I'm so excited bringing this story to you. I've been working on it as my little bubble of joy during nanowrimo in-between writing chapters for my Yu-Gi-Oh story. Whoever knows me from my Youtube channel or outside this site, must know that I'm a huge KhunBam shipper and I totally adore Khun. It was my need not to be distracted from my Yu-Gi-Oh story that kept me from completing any ToG related stories (I've started some but never written more than a draft or some paragraphs) but I've always been in love with Café AU stories and since I spent a great part of September and October in a café between lessons and bus rides, this had to happen.
I hadn't really planned to write so much, to be honest. But the story kept flowing. It was inspired by a dream I had and all the daydreaming I've done in that café. I've always thought that meeting your soulmate in a café would be super romantic, especially if they were the barista. So, put these two things together and you have your story.
Kame Café
It was supposed to be a beautiful sunny day, one of the last warm days of September. It was supposed to be the perfect day for a walk through the beautiful park by the university; the perfect day not to take the bus. It was supposed to be but it wasn't. Instead, as the brown haired boy with the golden eyes was walking through the busy park, a bag hanging loosely by his right shoulder, a soft rain started falling. Surprised, Bam looked up, noticing how the previously blue sky was slowly turning black. Any thought that it was just a drizzle disappeared as the sound of thunder filled the park and the dark clouds decided to unload all their water on the people outside.
Gasping, the boy pulled his bag close to his chest to protect the books inside and ran towards the park's exit. He'd been almost there when the rain started so he decided finding a shop or a cafe to wait the rain out was his best choice. Looking around, he spotted a warm welcoming light and headed towards it. It was a nice surprise discovering it was actually a little café, and so Bam pushed the door open, walked inside and shut the rain outside with a sigh of relief.
"Oof that was totally unexpected." He muttered as he pushed his long bangs out of his face to look at the window. Everything was covered by a heavy veil of rain.
"Hello!" A beautiful husky voice greeted him from behind the counter. "That's quite a storm."
Bam couldn't move. His eyes slowly turned towards the counter. There, looking at him with what must have been the bluest eyes he had ever seen, stood a boy so beautiful that could easily be a model. For a moment, the brown haired boy forgot how to breathe. He barely managed to nod before slowly approaching the counter, knowing that standing there frozen made him look like a fool.
"This place is pretty empty." He realized aloud, and then cringed because that was rude to say. "I mean…I expected more people to make a run here."
"Most people took their drinks to go and went to enjoy what was the last sunny day of September." The boy behind the counter explained. His light blue hair was caught in a neat short ponytail with a dark blue bandana and moved every time he moved his head. "I'm pretty sure they headed the other way. But I'm pretty sure there will be others much like you who will come soon."
"It makes sense." The brunette smiled, softly. Seeing how the bluenette didn't have anything to add to his previous statement, Bam decided it was time for him to order. "Ehm, could I have a cup of green tea, please?"
The bluenette raised an eyebrow at that. "I was so sure you'd go for something sweet. You don't strike me as a tea guy."
"You're right. Usually, I'd go for ta caramel cappuccino or something similar but I've already had one coffee today." Bam admitted, sheepishly. "A second one would keep me up all night."
"Ah, so caffeine keeps you up at night." The barista smiled and leaned a bit towards Bam. "What about a nice hot chocolate then?"
Bam unconsciously leaned towards the beautiful boy, too. "Do you have a recommendation?"
"Caramel with extra cream and chocolate sprinkles?"
Bam licked his lips and he swore the boy's eyes immediately followed the movement. "It sounds delicious!" His eyes shone with excitement. "You convinced me. Forget the tea!" His anticipation sipped into his voice and brilliant eyes. He was so much like a child that was told they could have extra cookies after dinner.
"Already forgotten, sunshine." The bluenette smiled a wide smile of his own and rang the order. "Grab a seat and I'll bring it to you."
"Bam…" The golden eyed boy found himself saying. "My name is Bam." He felt the beginning of a blush blooming on his cheeks. His heart made a weird jump when the boy called him sunshine.
