Summary: Partitio runs into Osvald at the gym, and makes a bold suggestion to get closer to Osvald. However, that backfires on him, and Osvald doesn't show up to the cafe for two weeks straight. Luckily for Partitio, Osvald has a best friend who wasn't going to sit idly by and let him sabotage his pursuit of happiness.
Partitio didn't take too many Saturdays off, but when he did he made sure to take advantage of the fact that the gym that he frequented wasn't as busy in the mornings.
"Hey, Olberic! Erhardt!" Partitio waved when he came out of the locker room, and the two men standing by the check-in desk returned his greeting. The couple had opened up the gym right after Partitio had started college, and he had been coming here frequently ever since. They were both kind and supportive, and their combined knowledge concerning everything workout related had really helped Partitio set up his own effective routine. He was very happy to call them friends.
"Good to see you, Partitio," Erhardt said, giving him a friendly pat on the back.
"Did y'all have a nice honeymoon?"
Olberic smiled, nodding as he took Erhardt's hand. "It was everything that we hoped it would be."
"Glad to hear it!" A warmth blossomed within Partitio's chest as he watched their fingers entwine and Erhardt place a quick kiss onto Olberic's cheek; they made such a cute couple, and Partitio could only hope to find a love as strong as theirs for himself someday.
"How's the café business going?" Olberic asked.
Throwing his towel over his shoulder, Partitio beamed and placed his hands on his hips. "I reckon it's the most hoppin' joint in town, so pretty amazing!"
Olberic barked out a laugh. "That's good. You're really making a name for yourself already. It's quite impressive."
"Shucks, you're gonna make me blush here!" Partitio chuckled as he jabbed an elbow into Olberic's side. Erhardt shook his head and stifled a laugh himself, and he waved at someone behind Partitio when he heard the locker room door close. Partitio turned to see who it was, and his heart leapt right into his throat and his cheeks grew hot.
"Good morning, sir. Is this your first time here?" Erhardt asked.
"Yes," Osvald said, a small smile crossing his face as his eyes briefly met Partitio's, "I'd like to sign up for a membership, please."
"Of course, if you'd just come and fill out these forms for me…"
As Erhardt led him to the office, Partitio couldn't help but give Osvald a once-over. His normal, everyday attire was pretty modest, so seeing him in gym shorts and a cut-off shirt with his long, gorgeous hair tied up into a neat bun to further expose his shoulders was a real shock to Partitio's system. Hoo-eey, were Osvald's arms always that big?
"Hmm, I honestly didn't peg you as someone who would be into older men, Partitio."
Olberic's comment broke Partitio from his stupor, his jaw snapping shut as he felt his face heat up and sweat start to bead at the back of his neck.
"Whaaat?" Partitio let out a nervous laugh and waved a hand in front of him. "Nah, you've, ah, got it all wrong! Osvald's just, er, a regular at the café…"
"Ah, so you do know him personally." Olberic's smile and the glint in his eyes were telling Partitio that he saw right through him. "If that's your poker face lad, do yourself a favor and never play for money."
Partitio sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat as he pouted. "Ugh, fine…I've got a big ol' crush on 'im, happy?"
Olberic barked out a laugh and placed a hand on Partitio's shoulder. "Very much so. I hope it works out for you." Partitio's lips curled back up into a smile, and his heart raced when Erhardt and Osvald emerged from the office. Partitio pretended not to see the wink that Erhardt shot his way, and instead turned his attention to Osvald.
"Howdy, partner!"
"Good to see you, Partitio," Osvald said as he followed Partitio to the row of treadmills.
"So, did you change gyms or somethin'? 'Cause you sure look like you work out regularly." Partitio bit his lip to keep a goofy smile from crossing his face when Osvald blushed, and Partitio started stretching his arms as Osvald cleared his throat.
"Well, I've actually been working out at home since moving here," Osvald said as he stretched his arms over his head, and Partitio quickly averted his gaze when he caught himself staring at Osvald's exposed navel when his shirt lifted with the movement, "But with limited space for equipment, I haven't been able to adequately achieve my goals, so it was time to join a proper gym."
