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“I understand. But if you reconsider, I’m always available for your call.” Ata hung up his phone, a scowl on his face. The follow-up to his latest business meeting hadn’t gone well at all, and now he’d have to tell his boss that the deal fell through. This really wasn’t a good day.
Ata stood still on the sidewalk. The sun was out, it was a nice, cool morning of early spring, but now a feeling of unease, aimlessness swelled within him. It was still at least an hour before he had to be at the office. Ata didn’t do well with boredom.
He might as well take this opportunity to get some caffeine.
Ata found a coffee shop not too far from where he was—it was a decently sized place, one that Ata had never been to before. He strolled in loosening his tie slightly. His long hair, currently not tied up yet, obscured his vision briefly as a blast of warm air from the heater at the store’s entrance. That was annoying.
With a sigh, Ata got in line. There were only two people in front of him, so at least that was one thing that was going well with him this morning.
He gazed at the menu briefly. They also had breakfast and lunch items, as well as baked goods. Perhaps Ata would take a muffin with him to work.
The line moved up, and a few minutes later, there was a commotion.
“This isn’t my order!” an angry man exclaimed. And then he prattled off some specifics that flew over Ata’s head—he ordered simple things and wasn’t too familiar with fancier drinks.
“Sorry, sorry,” the man at the counter said. “I could have sworn that-”
“Well, you thought wrong! I’ll be sure to report this! You’re incompetent and should not be working here-”
Ata looked up to see the barista smiling politely, nodding his head. Something in Ata’s chest fluttered.
One… the barista, a man with orange hair and nice green eyes, was very attractive. Cute, even.
Two… he looked familiar. Very familiar. Although it wasn’t immediately coming to Ata where he’d seen him before.
Ata didn’t know what motivated him, he’d usually leave a moment like this be and not get involved, but he was stepping forward and grabbing the arm of the man in front of him.
“That’s enough,” he said sternly. “Service workers have it hard enough without people like you badgering them for no reason.”
The man whirled on Ata, opening his mouth, but Ata was faster. He retrieved his phone and pointed it at the man. “I’m recording this.”
The man, after some muffled swears, grabbed his drink and stormed out. Good.
It was Ata’s turn now. He walked up to the counter, and somehow, his face felt very warm. What was the matter with him? He didn’t often feel this flustered in the face of cute strangers. Although something told him that this man wasn’t a stranger at all. But where… where had he seen him before?
The man looked shy, sheepish, almost, as Ata walked up. “I’m sorry for that, and thank you. You didn’t need to… ah?” The man’s eyes widened as he stared at Ata.
Ata blinked as his heart lurched. Those kind eyes… that smile. Up close, he was, no doubt about it…
“You are…”
“Ata-kun?” the man said cheerfully. “Is that really you?”
Relaxing, Ata smiled, leaning in closer. “Kirishima. It’s been a long time.” How could he ever not recognize Ryouma?
“Five years,” Ryouma agreed.
Ata had left for university overseas and hadn’t seen Ryouma since. They’d practically grown up together, them, and a third friend, Kyoutaro.
Ryouma had been attractive as a teenager (Ata had definitely noticed), but he was even more so now. His face was still cute, but also more mature—more handsome. And that smile he was giving Ata was melting his insides.
He opened his mouth, having so much to say, but not sure where to start.
And then his thoughts were interrupted by some angry sounds, clearing of throats, and words of hurry from behind him.
Ryouma realized too, and his face flushed. “Um, um. S-sorry, sorry. What can I get for you today?”
Ata’s face was hot, too. “... Black coffee.”
“U-understood, sir!”
Ata paid, and then Ryouma backed off to prepare his order, his hands shaking as he seemed somewhat clumsy and stressed.
Ata inwardly cringed watching him.
Ryouma was flustered when he finished Ata’s order, holding it out to him with a shaky smile. “There you are.”
“Thank you.” Ata hesitated, but he knew he couldn’t hold up the line. He bowed slightly and left.
He should have kept in touch over the years. But at one point, he’d needed a new phone, and months turned into years, and…
Well, he knew where Ryouma worked. He could come see him again.
Ata left the coffee shop, readjusting his grip on the cup when a piece of paper dug into his skin. Brows furrowed, Ata looked to see a sticky note stuck to his cup.
The writing, familiar even these years later, made Ata smile.
Meet me back here at eight? If you can! - Ryouma
Ata smiled, a warmth blooming all over him.
Of course he would.
**
The day went a lot smoother, a lot faster, now that Ata had something to look forward to. He’d thought about his friends often, he had missed them both a lot. But Ryouma in particular… his feelings had always been a bit particularly special for him.
He had realized the nature of them long ago, but knowing what his future was, he didn’t say anything. Besides, the chances of Ryouma feeling the same way weren’t good enough to risk their friendship on.