"Bam." The barista repeated the name as if he was trying it out and the brunette blushed even more. "I'm Khun."
Bam quickly paid for his drink, tipping extra his beautiful barista, and rushed to a seat by one of the windows. He actually enjoyed the rain when he wasn't caught in it so he wanted to look at the view outside. Even if the view inside was surely more beautiful. No, he shouldn't think of the boy. Khun. He was sure he'd heard the name before but he wasn't sure when or where. Shaking his head, he carefully placed his bag by his side, took off his light jacket and making sure he wouldn't get everything wet, he sat down. Using a couple of napkins, he dried himself, thankful that his hair and jacket had gotten most of the rain.
Khun came soon after with his hot chocolate. Bam's eyes instantly lit seeing the drink; so much cream and sprinkles there!
"It looks amazing!" He exclaimed, both hands cupping the mug eagerly. He took a moment to appreciate the soft aroma of the cocoa and then took a sip. "Mmm…delicious."
A soft inhale coming from Khun made the other boy look up from his drink. The blue haired boy was looking at him with wide eyes. Seeing Bam's questioning look –a soft blush appearing on the brunette's face thinking he did something embarrassing— Khun looked away.
"I'm glad you like it." He murmured under his breath. Were his cheeks red?
"It's really good." Bam whispered, a bit more hesitant now.
Khun turned to look at him, opening his mouth to say something, but whatever it was, it was forgotten when the café's bell rang as a group of students walked in, shaking away the rain. The blue haired boy sighed and returned behind the counter with hurried steps.
Bam had nothing better to do but take out his phone and check him emails. Seeing that the rain wouldn't let up any time soon, he texted his roommate to let him know he was safe and mostly dry. Briefly, he wondered if he should take out one of the books he had borrowed from the library and study. Meanwhile, the bell of the café kept ringing and soon the place was full of voices. It didn't take Bam long to notice that Khun was struggling to take care of all of the customers. His expression was neutral and his voice professional as he greeted them and took their orders but his shoulders were rigged with tension.
Not thinking much about it, Bam shoved his phone into his bag and took a last sip of his drink. Then, he grabbed his bag, jacket and empty mug and moved towards the counter.
"Leaving…?" Khun's question died on his lips as Bam walked behind the counter, left his things somewhere that they wouldn't be a bother to them, placed his mug in the sink and grabbed a tray.
"Where are these going?" He asked, pointing at the mugs of coffee Khun had prepared.
"Bam…" Khun tried again, but the brunette had already placed the mugs on his tray, looking at him with a raised eyebrow, "…the table on the left of the door."
Bam gave him a wide smile and moved to serve the coffees. He moved with grace, maneuvering his way through the people and tables, and it wasn't lost to Khun that several of the female customers turned to look at him as he passed by them.
For the next half an hour, Khun would man the cash register and make coffees while Bam would server them and take orders from the tables. More and more people called him over to order a snack instead of walking to Khun. They smiled at Bam, asking for his recommendations and the smiling boy answered them with a soft voice. When the first customer asked for the snack menu, Bam brought one to her, then walked to the place all the snacks were, taking in the different kinds of desserts and sandwiches the café had to offer. Then, after memorizing their names, he started talking to the customers as if he had tried all of them and knew which ones were the best. Khun had to admit that the boy was really good at it.
At some point, Bam turned to look at the counter only to find Khun's eyes on him. He smiled at the blue haired boy with fondness and waved. Immediately, Khun looked away. Bam would have liked to ponder on it but then a customer called him and the brunette was once again too busy for any such thoughts. Another half an hour passed and things seemed to slow down. Bam had just finished washing some dishes when he noticed one of the tables was recently emptied so he moved to clean it. Smiling, he noticed that the rain seemed to slowly let up.
Suddenly, a tall bulky man with reddish brown eyes and dark skin walked in the café. "The Great Rak is here!" He announced in his thunderous voice, attracting a lot of curious looks in the process. Noticing how the place was full, he blinked and walked straight towards Khun. "The place is full."