Partitio nodded as he finished his stretches and hopped onto the treadmill next to Osvald. "You picked a good day to join. They weren't accepting new memberships for the past two weeks 'cause Olberic and Erhardt were on their honeymoon, and this is their first day back."
"Is that so?" Osvald smiled as he started up his treadmill. "Well, today must be my lucky day, due to that…and getting to see you."
"Heh, yeah, that's pretty-eh?"
Partitio gawked at Osvald when he had fully processed what he had said, but he had already popped in his earbuds and was concentrating on his running. His mouth suddenly going dry, Partitio swallowed thickly as he fumbled with his own earbuds, and he tried to drown out his thoughts with some loud music.
The two men continued with their separate routines, and as Partitio completed his cooldown walk, he watched Osvald head over to the bench press. Osvald paused to wipe the sweat from his neck and shoulders, causing Partitio to subconsciously lick his lips, and he stumbled a bit with embarrassment when he realized what he was doing. Partitio saw Osvald staring at him with an eyebrow raised, and he let out a sheepish laugh and gave him a small wave. Smooth, Partitio, smooth…
When he had fully recovered and gotten off the treadmill, Partitio looked back at Osvald and saw that he seemed to be struggling with his reps. Well, he certainly didn't want to let Osvald hurt himself, so he took out his earbuds and wandered over to him.
"Hey, Osvald, d'ya need a spot?"
"Er, y-yes, that would be helpful."
Osvald's face was beet-red, and Partitio hoped that he wasn't pushing himself too hard. He managed to complete the rest of his set without much issue, and Partitio picked up Osvald's water bottle and handed it to him.
"Thanks," Osvald said before taking a long drink, and Partitio slapped a hand onto his shoulder.
"Hey, partner, whaddya say you help me out too? I kinda wanna try upping my weight, here and with my squats." Partitio's heart hammered hard within his chest as he waited for Osvald to answer, and he beamed when Osvald gave him a slight nod.
"I can do that."
"Great!"
Osvald helped Partitio with his bench press set, and before he knew it, both men had helped each other through the rest of their routines. Partitio let out a long sigh and sprayed some water from his water bottle on his face.
"Hoo-eey! That felt mighty good, eh partner?" Partitio laughed as he threw his arm over Osvald's shoulder. "I reckon we make a great workout team!"
Osvald glanced at Partitio out of the corner of his eye and chuckled. "I suppose so."
Partitio's face lit up and he snapped his fingers. "I've got an idea! How's about we be workout partners from now on. And, er, it'd be great to get closer to you-"
"I-I need to go."
Partitio blinked, confused, as Osvald suddenly stood up, knocking his arm from his shoulder. "W-Wait, is somethin' wrong, Osvald?"
"Er, it's…Elena. I need to…pick her up from soccer practice." He grabbed his towel and water bottle and rushed towards the locker room. "Goodbye, Partitio."
"Uh, okay…See ya tomorrow?" Partitio asked, but his question went unanswered as Osvald disappeared into the locker room. Huh, that was…sudden, and weren't weekends for soccer games and not practices? Partitio would have to ask Osvald about that when he came to the café tomorrow.
However, tomorrow came and went, but Osvald did not show up, and he didn't show up the next day, or the next day, or the day after that…
A dark cloud had been hanging over the chemistry building for two weeks now, and Clarissa was finally going to get to the bottom of it. She was a woman on a mission, moving swiftly after leaving her lecture hall, her destination being the faculty offices at the other side of the building.
In the past two weeks, she had been approached by numerous students of Osvald's, some mutual and some not, who were concerned about his sudden change in behavior. They claimed that he was irritable and not open to discussions or answering questions after class, which was very, very out of character for him. In truth, that change had not gone unnoticed by Clarissa, but she did not realize that it had gotten so bad that even his students were worried.
