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Café’s and YouTube Channels
Pedro and Balthazar had decided to just walk around town to see if they couldn’t find any new places for just the two of them to spend time together at. They weren’t really expecting much as they walked along together, hands intertwined, so they were pleasantly surprised when an open door to a café that they were passing wafted out the smell of freshly baked pastries and coffee.
There was a small board outside of the shop telling the world that they were now open and everything was homemade in the shop. The couple shared a glance at each other before silently decided to get the little café a try – it definitely smelt delicious.
A woman, no older than twenty-two was setting up a display of sweets as Pedro and Balthazar walked in. She smiled as she saw them, “Take a seat wherever you would like, sweeties. I’ll be with you in just a second.” The couple looked around; the seating was made up of brightly colored lounge chairs with matching circular tables to go with every two or three chairs.
Balthazar picked the only two rainbow chairs – Pedro just laughed – and the couple sat there. In the front, there was a large board that showed everything that the café served. Pedro and Balthazar decided what they wanted. The girl came over a moment later, her name tag saying her name was Amelia, “Can I get you anything or do you still want to look?”
The couple ordered coffees and two surprise pastries – two of whatever Amelia thought was the best. She gave a sweet smile and went to go get their orders settled, saying a hello to a single man who came in, taking a seat in the corner with a book in hand.
She dropped off their coffee and wonderful-looking pastries, “Just let me know if you need anything.” Before walking over to the guy and taking up a conversation with him.
Pedro watched Balthazar for a little while as Balthazar looked outside the window to all the people passing by, he was tapping his fingers to a tune that only he could hear. Pedro couldn’t help but smile, even after a year dating, he still couldn’t believe that he had thus far managed not to fuck anything up too badly.
He wasn’t sure what exactly caused him to remember it, possibly from the tapping that Balthazar was during, but Pedro suddenly remembered something that he had found on YouTube after searching Balthazar’s name. Of course while he was searching his name, he found the videos of Ursula had posted, some of Bea’s and Ben’s videos that had him in them, some of Balthazar’s gig’s that people had recorded and posted, but – oddly enough – he also found another YouTube channel.
“Balthy?” Pedro asked, taking his boyfriends hand which had been lying on the table.
Balthazar looked over at Pedro, “Hmm?” He asked, still caught up in outside and the smells in the café.
Pedro smiled, “This is a random question, I know, but do you have another YouTube channel for your music? One that you may not go by Balthazar Jones on?”
Instead of responding, Balthazar blushed and looked down, hiding his face with the hand that Pedro wasn’t holding, “How did you find it?” He mumbled out from behind his hand.
“I was trying to find all your songs to make a playlist out of them so that I could listen to when you were away. I found some comments on Bea’s and Ben’s old videos about how you looked a lot like this musician on YouTube, actually, how you two looked and sung identically.” Pedro chuckled at Balthazar’s reaction, “I looked it up – so where did you get the name Reuben Hudson?”
Balthazar looked up, “It’s my cousin’s name.” He said quietly, then, a little bit less timid, “I started the channel before Bea and Ben started vlogging, when people said they liked my music, I figured I would just keep posting there.”
Pedro nodded, “Of course. I’m just surprised you never told me, I really liked the songs that were up on that channel as well.”
“Thanks.” Balthazar said, a small smile on his face, “I don’t know why I’ve never showed them to you before – never came up, I guess.”
“You don’t have any other hidden channels, do you?” Pedro asked with a laugh.
Balthazar feigned thinking for a second, before shaking his head, “No. I think that’s my only channel.”
The two both took bites of their pastries, “This is heaven.” Balthazar said, looking completely lost in the food.
Turns out they both liked the place so much that they ended up making a Saturday morning ritual, before long Amelia was one of their close friends. Not once did they tell their friends, wanting to keep it their little secret.