Archive of Our Own

It was only nine in the morning, and the day already seemed to stretch too long.

Sho suppressed a yawn as he closed the lid of the container he was using. He absentmindedly cleaned the spoon in his hand, and put it away for the next use. The tea shop was quietly buzzing with chatter and laughter, but it was still subdued. Apart from the early morning crowd of people passing by on their way to work, the customers visiting the shop in the morning were either elderly people or people who worked different shifts. The real rush hour was in the afternoon, when the tea shop would fill with so many people that they sometimes had to turn them away. Sho had toyed with the idea of expanding from time to time, but every time he looked around at the cozy tea shop, the memories of his childhood resurfaced, making it hard for him to come to a decision. 

The only change Sho had made to the tea shop he’d taken over from his grandma, after all, had been the addition of a kitchen in the back. There, the pastry chef Ohno Satoshi worked his magic. 

Sho had met Ohno almost fourteen years ago, when they were respectively eighteen and nineteen. While Sho attended his last year of high school and prepared to go off to university, Ohno, who’d dropped out of high school at seventeen, had been looking for a job. That was when Sho’s grandma had taken him in as a server to help her out while Sho would be at university.

Initially, Sho’s relationship with Ohno hadn’t been the best. Irrationally, Sho felt that his grandmother was replacing him, even though that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t until ten years later, when Ohno stuck by him after Sho’s grandmother fell ill, that their relationship evolved very naturally into a close friendship. By now, Ohno was irreplaceable to Sho. He was not only a co-worker, but also someone he looked up to as an older brother. 

Apart from him, the only other two people who worked in the shop were Chinen Yuri, Ohno’s assistant, and Abe Ryohei, who was responsible for seating the customers and serving them. There were also strings of seasonal workers from time to time, especially in the summer, but Sho was content with his little staff, and everybody got along.

The scent of something sweet wafted from behind Sho, making his stomach groan. He wondered what Ohno was making, and hoped he’d get to have a taste of it soon. After all, as the owner of the shop, he had first-taste rights on everything Ohno made. No wonder he’d put on a bit of weight in the last few years. 

Sho’s stomach groaned again when the kitchen door opened and the scent became stronger. Chinen pushed forward, carrying a tray of freshly baked cookies that he started arranging in the cookie jars on the counter. 

Chinen went back to the kitchen, leaving Sho in a stare contest with the cookies that he knew he couldn’t win. He was about to give in and grab one, when the front door opened with a tinkle, making him turn to welcome whoever had just come in. 

A frowning figure crossed the threshold, all but stomping in and ignoring Abe’s cheerful welcome, and dropped himself on the only high stool near the counter. 

“’Morning Jun-kun,” Sho said, already preparing his usual order. 

Jun’s eyebrows lowered as he acknowledged the greeting. 

It was always funny to see his oldest friend stumble into his shop in the morning. Like Sho, Jun had never been a morning person, and was unapproachable before he had his cup of bitter, healthy, specially-made tea. 

Sho grabbed the boiler and poured hot water into Jun’s cup, watching the smoke go up in whimsical shapes. Then, he threw the water away and removed the infuser from the teapot he’d been using. He poured the tea in the cup, and carefully placed it in front of his friend. 

The man grunted a thank you and grabbed the hot cup, immediately bringing it to his lips to take a sip and grimacing. Sho mirrored his disgusted expression. 

“How can you even drink that stuff?” he asked, not for the first time. “I was the one who created that blend, and even I can’t.”

Jun took another sip and straightened himself, looking more awake than when he first got in. Sho imagined the bitter taste of that tea would even wake the dead. 

“’Tis healthy.”

With perfect timing as usual, the door to the kitchen opened again. This time, it was Ohno who came out of it, bringing forth a small tray with a couple of tarts on it. 

“This is new,” Sho said, looking at the delicious looking yellow tarts. 

“I’m trying out Pastéis de Nata,” Ohno said. “’Morning, Jun-kun.”

“Pasta what?” Sho asked. In front of him, Jun gave the pastry chef a nod with a pleased expression on his face.

Ohno and Jun had only gotten together a few years ago, despite knowing each other the same amount of time that Sho had known Ohno. It had always been a mystery to Sho how the two of them could fit so well together. Before getting together with Ohno, Jun had enjoyed a string of casual relationships because he was too afraid to commit. The son of a rich family, Jun spent his days either living a glamorous life, or carefully curating flowers at his mansion. Somewhere down the line, he had become an ikebana master, and had started teaching classes as a hobby – classes even Sho attended from time to time. Ohno, on the other hand, was someone who liked living his life in a simple way, spending most of his free time fishing on a boat. He really didn’t know how those two clicked, but, against all odds, they were perfect for each other – even though Jun still liked to pretend that he and Ohno didn’t spend most of their time together. 

“Pastéis,” Ohno repeated, placing one of the small tarts on Sho’s hand and one on a napkin on the counter, next to his boyfriend. It was still hot, and it smelled delicious. “It’s a Portuguese egg tart.”

Sho looked at the tart all over before putting it in his mouth. As soon as the taste hit his tongue, he let out a sound of appreciation. It tasted so rich and creamy, and Sho closed his eyes to better savor the cinnamon in it. “It’s so good,” he said, licking his fingers. 

Ohno smiled at him and went back to the kitchen without a word. 