Normally, Osvald would come to her office for some of their breaks so they could compare lecture notes, help each other plan their lab sessions, and go over their respective research projects. Other times they would chat about their personal lives, and Clarissa had come to realize that Osvald was showing a remarkable improvement in mood, and she knew that it had something to do with that café that he went to daily, and more specifically, the man that owned it.
On the day of the Fall Fair, Clarissa had sensed the chemistry between Osvald and Partitio, which was why she had told Osvald to go enjoy the rest of the fair with him. When she had asked him about their time together, Osvald had brushed it off as nothing special, but the soft smile on his face told Clarissa another story. It seemed that Osvald had finally found someone to fill that lonely hole in his heart.
Naturally, Clarissa assumed that something had happened between Osvald and Partitio to cause this unnatural change in the former's demeanor, and she hoped that it was something that could be fixed. Ever since he started frequenting Partitio and Roque, he had been so much happier than Clarissa had seen him since Rita's death. She didn't want him to throw away his happiness over something that he could fix, and if he needed help, she would not hesitate to offer it.
When she finally made it to Osvald's office, she sighed and shook her head. There was a sign taped to it that said his office hours were suspended and to not disturb him. Rolling her eyes, Clarissa took down the sign and knocked hard on the door.
"Osvald, I'm coming in." She didn't wait for a response as she opened the door and stepped inside, closing and locking it behind her. She decided to ignore the heated glare that Osvald was sending her way as she walked to the center of the room. "We need to talk."
"I'm busy," he said, his tone low and dripping with annoyance, which made Clarissa purse her lips and cross her arms over her chest. Her gaze wandered to his desk, where she saw a cup of coffee with an unfamiliar design.
"That's not your normal cup of coffee."
"...No, it's from the library café," Osvald said, not looking up from his paperwork.
"Oh, is it good?"
"It's terrible. Worst coffee I've ever had."
"Then why are you drinking it?"
Osvald glowered at her and just snorted in response before turning his gaze back down. Clarissa moved until she was standing in front of his desk, and she loudly cleared her throat a few times until Osvald's looked back up at her with narrowed eyes.
"What is it?" he said, his tone harsh, but that didn't seem to deter her.
"Many of your students have approached me with concerns about you, mainly due to your sudden and drastic mood shift during lectures. Your closed office hours have been a major cause of concern as well."
"I don't know what your talking about-"
"Oh, stop it Osvald!" Clarissa slammed her hands onto the desk, causing Osvald's eyes to widen and his mouth to snap shut.
"I'm worried about you," she continued, grabbing the chair in front of his desk and moving it next to him. She sat down and took Osvald's hand in hers, which was shaking slightly. "As a colleague, and more importantly, as your best friend. Tell me what happened, please."
Osvald was silent for a few moments, before he let out a shaky sigh and pushed up his glasses so that he could rub his hands over his face. He had wanted to avoid bringing the subject up and just let things blow over, but apparently he had done a piss-poor job of pretending like nothing was wrong. He was foolish to think that Clarissa of all people wouldn't notice that something was wrong, but he hadn't expected his students to worry about him.
"It's…Partitio." Osvald swallowed thickly as Clarissa took his hands in hers and gave them a gentle squeeze. "I think I…made a terrible mistake."
"Go on."
Osvald bit his lip and his gaze fell to his lap. "A couple weeks ago, I went to join a new gym, and Partitio was there. We ended up working out together, and afterwards, Partitio suggested that we workout together again, and that he…wanted to be closer to me."
Lifting his gaze back up to Clarissa, his eyes grew watery when he saw the soft smile on her face. "I…I panicked, and made a stupid excuse to leave. I haven't been to Partitio and Roque since that day."
Clarissa plucked a tissue from the box on Osvald's desk and dabbed away the tears that had started falling down his cheeks. "What made you panic like that? I thought that you wanted to be closer to him as well?"
"I do. Partitio…I haven't felt this way about anyone since Rita…and that scares me, Clarissa." Osvald took a deep breath as Clarissa placed a hand on his shoulder, "When Rita died, my heart shattered completely. I couldn't eat, sleep…Every breath that I took was like fire in my lungs. Elena was the only reason for me to keep going."