"No shit, Sherlock." Khun said, coldly. He had just finished with the last order and he was trying to fix himself a cup of coffee.
Looking around once again, the new guy found something of great interest. "Blue Turtle, who is that turtle? What is he doing?" the Great Rak asked, pointing towards Bam who was cleaning a table, only slightly put off by Rak's appearance.
"That's Bam." Khun's voice was suddenly warmed as he used the boy's name. "He got here when the rain started."
"Is he your friend?" Rak narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Khun's vague reply.
"I'd like him to be." Khun whispered under his breath, but to Rak he answered, "I've seen him around campus but nope. First time talking to him."
Rak blinked. Then, he blinked again. "YOU MADE A CUSTOMER WORK FOR YOU?!" He shouted loud enough for the whole place to hear him.
Khun groaned. This guy was so loud. Everyone was looking at him. The bluenette looked at the direction of Bam and sure enough, the brunette was looking at them, too. His tray was filled with mugs and plates and the blue haired boy noticed how the other boy hurried to finish with his table when he saw Khun looking at him.
"He grabbed a tray and started serving coffees." Khun explained, feeling the beginning of a really strong headache. Why did Rak have to be so loud? "Customers kept coming and I had both my hands full making coffees and working the register. I couldn't really stop him."
Okay, maybe he could. But if Khun enjoyed the way Bam walked around carrying the tray or how sweet his voice sounded as he told Khun what snacks the customers wanted was none of Rak's business. Maybe Khun wanted Bam to be around a little longer, interact with him a bit more even if all interactions were work related.
Bam approached them then, left the tray on the counter and turned to face Rak. "It's not Khun's fault!" He said, quickly. "I'm really sorry. I was the one who started helping around. My adoptive father also owns a café back home so I know my way around things and seeing Khun was the only one here, I felt the need to help!" He bowed his head apologetically, his words coming out fast. "Please, I didn't mean to cause him any trouble."
Rak got his face close to Bam's, looking him straight in the eye. Khun admired the boy's courage; he didn't even flinch or tried to pull away. He stayed still, waiting.
"I'm the Great Rak; the owner and manager of this café. Tell me. Why do you want to help this Blue Turtle?" Rak asked, suspiciously.
"Blue Turtle?" Bam mouthed, blinking, and from the corner of his eye he saw Khun face palming. "Oh, because of his eyes and hair!"
"He isn't polite to people. He's an over thinker and can bore you talking about facts. He's barely any help when you need him. He wouldn't do you a favor without asking for something in return and would make sure to get more than what he gave. So, why did you help him?"
Bam didn't like Rak's description of Khun. He could tell Khun didn't like what the other guy had said either but surprisingly he didn't try to argue either.
"His smile was warm when he greeted me." Bam said the first thing that came to his mind. "He was nice to me. He fixed me a delicious hot chocolate." He added trying and failing to hide his blush that spread from his cheeks to his neck and ears. "And he needed help. There were too many customers for one person." He ended lamely, knowing he had embarrassed himself. Why hadn't he said that first?
"Blue Turtle, did this guy hit his head or something?" Rak leaned towards Khun, lowering his voice, even though Bam could still hear him, perfectly. "Did you pay him to say that? Is he sick? Is he..?"
"Shut up already!" The bluenette was having a full blast headache now and each question made it worse. Not to mention that Bam was looking at them with wide eyes. It was quite embarrassing. In all honesty, Khun wasn't sure why Bam hadn't left yet. "You're being weirder than usual."
A college girl waved her hand at Bam as if they were friends and called for him. Khun narrowed his eyes at the ease she felt around the young boy who had been her waiter. Bam bit his lip wondering what he should do but Khun extended his hands from behind the counter and gently pushed him towards the customer. There were three girls in the table. One of them had got a slice of apple pie about ten minutes before Rak appeared and immediately after the second one had called for Bam and asked his recommendation. They were clearly flirting with him.