Jun stared at the back of the door wistfully, and took another sip of his tea. Sho looked at his forlorn expression and rolled his eyes. Then, without any warnings, he quickly grabbed Jun’s tart.

At that moment, the door opened with another tinkle, letting a gush of wind inside, followed by a man wearing a light blue jacket and a brilliant smile on his face. Jun’s Pastéis, already boarded and flying towards Sho’s mouth with a one-way ticket, abruptly stopped before his lips. The man who’d just got in chose that exact second to look behind the counter at Sho, who panicked and let the tart fall on the ground. 

“Good morning, Sakurai-san!”

Sho was painfully aware of the fact that Jun was looking at him with a vindicated smirk on his face as he felt the warmth of embarrassment crawl up his neck. He quickly bowed his head. 

“Welcome, Aiba-san,” Sho said. “The usual table?” 

Aiba gave him another smile as he held the door open for the woman he was with, who Sho figured was his girlfriend. “That would be great, thank you.”

Sho stepped out from behind the counter to accompany the couple to a table next to the window, giving a nod to Abe to signal that he would be taking care of them. 

Aiba took off his jacket and placed it on the chair before sitting down. In front of him, his girlfriend sank farther into her fluffy gray cardigan as she took her place. 

Sho put down the menus he’d grabbed on the way. “What can I bring you today?” he asked.

“Do you have something new to recommend?” Aiba said without even glancing at the menu. 

Sho nodded. “It’s a new blend that I made this week. The base is a white tea.”

“Surprise me then,” Aiba said with a giggle.

Sho felt a smile tug on his lips. “Alright then.” He turned around to look at the woman. “And for you, miss?” 

The girl winced slightly, apparently distracted. “What? Oh, the same for me, thank you.” 

Sho gave both of them a tight lipped smile and bowed, telling them he’d be there shortly with their order. 

He walked back to the counter, ignoring Jun’s silent, but pointed stare as he picked up and tossed the fallen tart before he started preparing the order. He knew his friend hadn’t missed a second of that interaction, and he braced for the teasing that he was sure was about to come. 

“So, lover boy is back, huh?” Jun finally said in a suggestive tone. 

Aiba had shown up for the first time at the shop almost a year ago. He’d just moved to the neighborhood at the time, and was on his usual morning run when he’d noticed the quirky little place and had decided to check it out. Sho, who had only just opened that day, was alone in the shop, and was the one who’d welcomed him. They got to talking, and Aiba had quickly decided that that shop was going to be his new favorite place. He apparently worked different shifts, so he never dropped by at the same time, but since that day he’d become a regular, and Sho felt like even the dullest day would shine once he came in to brighten it. 

“Shut up,” Sho hissed to Jun as he poured some hot water in the cups with more force than necessary. “He has a girlfriend.”

Jun put down his cup with a clink. “Are you sure about that?”

Seeing Sho’s puzzled expression, Jun pointed at the couple. Aiba’s girlfriend was suddenly standing up, a contrite look on her face. She bowed to Aiba, who stood up and mirrored her. Then, without saying anything, she walked away and out the door, only leaving the faint scent of a vanilla perfume behind. 

Jun and Sho exchanged a glance. 

Sho grabbed the two cups of tea and placed them on a tray. He looked over at Jun once more before nervously walking to Aiba’s table. 

Aiba, who had sat down in the meantime, was startled when he saw the tray appear in front of him. 

“Oh, Sakurai-san…” he started, “I think I won’t be needing the second tea after all.”

Sho made a surprised noise. “You won’t?”

“Ah, of course I will pay for it,” Aiba added quickly, hands flailing about. “But there’s no one else here to drink it. Unless you’d like to keep me company, that is,” the man said with a hopeful smile. 

Sho didn’t know if that was a good idea. A part of him wanted to sit down and spend some time with Aiba, grabbing every second he could in the presence of the other man. But there was also a part of him that was afraid that he would just hopelessly fall more and more for Aiba if he did. “Aiba-san…” 

Aiba slapped his head. “I’m so stupid,” he said. “You’re working, you can’t just sit down with a customer.” 

“It’s not that,” Sho rushed to say. But looking at Aiba again, sitting all alone with two cups of tea to drink, his mind was made up. He quickly looked over at Abe and made sure that he was taking care of the other customers. “There’s not much to do anyway at this hour,” he finally said. He put the tea on the table and sat down in front of the other man, where his girlfriend was sitting just some moments ago. “Is something wrong?”

Aiba carefully took his cup with both hands and stared down at it before replying. “My girlfriend and I just broke up.”

The words didn’t immediately register with Sho. “I’m sorry,” he said when his brain finally processed the information. “Are you okay?”

Aiba didn’t seem sad, but he had a melancholic look on his face. “Yeah,” he said. “We haven’t been dating for long. I guess the spark wasn’t there.” 

Sho nodded without saying anything. He took the cup in front of him and stared at the swirly pattern on the ceramic before bringing it to his lips to drink it. In front of him, Aiba did the same. 

“It’s fruity,” he commented after taking the first sip. “Are there red berries in it?”

“Yes,” Sho said. “And violet. I feel like they pair rather well with white tea.” 

Aiba tried it again. “It has a delicate taste.” 