When Ata reentered the coffee shop at the agreed upon time in the evening, it was empty. In fact, it seemed to have already closed down for the day.
“Kirishima,” Ata said with a smile as he saw Ryouma sitting at a table by himself. He must have been waiting for him.
Ryouma met his eyes and beamed. “Ata-kun!”
Ata joined him at the table. “Is it… alright to be here after closing?”
“It’s alright,” Ryouma said. “I got permission. Anyway, it’s so nice to see you!”
Ata’s heart jumped. “It’s nice to see you too. I should have kept in touch, but…”
“It’s okay,” Ryouma said. “I knew we’d see each other again.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Ryouma kept smiling at him. “By the way, Ata-kun, you can still call me by my name. It feels so distant to hear you calling me Kirishima now.”
“Oh,” Ata said. “Then… okay. Ryouma.”
He’d called Ryouma by Ryo-chan when they were kids, but when they grew up a bit, he’d switched to Ryouma. It felt strange, saying that name again. He enjoyed saying it.
Ryouma flushed. “So Ata-kun, how’ve you been?”
After a brief bit of catching up, telling each other about their own lives and where they were now, Ata couldn’t help but bring up the incident earlier.
“So you still let people walk all over you?”
Ryouma shook his head. “I don’t know what you mean. It’s just easier to not make things worse.”
Ata sighed. “You should stand up for yourself more. You’d always been like this… even Shuzenji would take advantage of your kind nature.”
Even though Ata did care for Kyoutaro as his other childhood friend, he always took issue with how Ryouma enabled his slovenliness and took care of him all the time.
Ryouma became quiet, staring at Ata with an awkward smile.
Well. Ata cleared his throat. “Then… I assume he’s well too?”
“Yes!” Ryouma said. “Kyoutaro is well. He actually works at the bakery down the street. You should go see him, too.”
“I will,” Ata agreed.
They gazed at each other, wearing matching smiles on their faces. However, the lull in conversation seemed more awkward than not. Ata had no idea what else to talk about.
Ryouma didn’t seem to have any better idea. But the look on his face as he stared at him was very… disconcerting. It made Ata feel like his skin was prickling. His face was flushing, and his heart started beating faster. It’d been a while since he felt that way. Ever since… well, interacting with Ryouma five years ago.
“Ryouma,” Ata said. “Is there something on my face?”
“No,” Ryouma said quickly. He hid his face in his hands. “I’m just stunned over how pretty you are-”
Ata’s eyes widened. “Wha-”
“Not… not that you haven’t always been pretty. I mean, good-looking. Attractive.Very much so. But you-now, I-”
Before Ata could even think of how to reply with how hot his face was getting, Ryouma leapt up.
“Um! Drinks! Do you want drinks! Do you like hot chocolate? I’ll be right back!”
And then, Ryouma fled to the back behind the counter.
Now left at the table alone, Ata was sure his heart was racing faster than it ever had before. Had Ryouma always been this bold? Was he… flirting?
No, Ata was reading too much into it. Definitely.
But if he was flirting, Ata would be more than okay with it.
Ryouma came back minutes later with two mugs in hand. He passed one over to Ata. “Sorry if you don’t like it. When we were younger, you always liked this flavour of hot chocolate. If it’s changed now, you can tell me, I can give it to someone else, or just drink it myself. I mean-”
Ata reached over to put a hand on Ryouma’s. “Relax, Ryouma. Thank you. I do still enjoy hot chocolate.”
Just because he liked his coffee unsweetened didn’t mean he didn’t like other sweet things.
Hot chocolate being one of them.
And the other sweet thing was right in front of him.
Ryouma relaxed and smiled. “Sorry, I guess I’m just nervous.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I guess, seeing you again like this… I want to impress you.”
Ata smiled. “You don’t need to. I know we still have to sort of get to know each other again, but you’re already impressive by just being you. I know you still have the kindest heart of anyone I know.”
“Ata…” Ryouma bit his bottom lip.
“And… you got even more attractive yourself.” Ata said that confidently, with a hint of a flirtatious tone as a test. A test to see if he was reading Ryouma correctly.
Ryouma immediately turned red. “Ah, this is so embarrassing.”
Ata looked down at where his hand was still on Ryouma’s. Ryouma wasn’t moving it away.
“Do you dislike it?”
Ryouma met his eyes. Somehow, he understood what Ata was getting at. He turned his hand over under Ata’s and threaded their fingers together.
“No,” he said.
“Me neither.”
Ata took a sip of his hot chocolate. It was sweet, just the taste he remembered loving when he was younger—one he still loved. One he associated with green eyes and a warm, sweet smile.
But no, it couldn’t be as sweet as Ryouma was.
Ryouma smiled back at him, sipping his own drink.
They didn’t need to say anything more right now—sharing this time together for the first time in years, it was perfect.