Mhm."
Ending the call, Stan heaves a sigh as he turns off his phone and puts it back into his coat's pocket. With a bit of hesitation, he reaches into his other pocket, flinching when one of his fingers faintly touches an object. A wave of sadness and confusion instantly washes over him, the image of both him and his...ex-boyfriend joyfully exchanging gifts shattering like a million tiny pieces right before his very eyes. He clenches his eyes shut and balls one hand into a fist.
"Just..why..? I thought...we were happy together..." Breathing out a deep, shaky sigh, he shakes his head, willing for the tears to remain hidden. He looks up opening his eyes to survey where he is, taken aback when a familiar sign catches his attention. The words 'Cafe Dawn' radiates in a neon yellowish orange color in the top middle of the restaurant, the letters made in stylish cursive font. Tiny light blue stars encircle the sign completely with a reef outside of the stars on each side. Stan cocks an eyebrow, lowering his gaze. "Surprised to see them still open." He peeks inside through the closest widespread window to see only about three or four workers and a few customers inside. He thinks back to the item in his pocket for a brief moment, a glum expression appearing on his face.
"Sorry mom, but I'm gonna have to be a few minutes late."
He pushes the glass door forward, taking slow steps inside. Warm air and a similar atmosphere greets him upon entering, however the only thing alleviated is the coldness in his body. Dropping his head, he hurries to an empty table, one that's away from the other customers. Once he slumps down on the soft chair, a folded plastic menu meets his impassive gaze on the clean wooden surface of the table.
Memories of his relationship start flooding his mind again, leaving him feeling hollow the more he envisions the good times they shared more than the bad ones.
"You gonna order somethin' or do you already know what you want?"
Hearing the Southern masculine voice startles Stan out of his thoughts, whirling his head to the side to see a face he'd never seen in this cafe before. The handsome male has chin length blonde hair and hazel eyes, and is giving him a sort of bewildered and impatient stare. Realizing the other is waiting for his reply, a bright blush colors Stan's cheeks. "Ah, j-just a French Vanilla Mocha please."
The good looking blonde eyes him a few moments longer before jotting down his order. "Comin' right up." He turns and walks away.
Stan sinks back against his seat with a heavy sigh. "Ugh, how embarrassing." He closes his damp eyes to suppress the persistent tears. After a short while, he takes his gloves off and puts them inside his pocket where his smartphone is. He then goes into the other pocket, pulling out a dark red rectangular shaped box with a white bow in the middle. "Damn it, I wanted to give this to you so bad."
Frowning, he pushes the menu to the side so he can place the box down on the table. Which becomes his new blank interest.
"Damn, did you get dumped?"
This time Stan doesn't react to the rude query from the familiar voice as they deposit his drink as well as a small white slip of paper down next to the box. "No...we broke up..." He answers softly so the guy wouldn't hear the waver in his voice.
"Ouch, that's even worse." Stan is unsure whether the barista is being sincerely sympathetic of him or not. But he doesn't really care. "Well, we're about to close in like two minutes, in case you were wonderin' why you got a to-go cup."
Stan looks to the aforementioned cup just as a sweet aroma drifts into his nose. "...Thank you."
"No prob kid. You can leave your money on top of the receipt. I'll come an' get it later."
"I don't wanna go home yet," Stan groans. He's not ready to tell his parents about his...break up so soon. He slides the receipt down to see how much his beverage costs, then stands up to get his wallet out from his pants pocket. Luckily he has more than just change, he places the money over the receipt as told then returns his wallet into his pocket. He grabs both his drink and box, then makes his way out of the cafe. Immediately missing the warmth once the cold hits him, less snow is falling now. "Shit, forgot to put my gloves back on."
Groaning again at his absentmindedness, Stan begins his walk home at turtle's pace, shoving his hand holding the box into the pocket of his coat, and keeping his hand in there. "I'll just give it to mom instead." The sidewalks are nearly barren now, and for some reason Stan isn't worried or freaked out by it. Even he finds this so unlike him. He takes small occasional sips from his mocha, his hand faintly trembling thanks to the snow overpowering the cup's heat.
