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The coffee shop was nothing special, admittedly.
It was located on the far right corner of campus, far enough away that it blended in with the city. The only actual proof that it was affiliated with the college were the tired, hungover students who only frequented it because the coffee was only a dollar and the baristas who worked there because it was the only job available. The rest of the customers were older people who left newspapers scattered around the tables and complained about the college students. The coffee itself was more unbearable than the old people, which was probably why it was only a dollar.
The coffee shop did have some upsides, however. For one, it was always the perfect temperature; cold in the summer heat and warm in the harsh winter wind. It also rarely had a line, so getting coffee was quick and painless. Though, the really important part of the shop, the reason that Sapnap came back every day and suffered through the coffee, was the barista: Karl Jacobs.
Karl was an arts student, a few years older than Sapnap, and his Dad owned the coffee shop but Karl practically ran it most days. He worked every day after his classes were over, from three in the afternoon until seven at night, and he always had a smile on his face. It was unexplainable, but it was one of those smiles that just brightened the surrounding world. Karl brought the little coffee shop to life.
Sapnap and Karl didn’t know each other well, they were more like friends of friends if anything; they would run into each other at parties sometimes and make small talk when they did. The only time they really got to talk was the thirty seconds it took for Sapnap to order his coffee and for Karl to write his name on the to-go cup. The conversations were unmistakably flirty, but they were more jokes if anything. Something that brightened both of their days. Yet, somehow, in some stupid, unexplainable way, Sapnap had developed a little crush on the barista.
Sapnap wasn’t a huge fan of the coffee shop, but he liked the guy who worked there.
So he kept going back. Every Friday he would finish his three pm class and wander down to the coffee shop, flirt with Karl, order a horrible coffee with enough cream and sugar so he could drink it without fear of dying, and then leave with a smile on his face and butterflies in his chest.
Tonight, however, was a little different. Sapnap got held up at the library, tutoring a first-year coding student for a few extra dollars to spend on booze - or, admittedly, coffee. It was supposed to be over at six, but they got caught up on a hard question, and Sapnap only left the building at six forty-five.
He considered going home, but the coffee shop was only a ten-minute walk away, and some part of him ached to see Karl again - after all, if he didn’t go it would be at least another week before they saw each other, and it would be a terrible, long week at that.
He got to the coffee shop with about five minutes to spare, and embarrassingly enough he had walked so fast he was almost out of breath. The bell sang as Sapnap opened the heavy door. The coffee shop was completely empty, and the radio was quietly playing songs from the early two-thousands.
The atmosphere of the coffee shop made Sapnap halt in his steps. It was a disaster. Chairs were discarded everywhere, and although most tables were supposed to have four, they all either had six chairs, two chairs, or no chairs at all. Some chairs were even sideways on the ground. Glass coffee cups full of half-drunk cappuccinos were scattered around the place, discarded without a single care, and plates sat with napkins crumpled upon them and barely touched pastries.
The counter itself was scattered with random clean and dirty dishes alike, and the normally neat stack of to-go cups that sat next to the register was knocked all over the counter and floor alike.
“We’re closed!” Karl called, his voice travelling from the back and echoing through the empty shop. It was full of panic, and Sapnap could tell why. He came out into the open, holding a dishrag with soap scattered up to his elbows and the front of his shirt wet. He was flustered and in a rush, and he looked annoyed. Though, when he laid eyes on Sapnap, he stopped in his tracks and his expression softened.
“Oh! Hi Sap” he said, his lips curving into a small, embarrassed smile. He shamefully used the dishrag to wipe away the soap that was covering him. His hair was stuck to his forehead, with some locks drenched in water and others sticking up in random places.
He looked like an absolute mess.
Sapnap felt horrible. He was intruding, and the last thing Karl needed right now was a needy customer.
“Sorry!” Sapnap apologized quickly. He put his hand back on the door awkwardly, “I don’t need coffee tonight - I can go!”
“No!” Karl objected, quickly, “I can make an exception, I have some leftover coffee that I can reheat - it was just going to go to waste anyway.”
Karl was insistent, and before Sapnap could even deny him, he had put the dishrag on the counter and started to type in the register code. Sapnap made sure the front door was closed before walking up to the counter, carefully avoiding the stained patches of coffee on the floor.
He pulled out his wallet to pay, grabbing a five-dollar bill, but before he could hand it to Karl, Karl put his hand up and pushed it away, “It’s on the house.”