Khun tightly wrapped his hands around his cup of coffee, taking a deep sip. His eyes were trained on Bam and only turned to Rak when he had rung the girl's order, a slice of cheesecake, which the brunette served to the giggling girl. The tall guy with the strange eyes was looking at Khun with an expression that made the bluenette think that whatever happened next wouldn't be good.
"Are you a student?" The great man asked the brown haired boy when he returned by the counter. "You cannot be older than this one." He pointed towards Khun.
"I'm on my second year to get my Bachelor of Education in Elementary Education." Bam seemed quite proud of his career choice and Khun couldn't help but picture him in a classroom full of children. He'd fit nicely there.
"Are you working anywhere?" The owner of the café continued his questioning.
"No, not really. I've just moved here some weeks ago and I'm adjusting to the big city." Bam continued answering Rak's questions as if it wasn't weird being interrogated by a complete stranger. "I haven't had time to search for one yet."
Rak continued looking at Bam for a while and then he casually said. "Well, since you've already decided to help around today, that table was just emptied."
The brunette turned towards the direction the manager was pointing and indeed, the table was emptied. So, he grabbed the tray and rushed to clean it.
"What are you doing, alligator?" Khun cornered Rak as soon as Bam was out of hearing range. "Why do you want him to work here?" Of course, Khun had caught up on the reason Rak was asking all those question. It was pretty clear he wanted to recruit the beautiful ball of sunshine.
Rak raised an eyebrow looking at Khun as if he was stupid. "This turtle is really cute. His eyes are like small suns. He'll bring us a lot of customers." The smile he gave the bluenette was almost sinister. "Think of all the girls that will fill my café thinking they can be his mate." His smile now was for sure sinister. "Maybe that will make you wanna work here, too."
"What makes you think that?" Khun asked trying to go back to his indifferent tone. He couldn't let the situation escalate any more, even if thinking of Bam surrounded by a bunch of women made his blood boil. "I only agreed to help this week because Shibisu got sick and you said I could have free coffee all month."
Rak wasn't lying when he told Bam that Khun didn't do any favors for free. No. Everything Rak had said was true. But Khun had hoped he'd get a chance to spend some time with the other boy and let him shape his own opinion about him, because something told him Bam could be the one exception to all his rules.
The truth was that Khun had been trying to find an excuse to talk to Bam for weeks. He had caught sight of the boy in the library about a month prior to their meeting at the café. Khun had been there to check a reference book and had decided to stay and read it there instead of checking it out. He was actually about to leave when Bam walked in with a blonde guy, looking around amazed. The sun was coming in through one of the windows, bathing Bam with its warmth and Khun's breath was stolen. Then, he heard the boy softly laughing at something his friend told him, trying not to disturb anyone around him, and Khun knew he had it bad. The boy looked and sounded like an angel.
After the two friends left, Khun stayed in the library for another hour, his mind trying to come up with a plan on how he could find who the boy was. He hadn't seen him around before; he was sure he would have remembered him. The university was huge and he didn't even have a name to begin with. He had hoped the blonde would mention it but alas, it didn't happen. He heard, however, that the brunette was a transfer student.
So, maybe Khun hung out close to the administrators building for some hours the following two days, hoping the boy would have some unfinished business there. He actually got lucky because on the second day, the brunette walked in the building accompanied by the same blonde. That really annoyed Khun. He wanted to talk to the boy but with his friend there, he couldn't find a good excuse to do that. Not to mention that probably the other guy would recognize Khun and associate him with the rest of his family. Sighing, Khun decided to wait for another opportunity to introduce himself. Only it never came until that day. When Bam walked in the café, soaked from the sudden rain, Khun couldn't believe his luck.
Bam came back with his tray full and placed the dirty cups in the sink. Rak nodded his head taking in the boy's careful movements, and pretended he had just come to a decision. "Baby Turtle!" he started and Khun felt the need to choke him.
