Work Text:
I saw this guy at starbucks today. Again. He had no smartphone, tablet, or laptop. He just sat there drinking his coffee. Like a psychopath. I couldn't help but stare from my spot in the corner, unconsciously turning my music down, as if that would help me see better. The longer I stared at him, the hotter my face grew. This guy was beautiful. In a free kind of way. He seemed to embody art somehow, with perfectly messy hair and a scarf thrown around his neck, it just seemed to suit him. The people around him buzzed and fled, all while dismissing the small smile directed at them from 10 feet away. He seemed so content sitting there and watching the rush of the people that he didn’t even know, enough so, that it had me watching them too. A little kid ran in circles around a quite tired looking mother, who tapped her finger impatiently against her thigh, obviously counting down the seconds before her first sip of coffee. Nonchalantly, I shrugged to myself. I guess I could see the appeal in watching people, but it’s also kind of creepy. My hand tightened, eyes widening a little as I met eyes with the psychopathic guy. How long had he been watching me? Was he watching me watch the people that he was watching? Oh god. I shifted uncomfortably as he got up, weaving his way toward me and I contemplated fleeing right then and there. Surely, I was his next victim.
He easily slid into the chair across from me, a soft smile on his face. His eyes looking a little too pretty for someone who could potentially kill me. He held out his hand, which I’m pretty sure was trap. Somehow. “Hi. I’m Julian.”
Blushing, I shook it, wishing upon my own grave that this guy wouldn’t kill me. But with my luck, he would kill my entire family too. “Austin.”
His gaze swept over my spread of electronics and papers, an amused grin stretching across his face. “I see you’re busy...I’ll leave you be.”
I closed my laptop, maybe a little too hard, pulling out my earbuds at the same time. “No! No, it’s okay, I wasn’t really doing anything anyway.”
Julian raised his eyebrows, sitting back, sipping his coffee and somehow looking like he belonged on the cover of Vogue. “Oh, well, in that case, let’s take a walk, yeah?”
I adjusted my glasses, smushing all my papers together, before stuffing them in my bag. “Sure!” In my haste, I almost tipped over my coffee, which Julian, of course, caught. Going red, I slowed down a little, so I wouldn’t end up spilling anything on him.
He stood, fixing his scarf before setting my coffee back down. “I’m gonna go buy you a muffin real quick, I didn’t see you buy breakfast this morning.”
I froze, heart trying to decide whether it should beat faster or stop altogether. Oh, god. He’d been watching just as much as I’d been watching him. As he walked away, I pressed my hands to my face to calm the sudden heat.
I finished packing my stuff up, slinging it over my shoulder and thanking Julian numerous times for the muffin. He simply smiled at me before pulling me along, to the outdoors. The cool wind of fall had me readjusting my bene, discreetly, so that I wouldn’t look dorky. Julian brushed against me here and there as we were walking, his gait free and smooth, while I was rushing a little to keep up with him. I think he noticed, though, because he slowed down a little, shooting me a smile, before slipping his hand in mine. I diverted my eyes, face flushing, surprised by how open and forward he was.
As he pulled me onto a nearby bench, I thought that maybe, just maybe , my heart wouldn’t stay broken forever.