Sho nodded, secretly pleased with that comment. “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”

The silence stretched between them as they drank their tea. It wasn’t uncomfortable per se, but Sho was nervous to make conversation with the other man. Aiba, on the other hand, was looking wistfully out of the window, apparently thinking about something else. 

Sho was almost lost in a haze as he looked at Aiba. Something about him made him think of warm spring afternoons, and the taste of sweet fruit, and green tea. He was so lost in that vision, that he almost spilled his tea when Abe appeared next to him. 

“Sakurai-san,” he said. “That couple just made their order.” 

Sho scrolled his head so he could clear it, then put down his cup and stood up. 

“Please wait here,” he said to Aiba, who nodded, confused. 

Sho went back behind the counter, pointedly avoiding Jun’s raised eyebrows as his friend looked at him. He opened the showcase and pulled out a slice of Ohno’s most decadent chocolate cake. He put it on a plate that matched the cup he’d used for Aiba’s tea, and made his way back to the table. 

Aiba was still staring outside the window, but this time, he turned around to look at him when he heard him come. 

Sho put down the cake in front of him. “My treat,” he said. “This cake is so good, it can even cure heartbreak.” 

Aiba seemed to be amused by that. “Really?”

“Yes,” Sho replied. “I tried it myself when I was feeling down.”

“Did it work?” 

Sho shook his head. “Not exactly, but it did help me get out of my sadness,” he said. “It’s impossible to be unhappy after you have one of Ohno-san’s delicious cakes.” He smiled. “Try it, you’ll see.”

Aiba looked at him for a second before taking the fork Sho had brought with the cake and digging in. He broke off a piece, chocolate dripping from the soft cake as he brought it to his lips. He closed his eyes once the bite was in his mouth, and gave out a sound of appreciation.

“This is so good,” he said. “I think you might be right about the powers of this miraculous cake, Sakurai-san,” Aiba said with a chuckle.

“I’m happy to hear that,” Sho said, feeling a warmth in his stomach after seeing Aiba’s mood lift and knowing it was thanks to him. “I have to go now, Aiba-san,” he said regrettably and bowed. 

Aiba stood up. “Of course. Thank you for keeping me company, Sakurai-san.”

Sho gave him a small smile before walking back to his usual spot behind the counter. Jun, who was finished with his tea by now, had brought his eyebrows back into their starting position. Sho didn't say a word and started brewing tea for the new order. 

🍵🍵🍵

“All done now, Yuki-chan!” 

Aiba brushed the long, white fur of the Japanese terrier he’d just groomed for the past half hour for the last time. All the remaining hairs nestled on the brush, leaving the dog happy and well-groomed. As if she had known that Aiba was finished with her, she barked once, tail wagging left and right. 

“I know, I know,” Aiba said, reaching into his overalls to get what she was asking for. He pulled out a treat and the dog immediately licked his hand clean to get it. “Good girl.” 

Aiba grabbed the small dog and put it down on the ground. She looked over at the door, but she didn’t pull on the leash, waiting patiently for Aiba to start walking her back to her owner in the waiting room. 

When the dog saw her owner, an old lady dressed in traditional clothes, she tried to run to her. Aiba giggled and passed the leash to the woman, who was cooing over her freshly-groomed dog. 

“As usual, you did a perfect job, Aiba-san,” she said. 

“I can’t take the credit,” Aiba said. He took another treat from his pocket and gave it to the small dog. “Yuki-chan is such a good girl that she makes it easy.” 

The old lady smiled, wrinkles forming around her lips and eyes. Aiba briefly thought that, despite her formal clothes and speech, she retained a lot of vibrant youth in her gaze. “You remind me a lot of my late husband,” she said. “He used to say the same thing.” Aiba bowed as she thanked him and greeted him, slowly walking away with her dog happily strolling in front of her. 

Aiba stood still until the automatic doors closed behind her. Then, he turned back and walked to the reception, where the young receptionist was filing away some documents. 

“Suzu-chan,” he said to her. “Has Aya-chan arrived yet?” 

The girl nodded. “She’s already in with her four o’clock.” 

Aiba clapped his hands. “Great! I’ll get my things and go, then.” 

He went back to his office to tidy up a bit and to change. He put his overalls away into his locker and put on his black jeans and his white t-shirt. Lastly, he took his flowery jacket from the hanger, and went back to the reception. 

“I’ll be leaving then, Suzu-chan,” he said, waving the receptionist goodbye. 

Suzu smiled at him in her usual cheery way and waved back, wishing him a nice evening. 

Aiba heard the sound of the automatic doors closing behind him, and put his hands into his jacket. Spring had been late to come this year, but the weather was finally getting warmer. The sun shone brightly, kissing Aiba’s face while the wind played with his hair. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling for a second before he started walking down the narrow back road on the right. 

His feet moved before his brain caught up with him, and he half hurried, half strolled down the road until he saw what he was looking for.

It was early for them to be on already, but the fairy lights outside the tea shop were softly swinging in the wind. Aiba could see a couple of customers by the window enjoying their tea. Some, like Aiba had the previous day, were blissfully eating one of the shop’s delicious cakes. He smiled when he saw a familiar figure walk past the window, and hurried so he could get inside. 

The silver bell above the door tinkled happily when he walked in, making him feel lighter in some way. He greeted the boy who welcomed him at the door, and looked around to spot Sho. 

“Welcome, Aiba-san,” Abe was saying. “Can I accompany you to your usual table?” 

