Chapter Text
"Coffee again?"
Ten holds up the pot containing the brown liquid, an eyebrow raised before a sigh escapes his lips. It was the face he always made whenever the little bell would ring as the door's of his diner would swing open, revealing the dark haired man who'd occupy the exact same stool near the counter every single day. Kun was used to that face, and his initial reaction is to roll his eyes before coming up with some lame comeback, which was what he did that day as well.
"It's the only thing worth ordering since you're not on the menu," he quipped followed by a wink and a smile.
Like a reflex, he received a hit from the diner's owner, making his grin wider as they fell into their usual banter. This was their routine for the past five years and the man really couldn't picture himself going through an entire day without stopping by Ten's quaint little shop for a cup of coffee. Ever since he moved into their small town five years ago, he considered this place his little safe haven due to the comforting warmth of the atmosphere, the wafting aroma of bacon and hamburgers, the old music blasting through the crackling radio and the familiar faces cluttering up the seats.
There was Ms. Choi with her cat, feeding it a rather unhealthy amount of fried fish that he was pretty sure would lead to another appointment at the vet. There was Taeyong, the kind man with kind eyes to match who ran a pet shop down the block as he ate breakfast with the bookshop owner, Mark. Light conversation filled the air, making him feel relaxed. From the corner of Kun's eye, he could see a lot of other folks that made up their town where everyone pretty much knew everyone.
And in front of him, was Ten.
Ten had lived here longer than he had. Kun was nineteen when he moved out of his parent's home to start a quiet life far away from the city. He went to the community college, made good grades, and now ran a clinic on this street. When he was hungry or tired, he always found himself coming to this place and eventually grew a relationship with the person who always stood behind the counter, tending to his customers and making food. He watched Ten grow from being a waiter to eventually running the place. Ten had watched him grow from being a stressed out med student to having his own clinic.
Their personalities often clashed with each other so it was common to see them fighting over the most stupid things. At first, Ten even detested Kun's existence because he would come and stay here until the moonlight seeped through the windows, studying. Those late nights as teenagers drew them closer together and soon, Ten wouldn't even mind if Kun sat there all day long. Most of the time.
It's amazing how it only took a single cup of coffee to get to where they were now.
"You come here everyday, inhale all the caffeine in sight, make failed attempts at flirting with me - yes, failed, you need to up your game, Qian or you're never going to walk down the aisle and you don't even bother to leave a tip for me. Not even a penny," Ten huffed, pouring the coffee into a cup and passing it to Kun while talking.
"I'm pretty sure the amount of income I bring into this diner on a daily basis for the past five years will make up for all of that," he replied, inwardly grinning at the frustrated one-second scream that the guy lets out. "Come on, you can't deny that you love my presence here. I'm practically your favorite customer."
"I have every right to deny."
"Denying doesn't automatically mean the truth!"
"Get out!" Ten hollered, throwing a towel that he was using to wipe the countertops in Kun's direction which the latter easily missed with a slight tilt of his head. "I will not have you come here and insult me like this! In my own diner!"
"But if I leave then you won't be able to get that tip," Kun pointed out. A giggle was formulating in his throat as he saw the realization dawn on the boy's eyes, like a lost kitten with his head tilted slightly to the side and the light of the diner reflecting onto his confused eyes. Ten often reminded him of the tiny furry creature because of the way he stuck his tongue out while deep in thought or the way he scratched the side of his head when he was unsure of something.
"I hate it when you're right," he eventually answered, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He disappeared under the counter for a second before coming back up with a glass jar in hand. "Okay, put the money in here and then leave."
"But Ten...!" Kun mocked wailed as he realized that he was practically getting kicked out. "But what about our promise? Our vows? What about the kids? Have you ever thought about the kids?" Without even realizing it, Kun was already being led out of his seat with Ten at his side, shooing him away with the motion of his hands.
"For the last time," Ten was saying as he ushered the guy out of the place and through the door. "Louis and Leon are my kids; we are not going to have joint custody of them."
"But they like me!"
"They like Mr. Yoon too and he never even cleans his nails and smells like manure because he keeps trying to come up with weird mutant vegetables."
"They're called hybrids, Ten. And what if he earns a Nobel Prize for them?"
"It doesn't change the fact that he smells bad."