"If I pursue a relationship with Partitio and it doesn't work out…I'm scared that I'll revert back to that dark place…and I don't think that I could bear that kind of pain again."
Clarissa's heart hurt as she watched Osvald break down crying, and she wrapped her arms around him and let him cry on her shoulder. She knew very well what kind of hell that Osvald had been through. Clarissa had been best friends with Osvald and Rita from their days at college together, and they had supported her when her husband died. She, in turn, had done all that she could to support Osvald and Elena after Rita's death, and she would never, ever want Osvald to go back to the state that he had been in.
However, she also wasn't going to sit by and let Osvald throw away this chance at finding happiness. Clarissa knew that Rita would want him to find someone else to spend his life with if that was what he wanted, and Clarissa really did think that Osvald and Partitio would make a great couple.
"Osvald, listen to me," Clarissa said, pausing as Osvald wiped his damp cheeks and blew his nose, "It's okay to be scared, but you shouldn't let that fear keep you from finding happiness again. I truly think that Partitio would be a good match for you."
"But, what if it…doesn't work out?" Osvald whispered, and Clarissa smiled as she rubbed his arm.
"If it doesn't work out, then I will help you in any way that I can. You're not alone, Osvald." Osvald's gaze moved up to meet hers, and she was happy when a small smile crossed his face. "We've helped each other through the worst that life has to offer, and I don't intend to stop now."
Osvald pondered Clarissa's words, and the smile on his face grew wider. He knew that she was right. She was his most treasured friend, and it was incredibly foolish to think that she would ever leave him to fend for himself when things got tough. They'd been through so much together, and Osvald counted himself lucky to have her in his life.
"Thank you, Clarissa." Osvald hugged her again, and a warmth flooded his chest that he hadn't felt in weeks. "I'll go back to the café tomorrow and talk to Partitio."
"Good, good." Clarissa pulled away, and she stood up, wagging a finger at him, "And you better apologize to your students for your behavior. You're an exceptional professor, Osvald, and I would hate to see your reputation suffer."
Osvald chuckled as he adjusted his glasses. "I will, don't worry."
"And reopen your office hours! Your subject matter is difficult for a lot of students, and I know that they always benefit from your help directly."
"I know, I know."
Osvald rolled his eyes at Clarissa's lecture, but he really was grateful for it. He watched as she left the office, and he returned to his paperwork, his mind wandering to Partitio and how he was going to explain this two-week absence of his…
As Clarissa left Osvald's office, she almost ran into two students who were arguing in the hallway. "Do you two need some help?"
"Oh!" The woman gasped and looked between Clarissa and Osvald's office. "Are Professor Vanstein's office hours open again?"
"Yes, go on in."
"Great!" The woman punched a fist into the air before grabbing the sleeve of the man next to her. "C'mon, Therion!"
"This isn't necessary, Tressa…"
Tressa blew a raspberry and rolled her eyes. "With your score on that last exam? Uh, yes, it is."
"Ugh…"
Clarissa chuckled as Tressa dragged the still-protesting Therion into Osvald's office, and she turned to return to her own as she gave Osvald one last silent wish for good luck.
The atmosphere inside of Partitio and Roque had been rather gloomy these past two weeks, and that had everything to do with the sulky mood of the normally sunny and optimistic owner.
Partitio let out a sigh as he drew circles on the counter with his finger, his cheek pressed against the cool surface and a deep pout on his face. He didn't like the café being so slow, because it gave him too much time to think about Osvald, and why he hadn't shown up for two weeks straight. Partitio had sent him a few texts out of concern, but he had only gotten one or two word responses, and that just left Partitio even more confused.
He couldn't help but think that he had done something wrong at the gym. Did he overstep when he had asked to spot for Osvald? Or had he made him uncomfortable when he had suggested that they work out together more often? The thought made his stomach churn, and Partitio let out another sigh.