“That’s alright,” Aiba said, feeling a bit nervous despite himself. “I was wondering if I could sit by the counter instead.” He pointed at the solitary high stool in front of the counter. 

“Oh, that’s usually not…” Abe started. 

“Aiba-san!” 

Aiba turned around at the source of the voice, and saw Sho looking at him. 

“You’re back soon,” the other man said. 

Aiba gave him a smile. The previous day, after finishing that delicious, heartwarming cake Sho had given him, Aiba had gone home, promising that he’d be back soon. He guessed the other man didn’t realize how soon that would be. 

“I am,” he said. “I just got off work and I wanted to stop by for some afternoon tea.” 

“Sakurai-san,” Abe interjected, “Aiba-san was wondering if he could sit by the counter.” 

“Oh.” 

Sho seemed to think it over. There was something in his face that Aiba couldn’t seem to really decipher. Seeing his reaction, Aiba started to feel like maybe that was a request he shouldn’t have made. He was about to retract, when the other man spoke. 

“Sure, that would be okay.” 

Aiba thanked the boy and sat down on the stool, making himself comfortable. 

“You can give me your jacket if you’d like,” Sho said. “I can hang it in the back.” 

“Thank you.” 

Aiba pulled off his jacket and gave it to the other man. While he went to put it away, Aiba looked around at the various tin boxes against the wall. From the look of it, most of them were tea leaves of various kinds, while the rest of them were dried flowers or fruit. There was also a cabinet full of teacups and plates with various designs on them. Some of them looked very old. 

Sho came back right away and asked Aiba for his order. Curious to try a new blend, he pointed at one of the black teas on the menu, and watched intently as Sho prepared everything. 

Since he’d discovered the little shop last year, he never once had the opportunity to admire Sho’s skills up close. Even on the days when Aiba was the only customer in the shop – because it was either too early or too late for the usual crowd – he was too shy to stare at the tea maker for too long. Even just talking to him made him nervous sometimes, and, most times than not, he would spend his day in complete silence even though all he wanted to do was strike up a conversation with the handsome owner of that quirky little place. 

Sho picked a green mug with a leaf pattern and poured hot water in it to heat it up before throwing it away and filling it with the tea Aiba had picked. After he was done, he placed the mug in front of him. 

Aiba immediately picked up a smoky aroma mixed with some kind of spice that he couldn’t remember the name of. He blew on the red liquid before he carefully took a sip. It was hot, but he could taste the smoky flavor right away, balanced by something sweet and spicy. He raised his eyebrows at the other man in a question. 

“Koucha with apple bites, cloves and cardamom,” Sho said, knowing what he was asking. 

“And the smoky taste?” 

Sho nodded. “That’s due to the process of smoking. This koucha was smoked with cherry tree wood for ten hours.” 

“It has a very unique flavor,” Aiba said, taking another careful sip. 

The other man accepted the compliment gracefully. 

“What kind of sweet would you recommend with this?” Aiba asked, standing up to look at the showcase. 

Sho thought it over as he followed him from behind the counter. “I wouldn’t recommend something too sweet. Maybe try the raisin and oat cookies.” 

“Let’s go with that,” Aiba agreed. 

Sho opened one of the glass jars to grab a giant-sized cookie and passed it over to Aiba. However, as soon as Aiba held out his hand to grab it, Sho stopped and pulled back.

“Aiba-san, your hand…” Sho said, pointing at it. 

Aiba looked down, confused. When he saw what Sho was probably referring to, he chuckled. “The scratches?” he shrugged, taking the cookie. “It’s no big deal. I had an encounter with a client who was particularly scared of electric razors this morning.” 

“Electric razors?” Sho asked. “Are you a hairdresser? What kind of client scratches their hairdresser!?” 

“The animal kind.” Aiba took a bit of the cookie and hummed happily before continuing. “So you were close,” he said with a giggle. “I’m not a hairdresser, but a pet groomer,” he explained. “And Kiki-chan – that is the persian cat who scratched me this morning – was scared by the sound of the electric razor in another room.” Aiba saw the image again in his mind. The cat was so scared that she even hissed at him twice before calming down. “She scratches everyone else on principle, but usually she likes me. She must have been very scared to react that way.”

“I didn’t know you worked with animals,” Sho said. “Though it doesn’t surprise me that the cat likes you. They say animals are great judges of character, so she must have known you are a great person.” 

Aiba’s heart leaped to his throat when he heard that. On the other side of the counter, Sho also fell silent, as if he’d realized what he’d said too late. “You’re too kind, Sakurai-san,” Aiba said, before letting the silence fall between them again. 

The shop was getting busier as the afternoon was turning into evening. Aiba and Sho started making some small talk while the tea maker would prepare every order Abe would bring him. Even Ohno came by at one point. He seemed surprised to see Aiba sitting there, but he greeted him happily, and Aiba could finally convey his praises and his thanks for his amazing chocolate cake and the cookie he was eating. 

It was gradually getting darker outside, and Aiba’s tea had gone cold a long time ago. He stared at the green mug and the red liquid in it, thinking about the fact that he should go home. Slowly, he got up and paid for his order. Abe, who rang him up, also recovered his jacket for him. 

Sho, who was busy around the shop, was now picking the dying flowers out of the vase on the far side of the counter, near where Aiba had been sitting. 