"Can I have fries to go at least?" Kun asked, his lips curving outwards to shape into a pout. He was now standing outside after Ten gave him one final push, the other now standing behind the door leading into the place that was halfway open.
"No."
The door slammed and Kun smiled.
It was always worth it to see Ten in the morning.
-
"He hates me," moaned Ten after he closed the door as he practically fell to the floor behind the counter, exhausted. "I'm not even kidding, stop laughing at me, Yangyang! He walks in here everyday just to annoy me and take up all the coffee and frankly, I'm getting sick of it."
"Have you ever considered that he comes here every single day just to see you?" the younger suggested with a knowing smile hidden beneath the cup that he was drinking from. Yangyang had known Ten since they were in high school despite having a minimal age gap so he was there the day Kun first came into the diner. And when he came the next day. And the next. And the next.
Ten's diner always had a steady stream of regulars that came during oddly specific times but none of them had an attendance record quite like Kun's. It's truly not an exaggeration to say that he ate here for breakfast everyday because he did; the only times he missed was when he went out of town overnight once and when he went to his hometown for Christmas. It had gotten to the point that when Yangyang would stop over occasionally for pancakes on his way to work, Kun and Ten would already be in a heated debate over whether invisibility was cooler than teleportation or not.
"Have you met the guy? He's made up of 90% caffeine, I'm pretty sure that he only comes here because I make the best coffee in town." Ten retorted, trying to ignore the rush of butterflies in his stomach and the heat growing in his cheeks at what his friend had said.
Sure, Kun was attractive so he wasn't going to be stupid and try to deny that. Sure, Kun made his heart race a little faster whenever his dimples deepened. Kun who had been there for all of the little moments in Ten's life ever since he came to town. But who said that should lead to an entire new territory of romantic feelings? Ten didn't even want to cross over and he never wanted to even think about it.
"Has Tennie got a crush...?" Yangyang sing-songed loudly, enough for everyone in the diner to be able to listen to him. Heads turned in their direction and the conversation died a little. Ten fumbled hurriedly and clamped his hand over the boy's mouth, trying to shush him before anyone could comprehend his words.
"No, I don't," Ten hissed before removing his hand once he felt like the younger had settled down. "I don't have a crush on Kun." It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.
"Well, I didn't say that you had a crush on Kun specifically," Yangyang pointed out yet again, making Ten cup his face in his hands.
"Oh, God," he cried out, embarrassed. "It's because we were just talking about him, that's all!" He protested with such a defensive tone that Yangyang decided to drop it, even though his friend was so painfully obvious that he was lying.
"Anyways, all the other stores in town are planning on doing a renovation on each building," Yangyang informed him, a tiny frown on his face. "Doyoung is going to be trying to get to you soon, so be careful. He's even managed to convince me to tear down the front wall of the store and I'm not even the owner!"
Ten winced at the mention of his precious diner being torn down and turned to rubble. Okay, that was a little excessive but Ten really couldn't bring himself to change anything about the place. He's been coming here since he was a kid so it eventually developed into this long-life dream of staying here forever. He didn't want anything to change about it.
"Doyoung's stubborn, but I'm worse," Ten reminded his friend. "He isn't going to convince me that easily. Nothing in this place has changed since I was five and it's going to stay that way."
"Kun has been complaining about the walls alot, though," Yangyang said as his nose wrinkled, the stench of the peeling paint entering his nostrils. "He's going to try to convince you anytime soon too."
"Does it really bother him that much?" Ten frowned at the thought.
"Does it bother you that it bothers him so much?" Yangyang teased before almost getting hit with the pan that Ten was preparing to place on the stove.
"Shut up and get to work. Don't blame me if you end up getting fired," Ten hollered at the younger as he disappeared behind the swinging doors, leaving Ten alone as he longingly gazed at the stool where Kun's body used to be.
Maybe one day the two would be able to figure out their feelings and decide to do something about them. Maybe one day Ten would realize that his friendship with the cute guy that came to make him irritated yet secretly giddy had another ulterior motive that he himself doesn't even know he had.
For now, under the glow of the slightly dusty lightbulbs that Ten was too lazy to change, Ten and Kun's memories of fighting, teasing, laughing and crying hang over that one tiny stool that Ten was always waiting for a certain someone to sit on as though it was a sacred space devoid from the rest of the world and only belonged to the two of them.