"Baby Turtle?!"
"He has a baby face!" Rak shot back and continued before Khun could interrupt him again. "You're really good with people." Bam tried to say something but Rak didn't let him. "You're hired."
"Mr. Rak…" Bam started but Rak gave him a look that had him immediately close his mouth.
"We'll work around your schedule. You can have a snack and free coffee or any drink you like here. There's insurance and the money is good." The manager and owner of the café was vehement on recruiting him.
The boy in question turned his eyes towards Khun asking for help but the bluenette was looking at Rak with an expression so funny that Bam couldn't help but mumbling. "Do I get to work with Khun?"
Rak raised his eyebrow, a grin spreading on his face. "This lazy turtle doesn't work here. You don't have to worry about him!"
"Oh!" was all Bam could say trying not to be too disappointed. "I wouldn't have guessed," he added as an afterthought. "He made me the best chocolate drink I've had in years."
Khun's ears got red. He cursed the fact he'd chosen to wear his hair up that day. "I'm glad you liked it." He said, softly. "I help here sometimes when someone is sick and my schedule allows it. But I come as a customer almost every day as well. The alligator is loud but the coffee is good."
Bam seemed to brighten at that. After a bit of thinking about it, he gave a wide smile. "Alright, Mr. Rak. I accept."
The manager shook his hand, excitedly, telling him how he'd love working in Kame Café. Seriously what was with this guy and turtles? Rak kept shaking his hand as if he was trying to pull it out but all Bam could do was look at Khun and the soft smile the other boy wore. His ears were still red and Bam thought he looked so lovely.
"Will you show me how to make a good chocolate drink? Mine never tasted that good."
Khun grinned, feeling more in control of himself. "Come here." Bam rushed to the bluenette's side, managing to extract his hand from Rak's, and Khun would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the boy's eagerness or warmth.
Rak took care of the customers as Khun showed Bam around with the excuse that he was better at explaining things. Later, Khun and Bam had some snacks from the café—Rak's treat for their hard work—discussing things and getting to know each other. Bam found out that Khun was a third year student in Law's Department, having started studying the law because of his father and actually ending up enjoying it. Khun told him he was planning to start his own law firm as soon as he graduated and work hard to bring his father's firm down.
Hearing Khun talk about his family finally helped Bam remember why the name was familiar to him. "My adoptive father knows yours!" He exclaimed suddenly and then cringed remembering a certain incident. He bit his lip, hard, as he mumbled. "My dad punched him."
"Excuse me?" Khun chocked on his coffee, almost spilling it on him. He wiped his mouth and quickly turned his eyes back on Bam thinking he'd misheard him.
"Your dad… he came to our house once… You see, my dad is a well-known businessman back in my town, and I remember your father…Eduan Khun…he came over because there was some kind of legal problem with another house. I'm not sure exactly what the case was." Bam was nervous. He was really nervous. He was fidgeting and biting his lower lip. "He was representing the other side and he came knocking on our door. I was the one letting him in but then I had to get dressed because I had a shift at the café so I left for a while. When I came back downstairs, our dads were arguing and then… my dad punched yours on his face!" Mortified, Bam hid his face behind his hands. "I'm so sorry!"
Khun stayed silent for a moment. Then, he started laughing loudly. Like clear water, his laughter poured out of his parted lips; his frame shaking as he tried to stop himself in vain. Bam looked at him from behind his hands, confused and enchanted. How could he not be enchanted when the bluenette's eyes shone with mirth like the rarest of diamonds? He was breathtaking.
"That's how he broke his nose!" Khun finally managed to push some words through his laughter.
Rak approached them quickly, drawn by Khun's loud laughter. He placed a hand on Bam's shoulder looking at Khun in disbelief. "Baby turtle, what did you do to Blue turtle? Did you break him?" There was definitely concern in Rak's voice. He'd never seen the bluenette acting that way in all the years he knew him.
"I…I don't know." Bam whispered, suddenly terrified. "Khun…are you alright?"