Sapnap eyed the small tip jar that was next to the register, emptier than it usually was, and he quickly stuffed the money in it.
Karl looked up at him with wide eyes, “You don’t have to-”
“I wanted to.” Sapnap cut him off. He nodded his head towards the mess of chairs on his left, “Besides, you deserve it. It looks like it’s been a rough night.”
“You have no idea.” Karl scoffed. He walked to his right and grabbed the coffee pot, turning on the stove to heat it up. He turned back to Sapnap and leant on the counter, “A bunch of loud teenagers with the worst manners I have ever seen walked in at five and they didn’t leave until half an hour ago. They’re responsible for the mess. Not to mention, the dishwasher quit two days ago and we have yet to hire a new one so I’ve been rushing washing dishes the entire night.”
Sapnap silently nodded along, listening to Karl rant.
“It gets worse!” Karl continued, “The other barista who was supposed to work tonight decided to call in sick five minutes before her shift started, and no one else was available to cover so I’ve been alone all night! Tonight was the one night I had free time and now I’m going to spend the next four hours fixing up this place… all so I can come right back here tomorrow morning and open because we are understaffed and-” he paused, his cheeks heating up red, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to dump all of that on you!”
“It’s okay.” Sapnap offered a friendly smile, “It’s good to let off some steam.”
Karl smiled back. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly as he admitted, “I’ve been holding that back all shift, felt nice to let it go.”
It was a strange shift. Sapnap had only ever seen Karl when he was bright and cheery, and he had always been fascinated with how he managed to stay so optimistic. But now Karl was standing with his shoulders in a slump and his eyes barely staying awake and he was an absolute mess.
So that's why Sapnap found himself offering, “I can stay and help you clean if you want!”
Karl looked up at him, shocked.
“What?” Sapnap asked.
“It’s just…” Karl trailed off, hesitantly. His face fell timidly, “... it’s stupid.”
“Well now I want to know even more.”
“I’m just surprised, that’s all.” Karl started. His eyes flickered away as if he was embarrassed as he said, “No one’s ever offered to help me before.”
Sapnap felt his heart sink at that.
He didn’t know Karl that well, but a lot of people did. He was involved in several campus events, and he was always seen talking to someone. Karl always brightened the mood, always had a joke or quip prepared and even when he didn’t, he had a magical laugh that made everyone around him smile. Yet, when he needed help, even if it was as small as cleaning up a coffee shop, no one was there for him.
“Well,” Sapnap started. He grabbed the broom that was leant up next to him on the counter, “I’m offering now, so what needs to be done!”
Karl quickly ducked back behind the counter and brought up a small whiteboard. He handed the whiteboard to Sapnap. On it, he had scribbled down a long list of tasks that needed to be done, and he only had the first one crossed off. Almost immediately, his mood shifted, he brightened up a little, his eyes opened wider and he looked more awake, and it made Sapnap’s heart warm.
“I’ll start with collecting the dishes and chairs” Sapnap stated, placing the whiteboard down, “Four chairs at each table, right?”
“Yes,” Karl said, “How do you-”
“I’ve been coming here every Friday since last semester, I’ve got a good idea of how this place looks when it’s clean.”
“Right,” Karl mumbled. He pulled out a grey wash bucket and Sapnap took it gladly. Karl disappeared into the back, presumably to finish what he was doing before Sapnap arrived, and Sapnap worked on cleaning the dishes off the tables.
The coffee in the shop was only a dollar, but the cappuccinos ranged from three to five dollars minimum, and each time Sapnap picked up another barely drunken one he felt his heart hurt a little. Though, he quickly learned that the discarded cups were nowhere near the worst of it all.
There were gross napkins soaked with hot chocolate and coffee and they were stuck to the windows and seats and even places on the floor. Sapnap couldn’t even begin to imagine what had happened.
It only took him about ten minutes to clean all the dishes off the tables and organize the chairs. He brought the tray into the back, listening for the running water and clanking dishes. Karl stood over the sink with a small rag, cleaning out each cup and plate carefully. The water would overflow the sick sometimes and splashed on his very dirty, and definitely ruined, pair of converse. On the counter beside him, newly cleaned dishes were piling up. To the side was a cabinet full of shelves labelled with each type of dish, but they were all nearly empty.
Sapnap placed the tray on the side with the dirty dishes, “Where are the drying towels?”
“In the cupboard to the left.”
Sapnap managed to find one that would work and started drying.