"Aw, cheer up, Parti!" Ochette hugged Partitio from behind and squeezed him tightly. "Pops has been pretty grumpy during lectures, so maybe he's just busy and stressed about his work or research or something…"
"I guess…" Partitio mumbled, groaning as he pushed himself up and leaned his back against the counter. "I sure do miss him…"
Agnea came out of the kitchen and handed Partitio a small bowl of soup. "Here, maybe this'll cheer you up!"
Partitio gave her a small smile and took the bowl. "Thankee kindly, Agnea. I sure am lucky to have such good friends at a time like this."
"Anything for you, Parti!" Ochette giggled as the three shared a group hug, and Partitio smiled as he took a bite of his soup. The door chimed, and Ochette and Agnea's eyes went wide and the latter let out a gasp.
"What's up with you guys-" Partitio asked as he turned around, and his jaw went slack and he dropped his bowl of soup in his shock. Partitio barely noticed Ochette and Agnea scrambling to clean up his mess, because his eyes were locked with a pair that belonged to the man that he had been aching to see for far too long.
"Osvald!"
Partitio couldn't contain his excitement as he shouted his name, and Osvald smiled as he walked up to the counter.
"Good morning, Partitio. It's...good to see you."
"Same here!" Partitio beamed as he poured Osvald a fresh, hot cup of coffee. "Hoo-eey, I was startin' to get worried about you. Thought you might've found a new café."
"Nonsense." Osvald's face scrunched up, and Partitio couldn't help but think he looked mighty cute as he handed him his cup of coffee. Osvald took a sip, and let out a sigh of relief. "Gods, this really is the best damn coffee that I've ever had."
"Daw, you're makin' me blush, partner," Partitio gushed, and he knew that that wasn't the only reason that he was blushing. Osvald let out a chuckle as he paid for his coffee, and he shifted on his feet as he tugged at his beard.
"I'd actually like to talk to you about something, if now would be a good time?" Osvald said, and Partitio raised an eyebrow at him. He had already taken his first break though, and his lunch wasn't supposed to be for another few hours. He didn't want to leave his coworkers hanging.
"Well, I'm in the middle of my shift-"
"Oh, Partitio!" Agnea chimed in, "I think it's time for your break, right?" She shot him a wink, and Ochette wagged her eyebrows at him. Partitio looked back and forth between them, and a grateful smile spread over his face. He really did have the best friends in the world.
"Ah, r-right…I'll be back in a jiffy, guys." As Partitio hung up his apron, Agnea leaned over to whisper in his ear.
"Good luck," she said, and Partitio shot her a small smile and a nod, before heading outside with Osvald.
It was a gorgeous, sunny day, so Partitio led Osvald to one of the tables set up on the sidewalk and they sat down. Partitio greatly enjoyed the beautiful smile that crossed Osvald's face when he took another drink of his coffee. He always loved when his drinks made people happy, and that was especially so when it came to the object of his affection.
"I want to apologize, Partitio," Osvald said, and Partitio's brow furrowed and he tilted his head.
"For what?"
"For not coming to the café for so long," Osvald worried his bottom lip between his teeth and shook his head, "I was...very busy at work, and Elena's doctor's appointments and many extracurricular activities have kept me even busier than usual."
Partitio let out a relieved sigh. He was glad that it wasn't something bad that had kept Osvald away from the café, and he was just overjoyed to have him back.
"It's all good, Osvald! I'm just glad that you're doin' okay."
"I'm…doing even better now," Osvald smiled, and Partitio felt his cheeks start to heat up, "I really missed you-er, that is, y-your coffee." Partitio's eyes widened as Osvald cleared his throat and averted his gaze, his cheeks going as red as Partitio's felt.
A cheeky grin crossed Partitio's face as he propped his elbows on the table and rest his chin on his hands. "Well shoot, I reckon that I also missed you…drinking my coffee." Partitio shot Osvald a wink, and his heart skipped a beat when Osvald chuckled before taking another drink of his coffee.
"Hey there, chickadee!"