“I will go now, Sakurai-san,” Aiba said as he approached him. As Sho looked up from the bouquet, Aiba took a moment to study it. It was a beautiful bouquet, very colorful and very carefully presented. It might feel out of place in a tea shop, but in there, it felt like it belonged. 

“I noticed you always have fresh flowers in the shop, Sakurai-san,” Aiba said, before Sho could speak. “But I’ve only ever seen them in that one spot.” 

Sho gave him a smile, but didn’t elaborate. 

“They’re very beautiful,” Aiba continued. “Though they don’t seem to have a scent, do they?” 

Sho nodded, taking the last of the dying flowers out of the bouquet. “They don’t. I use flowers with no scent when I make the composition, so as to not overpower the aroma of the tea.” 

“What did you say?” Aiba asked. “You made the bouquet?” 

Sho cleared his voice. Maybe he was embarrassed, Aiba thought. “Yeah, I usually do,” the tea maker said. “My best friend is an ikebana master, so he gives me tips. Ah, but the resulting mess is my fault entirely,” he hurried to say. “I have no aesthetic sense.” 

“That’s not true!” Aiba quickly interjected. “I think the colors are beautiful, and that the bouquet shows character. I would proudly display it in my living room at home!” 

Sho chuckled at that passionate declaration. “Now who’s being too kind, Aiba-san?” He then swatted his hand, as if to say it was not important. “You should see my friend’s compositions. They are really stunning.” And with that, he thanked Aiba for coming by and wished him a good evening. 

🍵🍵🍵

Visiting Jun’s mansion was always a bit daunting. 

Even though his friend was a generous person, and he never let the fact that he and Sho didn’t share the same social background feel like a burden, everytime Sho crossed the magnificent steel gates and entered the massive gardens of the Matsumoto household, he felt a bit out of place. 

Sho’s family had always been better off than most, but Jun’s family owned an empire in its own right. Jun’s father was in the food business, as was his father before him, and the family fortune was very well cared for by his older sister, Megumi, who had taken over since their father passed away. 

As the youngest son, Jun had always been sidelined when he was younger, growing up with nannies and butlers instead of his own family. That was what had led him, one day, to wander and find Sho, who was playing outside his grandmother’s tea shop. Sho was older than Jun by two years, but the two of them immediately hit it off and became friends. Every day, Jun would sneak out of his huge mansion to find refuge in the cozy shop with Sho and his grandmother. Sho was happy that the two of them had met that young, because now, looking reverently at the elegantly crafted Western-style house where Jun lived, he thought that they could have never become friends as adults. 

With a pouch of loose tea in one hand, and Ohno’s jacket in the other, Sho rang the door to Jun’s mansion, not surprised in the slightest when it was Ohno who answered the door and invited him inside. 

“Thank you for bringing me my jacket,” Ohno said, hanging it at the entrance and taking the tea from Sho. 

“How do you keep forgetting it, nii-san?” Sho reprimanded him. 

“That’s what I keep telling him,” Jun said, walking in to greet Sho. “You’ll catch a cold sooner or later.” 

Ohno rolled his eyes at both of them. “You two are such worrywarts,” he sentenced. “The evenings are getting warmer, anyway.” 

Sho put on the guest slippers and followed the couple into Jun’s huge living room. 

The black velvet curtains were open, revealing a glimpse of the beautiful garden outside. Even though the room was modern, there were traditional Japanese elements thrown in the mix. From an elegant lamp to delicate wooden flooring, both Western and Eastern culture were combined seamlessly. 

Ohno and Jun, who were both amazing cooks, had prepared dinner that night. Sho made himself comfortable on his designated red pillow in the middle of the living room as the two of them went back to the kitchen to get the food. 

Jun carried over a steaming hot pot and put it in the middle of the table. Sho looked inside, pleased to find Ohno’s famous nikujaga. In a matter of seconds, bowls with rice, miso soup and seaweed salad appeared in front of him. He grabbed one of the empty plates made by Jun in pottery class and picked up a pair of chopsticks, helping himself to a generous portion of everything.

“This is really good!” Sho exclaimed as he devoured Ohno’s nikujaga. 

As the three of them ate and drank, the silence between them quickly became as comfortable as ever. Sho listened to Jun talk about his upcoming trip to Osaka with other ikebana masters and all the things he was planning to do when he had some free time. Ohno joked about the fact that he could finally go fishing while his boyfriend was out of town since Jun would pout if he stayed away at sea for too long. Sho laughed wholeheartedly as the two of them argued and made up. 

After Sho started talking about his day at work, it wasn’t long before the discussion shifted on the topic of Aiba. 

As usual, Jun was the one to start. Since he’d settled down and became the perfect boyfriend, his best friend had turned into one of those people who wanted to see everyone coupled up. In the past few years, he’d tried to set Sho up with some of his – equally rich – friends to no avail. Either the guys were too stuck-up for Sho’s taste and, subconsciously or not, looked down on him, or they simply weren’t a match. Jun had only relented after Sho’s grandmother passed away, but he was the first to realize it when Sho started crushing on Aiba, and since then he’d been pushing Sho to do something about it.

“He’s single now, isn’t he?” Jun said, pushing his hair back and leaning contentedly against Ohno like a big cat. “You should try asking him out.” 

Sho kept silent as he got another bite of the cheesecake in front of him. 