Feeling his stomach hurting from laughing so hard, the boy in question turned his eyes towards the owner of the café. "Bam's father was the one who broke Eduan's nose!" He managed to mumble before he started laughing again, and this time Rak joined him.
Bam wasn't sure what was so funny about it but he liked seeing Khun and Rak laughing so he gave them a gentle smile. He felt at home in their company, and being with Khun made him feel like destiny. It was the same comfort and warmth he felt coming home after being out on a cold day. It was wonderful.
An hour later, Bam helped Rak and Khun close the café under the excuse of wanting to know everything before he started working there. Then, Khun offered to drive him home, saying it was late and Bam had lost too many hours because of the unexpected rain and helping him. Bam protested out of politeness but secretly he was pleased he could spend some more time with the other boy. He was equally pleased to know Khun would continue working that week at the café until Shibisu was back to health, even though Bam had clearly said he could take over those shifts. Rak had indeed worked around Bam's schedule—if he saw Khun copying it when Bam wasn't looking, it wasn't something either of them would admit—and had asked the brunette to come in and help Khun during that week; training he called it.
"Wangnan must have been quite worried. It's so late." Bam said as Khun drove him home. Sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his neck, remembering he should have texted the other boy when he accepted the job offer to let him know he'd be late. Being by Khun had been so distracting that he hadn't thought of his roommate at all.
"Is he your boyfriend?" Khun asked, without taking his eyes from the road but his grip tightened on the steering wheel.
The brunette instantly blushed. "No! Not at all. He's my roommate and best friend! I…I'm not dating anyone." He added the last part, shyly.
A small smile was shaped on Khun's lips. That could easily change. Give him some time and the beautiful boy would be his. "How so?" He curiously asked.
Bam seemed to seriously think about it as if it had never crossed his mind. "I guess no one really caught my eye before?" It was more of a question than an actual answer. "I've always been too busy with school and the café. I had friends that were really close to me but…never a girlfriend or a boyfriend."
Khun smiled even more at Bam's words. So, he was open to having a boyfriend. That was a great start. He could work with that. "No one was pretty enough for you?"
Bam quickly widened his eyes. "No! Of course not! It's not…" Khun started laughing and Bam stopped, pouting. "Khun!"
The rest of the drive was filled with pleasant conversation but soon they were in front of Bam's apartment. Khun parked the car and got out with the brunette, walking him all the way to his door. As Bam searched for his keys, Khun took in the buildings around him, pleased that the boy lived in a good neighborhood. His father must have been well off anyway. He wouldn't let his son live in a dangerous place.
Bam was such a surprise. Khun had been attracted to him since the very beginning but looks could be deceiving. The boy with the ocean eyes knew that very well. However, how could Bam be anything but warmth and sunshine with that melodious laugh of his, Khun had no idea. Yet, the bluenette now knew that Bam was so much more. He was polite and kind and so interested to talk to. If Khun wasn't already in love with him, he knew he would be soon enough, and the thought didn't seem to scare him at all. It felt right.
Bam finally found his keys and turned to look at Khun. The street lights illuminated the night, creating a soft halo around Khun's blue hair, and Bam no longer cared that he had found his keys or that Khun was giving him a questioning look. His hand reached for the boy's blue bandana as if it had a life on its own, carefully removing the piece of cloth and letting the bluenette's hair down. Khun bit his lip, not moving. He barely dared to breath, looking at the brunette who seemed to be in a daze. Really gently, the boy with the eyes that could rival the sun, ran his hand through the soft strands of Khun, feeling their softness.
"You look beautiful." He heard Bam saying and Khun's eyes widened at the same time Bam came to understand what he had just said.
Mortified, Bam pulled his hand and took a step back, almost colliding with the closed door. His eyes were wide with fear. What had possessed him to say such a thing? Sure, he had been thinking about it since the moment his eyes fell on the gorgeous barista but what in the fires of hell made him think he had the right to say it aloud?