Partitio's eyes went wide when he looked up to see Papp and Roque walking up the sidewalk towards him. He hadn't expected to see them today, so this was a pleasant surprise.
"Hey Pops! Roque!" Partitio waved as they approached their table, "You didn't tell me you were comin' to town today!"
"We wanted to surprise ya, and see how the café was doing." Papp looked between Partitio and Osvald a few times, and he barked out a laugh as he dropped a hand to Partitio's shoulder. "Well shoot, you didn't tell me you were dating someone, chickadee!"
Partitio's face flushed and he sputtered. "W-Wait just a minute-"
"And you haven't even introduced me to him yet! I taught you better manners than that, Partitio," Papp scolded, before offering his hand out to a stunned Osvald. "The name's Papp!"
Osvald slowly lifted his hand to Papp's and grabbed it, and the latter gave it a good shake. "Er, O-Osvald."
"Nice to meet ya, Osvald! I wish Partitio would've told me about you. I'd have brought ya a nice bottle of whiskey from the Oresrush distillery-"
"Ugh, we're not dating, Pops!" Partitio interrupted as he waved his hands in front of him, "He's just a regular customer, and a friend."
"Hmm, a friend…" Papp rubbed at his chin and exchanged a look with Roque, who chuckled and nodded slightly. Partitio's eyes met Osvald's, and he shot him a sheepish smile. Osvald smiled back, and Partitio was glad that he didn't seem put off by Papp's misunderstanding, but that didn't keep Partitio from wishing he hadn't misunderstood anything at all…
"I must say, Partitio," Roque said, smiling as he adjusted his monocle, "I am very impressed with the success of the café. You've done an exceptional job in such a short amount of time."
Partitio beamed and ran a hand through his hair. "Aw shucks, I'm mighty glad you think so!"
"You're doin' us proud, Partitio!" Papp wrapped his arms around Partitio and pulled him into a bear hug. "My boy's a successful business man, brings a tear to my eye, it does." Partitio beamed as he hugged him back, and Osvald finished off his coffee and stood up.
"I should get going. I need to review my lecture notes," he said, and Partitio nodded and also stood, pulling Osvald into a hug.
"It was good to see you again, Osvald," Partitio said, a smile crossing his face when he pulled away. "See you tomorrow?"
"Of course." Osvald smiled back as their eyes locked, and Partitio was given pause at the fondness he found in Osvald's.
"Lookin' forward to it! Have a good day!" Partitio waved as Osvald walked down the sidewalk in the direction of the university. Osvald paused and turned to look at Partitio over his shoulder, giving him a wave back before he continued on his way.
Partitio let out a long sigh as he watched Osvald walk away, and Papp's roaring laughter snapped him out of his stupor.
"Hoo-eey, Partitio. You might not be datin' 'im, but that crush of yours is a mighty big one, eh?" Papp snickered as he ruffled Partitio's hair, and he rolled his eyes as he bat his hand away.
"C'mon Pops, cut it out!" he said, trying and failing to sound annoyed, and he laughed as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "Golly, is it really that obvious?"
"Oh yes," Roque chimed in, "You had a certain sparkle in your eyes when you were looking at him."
"He said something about lecture notes, right?" Papp let out a long whistle. "To think that my future son-in-law is a college professor. That's a mighty fine profession!"
"Uh, I think you're gettin' a little ahead of yourself there, Pops." Partitio rubbed at the back of his head as his cheeks flushed. "But…I really do like him a lot. I'm thinkin' of askin' him out soon…"
"Well, we wish you the best of luck, Partitio," Roque said, and Papp nodded in agreement.
"Thankee kindly," Partitio said, beaming as he stood up and grabbed their arms, "C'mon, lemme show ya around the café and introduce ya to some of my great crew!"
Partitio pulled Papp and Roque into the café, and busied himself with showing them the ins and outs of his very own shop. The thought of asking Osvald out lingered at the back of his mind, however, and he was gonna have his work cut out for him gathering up the courage to actually go through with it…