“Thank you for helping me. It means a lot.” Karl spoke up immediately. His tone had shifted from before. He giggled nervously, “You’re kind of like my knight in shining armour.”
“It’s really the least I can do,” Sapnap said. He started to pile the dry cups in a stack, “After all, I’ve been coming here since October, it’s about time we finally got to know eachother better.”
“I’m covered head to toe in dish soap, my hairs a mess and I am one small inconvenience away from balling my eyes out.” Karl chuckled, looking down at his soaking wet clothes, “This isn’t exactly how I imagined the two of us getting to know each other.”
“How did you imagine it?” Sapnap asked, his tone flirty and unashamed, and Karl noticed because his eyes quickly flickered over nervously before looking back down at the dishes and holding up the plate he was washing to his face. Though it looked like he was only trying to get a strawberry jam stain off of it, Sapnap realized that it was his way of physically creating a “shield” to hide his reaction.
It took Karl a few minutes to conjure up an answer, pondering on what he wanted to say before he muttered, “Nothing, sorry. Forget I said anything.”
Sapnap wasn’t dumb, and he didn’t take Karl’s comment as nothing, nor would he forget about it. But he didn’t have the confidence to push and had a feeling Karl wouldn’t appreciate if he did. So instead, he asked, “How are your classes going.”
“Wow, George was right about you, you are terrible at small talk.” Karl quipped.
Sapnap chose to ignore the roast. “You know George? As in a small British dude George? Computer science major George? Dating Dream?”
“He’s my roommate!” Karl exclaimed. He handed Sapnap a cup to dry and Sapnap took it, “You can also add annoying and doesn’t know how to lock doors on that list.”
“Don’t even remind me about that!” Sapnap groaned, covering his eyes with his hands, “I have seen and heard things no one should ever have to hear.”
The awkward atmosphere dissipated. Making conversation with Karl quickly became comfortable. The two of them clicked like old friends and slowly developed into the same smooth and carefree tone that they always did when talking.
“Me too.” Karl chuckled. He paused for a second, “Those two make me feel lonely.”
Sapnap scoffed, “You? Lonely? I see you on campus with another guy every week - I don’t consider that lonely.” he grabbed the stack of plates and placed them neatly in their designated spot, “If anyone here is lonely, it’s me. The only plans I had tonight were procrastinating my essay and playing minecraft.”
Karl rolled his eyes, but his focus never shifted from the dirty water, “Please, those guys like to flirt but no one’s ever actually asked me on a date.”
“You’ve never been on a date?” Sapnap asked, eyes narrowing in disbelief. Karl, the school’s resident golden boy, with the perfect laugh and smile and humour, had never been on a date.
“Nope!” Karl said, popping the “p”.
“I find that hard to believe,” Sapnap stated. He watched Karl carefully for a reaction, but Karl was keeping himself busy washing the last few dishes. Sapnap was so caught up in conversation he hadn’t even noticed that everything was almost done.
Karl never gave a reaction, and instead, he quickly diverted the conversation like he had done before, “I am literally covered head to toe in soap bubbles.” he groaned, “I must look like a complete disaster.”
“I don’t think you do,” Sapnap said. The comment cut Karl off guard, his cheeks turned cherry red and he stopped washing the last cup for a second. Sapnap took the moment of distraction to his advantage and cupped his hands, scooping up a handful of bubbles and water and pouring it onto Karl’s head, “Now you look like a disaster.”
Karl stood there shocked, and for a brief second Sapnap’s face flashed with worry. Perhaps pouring water on your crush's head wasn’t the best way to flirt with them. But then Karl used the glass he was washing and threw a large amount of water in Sapnap’s direction, landing all over his shirt and splashing on the floor.
“What the hell Karl!” Sapnap gawked. Karl broke down in a fit of laughter, echoing all throughout the room. He clutched his stomach with laughter. Sapnap felt the corners of his lips turn up, and he tried to cover it with a poker face, though it was hard. Karl’s laugh made Sapnap’s stomach fill with butterflies. It was beautiful, and he never wanted it to stop.
“The look on your face!” Karl stammered between laughs.
Sapnap's stance broke immediately, and he started to laugh along with Karl.
There was something so precious about that moment, just the two of them laughing as hard and as loud as they could, covered in dish soap and lukewarm water. It got to the point where they didn’t even know what they were laughing at, but every time they tried to stop and hold back, they would make eye contact and break down all over again.