He glances around, seeing nothing but slow falling snowflakes, Christmas decor, and a person or two strolling along the opposite sidewalk. No car in sight. Half a minute later Stan feels his phone buzz in his pocket. Knowing whom it is, Stan takes his phone out to see that his mother had just texted him wondering where he is. He replies back reassuring her that he is almost home, lying though not entirely about the pit stop he had to make. He frowns guiltily at the next message he receives, guess she's right that he should've told her beforehand. As he responds back with an apology, he fails to notice a couple walking towards his way, whom are also distracted with each other.
It isn't until they collide into one another that they snap out of their daze.
Stan quickly recovers from the sudden impact, gripping his cup and phone tightly to prevent himself from dropping them. He keeps his head down. "S-sorry I-"
"Sorry?" A man repeats in annoyed incredulity. "You just spilled coffee on my girl's dress! Sorry ain't gonna cut it." Stan pales.
"Yeah, he got this for me as a Christmas present and you just ruined it!" The guy's girlfriend growls.
Stan curses his luck, or what remained of it. He lifts his head a little to witness the damage, the brown stain is hardly noticeable on the woman's ebony colored dress even under the lamp post's light. But he bumped into her regardless, he just doesn't understand why they won't accept his apology. It's not like he meant to do it. "I-I'm really sorry, it was an accident..."
The couple intensifies their glare. "You-"
"What seems to be the problem here?" A new voice interjects. One Stan has heard twice before.
"This brat just ruined this expensive dress my boyfriend bought me," the woman practically whines.
"Oh did he now?" The familiar male approaches the three, stopping right next to Stan's motionless form. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I got a question. Why didn't ya'll move outta the way if you saw him comin'?" Stan looks over at him in disbelief, is he defending him? Someone he'd just met some minutes ago? "Unless you bumped into him on purpose?" He gives the female an accusing glare.
She returns it, looking offended. "Why the hell would I do that? I just said that my boyfriend bought this for me."
"Yeah so?" The blonde shrugs. "You must not actually like it then since you were dumb enough to still walk into him."
"What?!" The man and woman exclaim simultaneously. One shocked, the other even more triggered.
"Y-you don't really like the dress?" The guy shoots his girlfriend a hurt, puppy dog pout, ignoring the fact that his girlfriend was just called dumb.
She starts to panic. "O-of course I do sweety! It's beautiful, I've said it countless times haven't I?"
"...Yeah but..did you really mean it?"
Stan suddenly feels an arm sling across his shoulder, then is gently ushered into walking. "Tsk tsk, poor guy. He needs to find someone better," the blonde comments shaking his head.
"I think you deserve someone better than me..."
Clenching his phone, Stan puts it in his pocket. "T-thank you for doing that." The couple's voices slowly fade in the distance.
"Don't sweat it kid." The Southern accented male pats his upper arm. "Look I know you're depressed an' all, but ya gotta pay attention to your surroundin's. Especially at night. You're lucky I happened to see that."
Stan nods his head in timid understanding. "Y-yeah, thank you again."
They walk in relative silence, the blonde keeping his arm over Stan's shoulder. A car drives by playing a Christmas song a bit too loudly, disrupting the peaceful night quietude.
"Where ya headed?" The blonde haired male asks after a minute.
Stan contemplates telling him. Even though he saved him from getting in trouble, he's still a stranger. But for some odd reason, Stan doesn't see the harm in answering him truthfully. He looks harmless, plus if he was up to something wouldn't he have done it by now? There's nobody but them around anyway, and he's not in peak condition to fight back. This is the perfect opportunity.
Stan shakes his head at such a ridiculous thought. "Home," he says numbly.
The man lightly smacks his forehead. "Duh, that was dumb of me to ask."
"But...I don't want to...Not yet at least."
The barista observes the teen's facial expression, wondering why he looks sad and afraid to return home. He then glances around, spotting a decent spot where they can idle at. "C'mon."
Before Stan has a chance to even look, he's being turned around and escorted to the older's abrupt choice of location. He raises his head to see where they're headed, and knits his eyebrows in wonder. "Where are we going exactly?" Stan can't help but feel a bit apprehensive now, this guy isn't trying to be discreet in kidnapping him is he? Feeling the need to question the man, he looks over to the side to meet hazel eyes staring right back at him, making him flinch in surprise. Stan swiftly diverts his gaze back ahead, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "W-why are you staring at me?"