"I'm so sorry, Khun! I…I don't know why I said that!" Bam was clearly in panic. "Not that you don't look good, but to say that…all of the sudden…I…" Why couldn't the earth open and swallow him? It would save him from this utterly humiliating moment.
Khun smirked. "Aguero."
Bam blinked. "What?"
Khun smirked even more, taking a step closer to the confused boy. "My name is Aguero."
Bam blinked again, and Khun thought he was adorable. "Aguero." He tasted the name and the bluenette shivered. "It's pretty like you." Bam covered his mouth. What the hell was happening to him?
"Oh, is it now?" Khun almost purred, moving even closer to Bam.
At that point, Bam decided that he had already laid the foundations for his coffin so why not seal it with a couple of more nails? "It is. I like it a lot. And you…you're so beautiful. I've never seen eyes like yours. When you laugh, they sparkle with life. And your hair… It isn't just blue. Under the right light, it looks silver. And it's so soft." He swallowed hard. "I've never met someone like you…Aguero."
There it was. Every time Bam said Aguero's name, the bluenette felt it was like a soft caress. He didn't want it to stop. He wanted Bam to keep calling his name. He wanted Bam to keep talking. But the boy seemed to be done. In fact, he looked like he was about to bolt.
"I've never met someone like you, either, Bam." Khun whispered, his face close to Bam's now. "Today wasn't the first day I've seen you, you know." Bewildered golden eyes met his at this confession. "I saw you in the library weeks ago. You looked ethereal. I hoped we'd meet again."
"A..Aguero…?" Bam's heart beat impossibly hard at having the bluenette so close to him.
"Yes, Bam?"
Too close. Aguero was way too close to Bam and Bam's brain had stopped working. What was he supposed to say? Were they supposed to be so close? Why was Khun smiling that way? Too close. And yet…so far away. Bam slowly started closing his eyes as the beautiful boy leaned towards him. Then the door opened and Khun barely had enough time to straighten himself. Unfortunately, Bam didn't have the same luck.
"Ouch." Wincing, he looked accusing at the person who had opened the door. "W…Wangnan?"
His blonde friend looked down at him with so much amusement dancing in his yellow eyes that the brunette was sure his fall would be the joke of the week. "Are you drunk, Bam? Couldn't you find your keys?"
Wangnan had been close to the window when Khun had parked his car in front of their building. He had seen Bam walking out and had been relieved his friend was well. But then the minutes kept ticking and Bam wasn't back to their apartment. So, Wangnan decided to check on him.
"I've never been drunk!" Bam mumbled, looking away. "I…have my keys." He jingled them for Wangnan to see, his cheeks red with a deep blush.
"Then what…?" It was then that the blonde noticed the blue haired boy standing in front of their door taking in the exchange with an entertained expression. "Wait! You're a Khun!" Wangnan's eyes widened, and then narrowed as he noticed that Bam was still holding the blue bandana in his hand. Seeing how his friend's face could rival that of Wangnan's red car, the blonde came to a revelation. "You! And him?!"
"Is there a problem with that?" Khun raised a perfect eyebrow.
"It's a big story." Bam explained, slowly standing up, rubbing his pained bottom. "You see, I got in this café when the rain started. Aguero temporarily works there, and somehow I found myself getting a job there. It got late and he was kind enough to give me a ride…"
But Wangnan wasn't paying attention to him anymore as he choked on air. "Aguero? You're Khun Aguero Agnis? The ice prince?"
Khun's eyes turned cold all of the sudden. The ice prince. Of course, Wangnan would know him as that. "That's me. Is there a problem with that?" He repeated the same question but there was no playfulness there anymore.
Everything was going well and now Wangnan could destroy everything. To make things worse, Bam looked at them with confused eyes trying to make sense of what was happening, but the bluenette was sure soon he would side with whatever his friend would say and Khun wouldn't see him again.