Eventually, they stopped. Their eyes were watery and cheeks were red, and they were out of breath. Sapnap hadn’t laughed that hard in a long time.
“You know…” Karl trailed off, using one of the dry towels to wipe his hair. Something about his voice had shifted, he had become more confident, much more cheery, “Earlier I said that this wasn’t how I imagined us getting to know each other, but now I’m glad this is. Even if you poured dirty dishwater on me... you’re a really nice guy, Sap.”
“You are too Karl.” Sapnap said, “Don’t laugh at me, but coming into this coffee shop and talking to you, even though it’s short, is sometimes the best part of my week.”
Karl stepped a bit closer to Sapnap, handing him the dishtowel. His eyes flickered up to meet Sapnap’s as he said, “It’s the highlight of my week too.”
Sapnap grabbed the dishtowel slowly, his fingers brushing against the other boy’s. He may have been imagining it, but it almost seemed like Karl held on for an extra few seconds. He quickly dried the front of his shirt, and then he noticed that Karl still had water dripping down his face. Lightly, he balled the end of the towel in his two fingers, reached out, and started to lightly pat Karl’s forehead.
Karl stepped closer, so close that the tips of their shoes were almost touching. They didn’t break eye contact. Karl’s eyes were beautiful, wide and full of emotion, and easy to get lost in. Sapnap could have given anything to know what the other was thinking. He felt his heartbeat quicken when he realized just how close they had gotten and slowly he started to move down Karl’s face, across his cheeks and to the underside of his jaw.
When he was done, his hands lingered, slowly cupping Karl’s cheek. Karl’s eyes flickered down to Sapnap’s lips and back up again slowly, the corners of his lips curving into a smirk.
They stayed like that for what felt like minutes, staring at each other. The only sounds were their breathing and the clock that ticked slowly in the background. Sapnap was frozen, but not in a fear type of way, but instead the way where he could stay in that exact same position forever without complaint. Perhaps it was stupid, they barely knew each other and yet Karl brought him a sort of comfort that he had never experienced before. He sure as hell never wanted to let it go.
But then Karl’s face fell into a flustered frown, and he huffed and said, “You are truly terrible at taking hints, aren’t you?”
“What-”
Karl cut him off abruptly by stepping forward and pressing their lips together.
At first, Sapnap stood there shocked, but then Karl wrapped his arms around his neck and pushed their chests together and he melted into the kiss. It was slow, hesitant and clear that neither of them really knew what they were doing. Sapnap’s hands rested on Karl’s hips instinctively, and he pulled him closer, kissing him back.
Karl was kissing him.
Karl, the pretty boy in the coffee shop, the guy he had been crushing on for months, was kissing him.
Sapnap felt drunk, intoxicated by the kiss, as he turned his head slightly and deepened it. It was nowhere near perfect, they were both nervous, out of practice, and they both tasted like soapy dishwater, but it was the best feeling in the world.
Karl was the one who pulled away, his lips plump and red and his cheeks warm. Slowly, his hands trailed down to rest on Sapnap’s shoulders, but he still stayed close.
“That was-” Karl started.
Amazing. Wonderful. Sweet. There were many words to describe it, but there was one that stood out.
“Overdue.” Sapnap finished.
Karl giggled and Sapnap smiled.
“For the record.” Karl said, “I’ve wanted to do that since October.”
Sapnap’s eyes widened, “You have?”
Karl giggled, “You really are oblivious, huh?”
Suddenly, though admittedly way too late, everything started to finally make sense. All of the flirty jokes, the quips, the fact that Karl’s face was exceptionally bright every time he noticed Sapnap was next in line. Even only a few minutes ago, what Karl had said. It all started to come together like a giant puzzle.
“So when you said that this wasn’t how you imagined us getting to know each other… You meant that as in… a date?” Sapnap said hesitantly.
“Yes!” Karl laughed.
This time it was Sapnap who stepped forward, reaching up and cupping Karl’s face and slamming their lips together. This time it was faster, full of passion, and the two of them wished they could stay there, like that, forever. Sure, they still had half the coffee shop to clean, but they would get to it later.
Perhaps it was strange that all they needed for everything to finally fall into place was Sapnap being a few hours late, a random dishwasher quitting their job and some teenagers making the coffee shop their own personal playground. In hindsight, it may have even been a dumb story, and much like the coffee shop, it was nothing special.
But it was their story, and that was all that mattered.