He doesn't see the blonde give him a soft grin, holding back a chuckle at his bashful reaction. "Your drink's gonna get cold if you don't finish it, if it hasn't already that is."
Stan frowns at his cup, he actually doesn't want it anymore. Well he wasn't all that thirsty to begin with, he just thought it'd be interesting to try a mocha with the treats inside the box together.
No other words are spoken between the two as they close in on their destination, there's not another living soul within sight. Stan is lost in thought until the sound of rushing water and a nearby Christmas carol penetrates the comforting silence. They stop in front of a bench littered with barely any snow, the man unhooks his arm around Stan's shoulder to dust them off so they can sit down on it. The fountain behind the bench captivates the noirette, it looks so beautiful at night...Wish he could've came here with...him...
A tug on his sleeve thwarts his mind from showing him a future that will never happen, blinking his eyes then looking to see the blonde already sitting on the bench. Unable to fight back the resurfacing blush, Stan carefully plants his bottom down on the wooden seat, shuddering and inhaling a sharp intake of air once the fresh coolness seeps through his clothes. The faint red on his cheeks darken when he hears the male beside him stifle a laugh. Ignoring him, he places his drink down on the ground next to his feet and shoves his hand inside his coat's pocket, feeling his gloves. He puts them on so his hand that was holding his cup can warm up faster, then pockets his hands again for extra warmth.
"So, wanna talk about the break up? Get it off your chest?" The man offers, leaning back against the bench, seemingly adjusted to it's freezing texture. Stan tightens his lips into a line, pondering if he should or not. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but it doesn't look like you'll be tellin' your folks about it any time soon right?" Stan tenses, he's indeed right. "And besides I won't judge or anythin' if you're worried about that."
"Not even if I told you I'm gay?" Stan blinks. The words just flew out of his mouth before he even knew they formed in his head.
"Nope," comes the older's straightforward response. Stan shoots him a skeptical frown. "I swear," the blonde smirks. "With a face like mine, you think I'd only date girls?"
"...I see." The blonde laughs at the teen's stiff reply as he looks away.
"You know I'm hot, don't be ashamed to admit it kid."
Being called a kid three times in a single day is starting to get on Stan's nerves, he may not be older than this guy but it's still annoying. "I'm not a kid so quit calling me that."
"Well what else am I supposed to call you? Cuz I have a few names I can refer to you as like-"
"It's Stan." After a beat of silence, the teen notices a brown gloved hand reaching out to him through his peripheral.
"It's nice to meet ya Stan." The teen looks at his outstretched limb confusedly, does he want something? "You just gonna leave me hangin'? I can't tell you mines otherwise." Feeling dumb, Stan mumbles an apology and shakes his hand. "The name's Kenny," the man says with mirth, then they let go. "Alright, now that the introductions are outta the way, go a head and start ventin'. I'm all ears."
Stan directs his attention to the ground made of concrete. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to let out some of the pent up frustration and heartache to this person, who's still a stranger. "..Have you...ever broken up with someone cuz they thought you were too good for them?"
"Hmm a few times yeah." Kenny looks up at the cloudy night sky with a slight frown. "That's just them feelin' insecure. No matter how hard you try to ease their insecurity, they'll think you're just lyin' and won't listen or whatever." He shakes his head, lowering his gaze. "If you've been blamin' yourself this whole time, then stop. You did nothin' wrong."
Stan clenches his fists over his lap, picturing his ex's teary-eyed face after announcing they should end their relationship. "But it feels that way...I feel that it's my fault for not noticing sooner."
"It's not. Trust me."
Stan would be doubting his words, if he hadn't gone through the same thing himself. He then divulges more about his relationship to the older male, who listens intently while only cracking a joke or two here and there to brighten the mood. Bringing about a smile - though faint - on Stan's face. The more he goes on, the stronger the tears become, and eventually they start streaming down from his eyes. Kenny scoots over and pulls him into a hug, Stan unconsciously burying his face into the man's shoulder. Kenny caresses the teen's arm comfortingly.
"There, there. Let it all out."
Stan does so for about several minutes, all the while Kenny was respectfully silent. Stan leans away a bit from Kenny's hold to wipe his face, which feels even colder thanks to his cheeks being wet.
"Feelin' a little better now?" The blonde asks.