Ohno gasped suddenly, as if he’d just remembered something. “By the way, Sho-chan,” he started. “I was so surprised today.” 

Sho, who was worried this moment would come, tried to act nonchalant. 

Noticing his silence, Jun frowned and looked between the two of them. “What about?” 

Sho tried to silently convey to Ohno that he knew what he was referring to but that he wasn’t really sure he was ready to talk about it.

“Aiba-san was sitting on the stool right next to the counter, wasn’t he?” Apparently Ohno’s telepathic abilities only worked with Jun. 

“He was?” Jun sat up and turned around to look at Sho. He hid his surprise well, but Sho had known him for almost twenty-two years and he knew all his tells. 

“He just asked to sit there, I didn’t want to say no.” Sho’s tone was sharper than he would have liked when he said that. 

Jun’s expressive eyes looked over at his friend in thinly veiled concern. He hesitated. “And you were okay with that?” 

Sho shrugged and took another bite of his cheesecake. In front of him, Jun and Ohno were looking at each other. 

“Jun-kun,” Sho said suddenly in an effort to get them to change the subject. “I was thinking about making a bouquet.” 

“Now?” 

Sho nodded, thinking back to Aiba’s words from that afternoon. “I’m feeling inspired,” he said. 

The room where Jun made his flower compositions was as big as the living room, but it had a more conservative air about it. The floor was covered in tatami mats and the walls were covered in traditional decor. In the far left corner there was a hanging scroll written in Ohno’s neat and graceful calligraphy and a big bookcase containing the books Jun used to study or to get inspiration from. Most of the room was filled with tiered shelves displaying the ikebana master’s latest creations.

The younger man went over to the large table in the middle of the room and picked up some scissors and a simple vase. Sho came up next to him as his friend began to snip various flowers. He followed his example with a stack of eucalyptus branches and leaves of various heights. Soon the floor was covered in petals and twigs and bits of leaves.

“That’s good,” Jun finally said, approving of the final result. “I think it’s one of your best works.” 

Sho smiled gently as he looked at it. 

‘I hope he will like it.’

🍵🍵🍵

The clock on the wall ticked away slowly as Sho turned the sign on the door from open to close and made his way back inside. He had a quick lunch with the wrapped sandwich he’d brought from home while sitting on the high stool. He spent some time scrolling on his phone, first through the news of the day, then through endless posts from his friends on social media. When he was finished with his meal, he cleaned up and got up from the stool, stretching wide. He was ready to get to work.

As usual, Sho prepared everything he needed to start blending meticulously, starting from his old notebook. He turned the pages until he reached his last notes, ready to mark a new page. 

He looked at the tin boxes against the wall, looking closely at each ingredient. Which teas would he blend together next? 

He grabbed a tin of tencha and thought it over. No, that was too simple. Another one, then. All the different varieties of sencha were looking at him from the shelf, but he thought better of it. He liked sencha, but it was not his favorite, so maybe starting with that was not the best idea. 

He grabbed his notebook again, checking his notes over and over. Maybe another kind of green tea, he thought. His eyes scanned the shelf until he found it: gyokuro. It was very strong for a green tea, packed with caffeine. He opened the tin and let the scent fill his nostrils. Next, he took a pinch of leaves and placed them on the tip of his tongue. It reminded Sho a bit of seaweed. His mind started processing the taste and the scent of the gyokuro. Thoughts were swirling in his mind as his fingers began pulling open tin after tin, picking out different ingredients and tasting them one by one. Did he want something sweet? Or something sour? What did the tea in his memory taste like? 

He settled for a few ingredients and weighed and steeped each of them individually. The shop was filled with a variety of aromas now, but Sho was only concentrating on finding the perfect one. The one he’d been chasing for a year to no avail. 

When the blend was done, he brewed himself a cup. He wrote down the ingredients carefully as the tea was getting ready. If he’d found it, if he’d found the one, he needed to be sure to be able to replicate it. 

The aroma coming out of the blend was brisk and sharp. It felt just like taking a walk in the fall, crushing red leaves under your feet while breathing in the crisp air all around. A familiar taste, one he remembered fondly. And yet, it was not the taste he was looking for. 

Sho put down the cup and grabbed his head with his hands. He squeezed his eyes, trying to think about all those years ago. A small child looking at his grandma as she pushed each ingredient under his nose to train his sense of smell. 

“You see, Sho-chan, making blends is not just about the taste. You got to let your eyes and your nose do their part too.”

No matter how hard he looked into his memory, he never managed to recreate the perfect blend. The one his grandma always made for him since he was old enough to drink tea. There was always something wrong, or something not quite right. 

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he got. He was afraid that one day the time would come when he would completely forget what the taste he was chasing after was. And that that would be the moment when most of his precious memories would be forgotten. That thought was so hard for him to swallow. 

He felt dejected now. If only his grandmother had left any kind of hint on how to make that blend. Sho opened the little drawer in front of him and took out the worn-out notebook that once belonged to his grandma. It was leather bound, with small flowers and leaves decorating it like a frame. The leather was worn out in some points and the color had faded, but the pages inside were another story. Filled with Sho’s grandmother’s minute handwriting, they were all stained with tea, like its owner had thought that the tea was supposed to be in there as part of the journey. Sho brushed his finger over some of the pages. The notes were sparse and cryptic, and he remembered his own grandmother had trouble reading them sometimes. 