So, it came as a great surprise to Khun when Bam actually answered him instead of Wangnan. "Aguero has been nothing but nice to me all day. He's no ice prince." As an afterthought, he added, "Though, he may well be a prince. He does look like one." Then, he slapped his mouth shut. "What have you done to me? I don't usually do this!"
Wangnan wasn't sure who was redder; Bam or Khun? They seemed to be equally embarrassed by what Bam had blurted, and Wangnan couldn't help it. He started laughing. This snapped both boys from their trance.
"Bam," Khun casually started, his voice suddenly soft, "how attached are you to your friend?" Bam gave him a questioning look, not understand. "Say, he one day disappeared all of the sudden…in a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being no sad at all and 10 being devastated, how sad would you be?"
Wangnan instantly stopped laughing, going deathly pale. "Y…You wouldn't…" But Khun completely ignored him, his eyes focused on Bam instead, who seemed to consider it. "Bam! You wouldn't let him, right? Right?!"
"I couldn't really stop him if he really wanted to hurt you, I guess." Bam wanted to laugh but he tried to be serious and play along with Khun.
"You are the only one who is allowed to call him by his given name! It must mean something! Save me!" Wangnan grabbed both of Bam's hands. "We've been childhood friends! You won't let your boyfriend kill me, right?"
But Bam's mind had focused on the first thing Wangnan had said and nothing else. "Is it true?" He asked the blue haired boy, and them he quickly added. "We…we aren't dating."
"A minor detail that we can easily change, if you want." Khun supplied with confidence, choosing to ignore Bam's question for that moment, enjoying way too much the way the other boy blushed at his words.
The brunette opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish but no words came out. Adorable, Khun thought. How had he gotten so lucky?
"As enjoyable as it is standing here on your door, it's getting late and tomorrow we have an opening shift." Oceanic eyes met those with the brightness of the sun. "I'll pick you up at seven."
Then, without turning back to see what effect his words had—afraid he wouldn't ever leave— Khun walked towards his car. He was about to get in when a hand grabbed him, stopping him. Surprised, he turned only to come face to face with Bam. The boy seemed unsure for a moment but then he seemed to gain some confidence.
"Do you mean it?" The brunette asked, his hand still clenching the bandana. "Oh…and I guess I should give this back to you." He added, seeing that Khun was looking at it. Still, the bluenette made no move to touch it when Bam offered it to him.
"Keep it." Aguero said softly. "It's the second thing you stole from me, little thief." A playful smile was shaped on his lips. "Maybe you should start a collection."
"What was the first thing?" Bam breathed, moving closer to the beautiful boy in front of him. Maybe it was the same thing that the bluenette had stolen from him, too.
Tempting as he was to eliminate the distance between them and steal a kiss, Khun pulled back, smirking. "Spend this week working with me and maybe I'll tell you." His voice was teasing and Bam felt himself shivering, pleasantly.
The brunette smiled, softly. "Tomorrow, then." It was a promise. It was an answer to his unanswered question. "Good night, Aguero." He whispered his name once again before he walked back towards his building.
"Good night, Bam."
The next morning if Khun almost died on the spot seeing Bam's brown haired pulled in a ponytail with a familiar dark blue bandana, Bam said nothing at all. And if later on in the day when Rak visited the cafe admitted that Wangnan was right, no one called Khun by his given name –even his family called him A.A—Khun would deny that he almost killed the manager while Bam was busy blushing all the different hues of red and pink. What he wouldn't deny was that by the end of the week he had fixed that minor detail mentioned the first night they had met. When the last customer left and both were done with what was Khun's last shift, the bluenette took off his apron, walked towards Bam and pulled him into a kiss.
"Now, we're dating." He whispered on the boy's lips before kissing him again.
And if that was Bam's first kiss that Aguero stole, Bam was totally fine with it. He was more than fine with it. "Good to know." Smiling, Bam cupped his boyfriend's cheek. "You know…you stole my heart, too."
And Aguero laughed and kissed him again in the dim lights of the little café that was the place where their love started and bloomed.
Thank you for reading this story. I hope you enjoyed it!