Stan sniffles, and frowns tiredly at his lap. "K-kinda. Thanks..for listening to me, and sorry for taking up more of your time."
"You don't have to apologize for that." Kenny gently pats his arm before retracting his own arm from around the teen. "And besides, no one's waitin' for me at home anyway. And speakin' of home, after all that cryin' you'd better get outta this cold before you-" Stan sneezes. "Get sick."
Stan rubs under his nose with another sniffle, his eyes beginning to water despite him crying them dry just some minutes ago. "C'mon, I'll walk you home." Stan looks about ready to object, but Kenny doesn't want to hear it. "Look, I'm not gonna let a kid walk home by himself, especially since it looks like you're probably comin' down with a cold."
The noirette shoots him a weary glare. "I am not a kid, I'm 18," his voice sounds rather nasally. "You don't even look that older than me."
Kenny flashes him a smirk. "Heh, I appreciate the flattery, but believe it or not I'm 26."
Stan blinks at him in mild shock, but then grins teasingly. "Guess I should call you old man then."
"Don't you dare. I ain't that old." They both laugh, but Stan sneezes again. Kenny stands up from the bench. "Alright let's get movin'."
For some inexplicable reason, a different feeling of unwillingness settles itself within Stan. Quickly pushing the notion aside, he grabs his coffee and rises to his feet. They start walking.
This time their stroll is accompanied by some small talk, which further increases Stan's reluctancy. He's starting to know more about the older man's character, the main one being that he has a weird sense of humor. Or perhaps he's being like this for his sake? He can't tell for sure.
"Are you going out with anyone?" Stan questions out of the blue. He doesn't know why he asked seeing as how this guy works at Cafe Dawn, a popular restaurant filled with nothing but attractive employees. Plus his personality is likable on top of that. It'd be shocking if he's single, and what's even more shocking is the fact that he's curious about the blonde's dating history.
Kenny glances at him with a flutter of the eyelids, then acquires a far-off look on his face as he stares back ahead. "I was, but we had to break up cuz they were goin' overseas, and I ain't into long distance relationships."
Stan forms his lips into a line. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."
Kenny shrugs, he doesn't look too upset about it. "Couldn't be helped really."
Five or so minutes later, they reach Stan's neighborhood and he spots his house slowly coming into view. He sticks his free hand into his coat's pocket, making a conflicted face when he touches the box.
"Which one's yours?" Kenny asks, referring to the houses.
Losing the look, Stan points to his home. "The dark green one." Kenny nods.
It takes a few additional minutes until they approach the doorstep of the Marsh's abode. Stan pauses in front of the door, takes in a silent deep breath, then turns to Kenny who's standing by the steps.
"Umm thanks again," Stan's already flushed cheeks deepens.
"It was my pleasure," Kenny smiles warmly. "I'll see ya around at the cafe sometime? I'm there pretty much everyday cuz the pay is good."
He's there everyday yet today is Stan's first time seeing him. How strange. "Sure, I'll stop by from time to time." Content with the younger's response, Kenny turns to leave. "Ah w-wait!" The man halts mid-step, and twists around to face the teen again. Stan sheepishly holds out the dark red box towards him. "H-here."
Kenny looks at it with a bemused blink for a couple seconds. "This what you were gonna give to..?" He trails off.
Stan lightly scratches his cheek. "Y-yeah."
Kenny raises an eyebrow. "Don'tcha think you should give this to your mom or sister or somethin'?"
"My mom doesn't like sweets." Lie. "And my sister's an asshole." True. His dad doesn't need any candy at all.
Kenny snorts at Stan's last statement, putting the gift into one of his coat's pockets. "Well thanks kid- I mean Stan." The noirette nods his welcome with a small smile. Kenny resumes his trek home. "G'night, oh and Merry Christmas!"
"Same to you, and be careful going home," Stan calls out. Kenny shoots him a thumbs up without looking back.
Stan watches him go until he disappears by rounding a corner. He thinks back to the time he spent with Kenny, finding it hard to fathom that just this afternoon he was wallowing in a sea of depression yet a stranger he'd just met somehow took him out of it by simply listening to him pour his heart out and comfort him. He still misses his ex, and it'll take some time for his heart to be mended back together again. Especially now that they're friends. His smile fading, he knocks on the door, then sneezes.
(A/n: I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soonish)