“Don’t worry,” she would say, swatting her hand without a care in the world. Then, placing her hand over her heart. “Everything I need is in here.” 

Sho smiled despite himself at that memory. The only thing that was consistent in his grandmother’s notebook was that simple word: heart. It was written everywhere Sho could look. 

He was so lost in his memories, that he almost didn’t hear the soft knock at the shop’s door. He looked up in confusion, wondering who would come knocking at a closed shop. 

Knock, knock. 

Again. He hadn’t imagined it then. 

Sho put his grandmother’s notebook back into the drawer and walked over to the door, opening it. 

“I’m sorry, we’re still closed—Aiba-san?” 

Aiba looked a bit sheepish, but he quickly bowed his head. “Sakurai-san. I hope I’m not bothering you.” 

Sho opened the door to let him in. “Of course not,” he said. “We’re not open yet, but please come in.” 

“Thank you,” Aiba said in a soft voice. 

Sho walked back to the counter and started tidying up, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. Aiba was sitting down on the high stool like he had the last time he was there. 

“Was there anything you needed?” Sho asked.

Aiba looked taken aback at that question, as if he hadn’t really thought about it. After a few seconds, though, he recovered and spoke. “I wasn’t able to come by this morning. Before I knew it, it was closing time, but I didn’t realize until I got here. I was ready to go home, but I saw you in there through the window and I thought…” he trailed off. “You know, maybe I should go.” He stood up in a frenzy. “I’ll come back later, I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

Acting on impulse, Sho grabbed Aiba’s wrist to stop him. “Wait, Aiba-san,” he said. “There’s no need for you to go. I was just researching a new blend, but I need to take a break, and I would love it if you could join me for tea.” 

Aiba looked at him with wide eyes. Sho felt the weight of that stare on him and started feeling warmer. His heart started doing a tip-tap dance at the prospect of being alone with Aiba. 

“I’d love to.” 

Sho realized at that moment that he was still holding Aiba’s wrist. He cleared his throat and let go, inviting Aiba to sit down again. He went to the back of the shop to grab another stool and noticed the bouquet from the previous night waiting for him where he put it this morning, almost with the intention of hiding it. He decided to ignore it for now. He went back and carefully positioned himself next to Aiba’s, making sure that they wouldn’t end up touching by accident as they sat there together. 

“What would you like to drink?” 

Aiba looked at Sho for the first time after he sat down. His lips tightened and he looked away suddenly before he spoke. 

“Do you have a menu?” he asked. “There was something I’ve always wondered about.” 

Sho nodded, getting up to grab a menu from behind the counter. 

Aiba thanked him and started reading it, apparently looking for something specific. “There it is,” he said when he found it. “Matsumo-tea. That’s a funny name. What is it?” 

Sho couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Oh, that’s just a joke,” he explained. “I named that blend after my friend Matsumoto Jun. It’s the bitterest, healthiest tea the shop carries.” 

Aiba giggled, and suddenly whatever tension was there left the air. “Why would you dedicate a bitter tea to your friend?” 

“Hey, he asked for it!” Sho defended himself. “He’s one of those health freaks, you know? Only drinks room temp water, eats gluten free soba, doesn’t sugar his coffee – that kind of stuff.” 

“I could never,” Aiba said, shaking his head. 

“Right? And his boyfriend is Ohno-san! Can you imagine being with Ohno-san and not eating sweets all day everyday?” 

Aiba laughed out loud. “Is it really the bitterest tea you have?” 

“The most bitterest,” Sho replied with a grimace. “I think he drinks it to wake up. He’s not a morning person,” he explained. 

Aiba chuckled. “What an extremely masochistic way to wake up.”

“That he is,” Sho said, letting out a chuckle as well. 

Aiba turned to Sho and leaned on the counter, resting his cheek on his left hand. “And what about you, Sakurai-san?” 

Sho thought it over. “I am somewhat of a masochist from time to time,” he joked, prompting Aiba’s laugh again. 

“That’s good to know,” Aiba teased him. “But I meant, are you a morning person, or are you like your friend?”

Sho pressed his side to the counter too, resting his elbow and getting closer to the other man without consciously realizing. “I’m not,” he admitted. “But I learnt to be, to manage the shop.”

Aiba smiled and turned back around to grab the menu again. “It can’t be easy. Being awake at six in the morning and dealing with customers on top of that.” 

“That’s true,” Sho agreed. “What about you, Aiba-san? I see you going for a run every morning when I open the shop. You must be a very early riser.” 

Aiba, who was looking through the menu, stopped and looked up, making a small noise. “I am,” he said with a nod. “I prefer going to sleep early to waking up late.” He seemed to think it over. “I think it must be a habit. My parents own a farm, and when I was little they would wake up very early to work on it, so the noise would wake me up.” 

He returned to perusing the menu. 

“What about Chocohno?” he asked, pointing at it. “Is that named after Ohno-san?” 

“It is,” Sho said. “It’s sencha with dried chocolate seeds and orange peels. It’s very popular.” 

“I’d like to try that,” Aiba decided.

Sho smiled and got to work. As he prepared the tea for them to drink, Aiba kept looking over at the menu.

“There’s so many different blends here,” he said. “Do you make them all?”

Sho nodded as he poured the tea in two cups and gave one to Aiba. “We have tea imported from various parts of Japan, – some international ones in there too, – and then I blend them together.” He walked over to the other side of the counter and sat down again.

Aiba put down the menu and thanked Sho for the cup. “This is so good,” he said when he had a taste. “I can see why it’s so popular.”

Sho thanked him silently. 

Aiba put down his cup with a clink. “Is it difficult to make blends?”

Sho’s mind went back to the failed blend of that afternoon. “It can be.”

Aiba raised his eyebrows at that.

Sho looked away, trying to think of a better way to explain it. When he was little, he would watch his grandma blend all sorts of different leaves and fruits to create amazing teas for everyone to enjoy. Sho could stare at her for hours as she measured each ingredient carefully and made little notes in her leather-bound notebook. The tea shop would fill with various scents as his grandma would steep all the different components, creating a mist that seemed to stick to Sho’s clothes the whole day, and accompany him all the way home till he was fast asleep.

“I think anyone can create a new blend if they learn the technique,” Sho said. “But that’s not all there is to it. ‘Tea is an art you do with your heart.’ That’s what my grandma would say.”

Aiba looked interested at that. “Your grandma?” 

Sho gulped. “Yeah,” he said softly. “This tea shop… it was hers, you know?” 

Aiba looked softly at him. “I didn’t know that.”

They sat back and sipped their tea quietly for a while. Like last time, it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, and Sho almost felt like he and Aiba had known each other for so much longer than they really had. The shop was silent, except for the occasional passersby or bicycle zooming outside, and the warm aroma of tea swelled all around them, making him fall deeper and deeper into the moment. 

Aiba took another sip of his tea and put the cup back with a clink. “Can I ask you something personal?”

Sho was both surprised and curious to hear those words. “Sure. Go ahead.”

The corners of Aiba’s lips lifted a bit in a thankful smile before he spoke. “The other day,” he began, “when you gave me a slice of Ohno-san’s cake, you told me it cured your heartbreak.”

Sho nodded.

“I guess I was just wondering…” Aiba hesitated.

“Who broke my heart?” Sho finished for him.

Aiba nodded weakly.

Sho shook his head slightly. “It’s probably not what you think,” he said. “I wasn’t dumped or anything.”

“What was it then?”

For some reason, that question was harder to answer than Sho had anticipated. It would have been easier to just say that someone had broken his heart by breaking up with him, but the truth was that every relationship he’d ever had had either ended up with a mutual break-up or so soon that the pain was never that hard to bear anyway. But that didn’t mean that Sho never got his heart broken.

“It was when my grandma passed,” he confessed. “I know it might sound stupid, but I was so angry at her for leaving me.”

“I’m sorry,” Aiba said. “It sounds like you were really close.”

Sho smiled sadly. “We were,” he said. “This place reminds me of her.” He looked around, taking in the whole space. “I grew up here. As a child, I would come by every day to watch my grandma work, and when I became older, I started working here after school.” He chuckled. “She wouldn’t pay me, though. She used to say that, if anything, I should pay her for all the trouble I caused.”

Aiba giggled. “Were you a troublemaker?”

Sho smirked. “I guess I was. For a bit, at least,” he admitted. “I dyed my hair blonde and got a belly piercing and all.”

“You didn’t!” Aiba’s eyes went comically wide for a second before he laughed out loud. “I can’t believe it! You don’t look the type.”

“I swear!” Sho exclaimed, laughing with him. “She hated it. Said I made the clients want to stay away because they were afraid the yakuza would storm in.”

“I never would have known,” Aiba said. “You look like you would feel at home in a suit.”

“Yeah, I grew out of it.” Sho swatted a hand in the air. “I got accepted into university, so I stopped dyeing my hair and I went away for a while.”

“What did you study?”

“Economy,” Sho said. “My intention has always been to take over from my grandma, but my parents really wanted me to get a degree, so I picked something that would be useful.”

Aiba nodded. “What happened then?”

Sho moved around on his stool and thought back on it. “Well, after I graduated, I came back here to manage the shop. My grandma was getting older, and she was working less and less. Eventually, the place became mine, and I started looking for someone who could bake so we could have sweets to go with the tea.”

“Right,” Aiba said, looking at the sweets display. “And that’s where Ohno-san comes in?”

“That’s where Ohno-san comes in,” Sho affirmed. “By then, he’d been working for my grandma for years as a server. When I told him about my plan to offer sweets to the customers, he revealed to me that he’d always dreamed of being a pastry chef. 

“A few days after that, my grandma suddenly fell very ill. I was incredibly down, and Ohno-san was with me the whole time, helping me inside the shop and out, all while taking on his new role as pastry chef.” He remembered that time like it was yesterday. He’d wasted years being jealous of Ohno, and the other man displayed nothing but care and affection for him, helping Sho through the hardest time of his life. “When my grandma passed away, he was the only one who didn’t try to cheer me up or tell me that everything was going to be okay. He sat down with me while I was in this very same spot,” he said, pointing at the stool Aiba was sitting on, “on the stool where I would sit when I was a child to watch my grandma work, and gave me a slice of his chocolate cake. When I tried it, I felt the sadness and the anger melt away.”

Aiba leaned against the counter and studied Sho thoughtfully. “It sounds like he’s very special to you.”

“Oh, he is,” Sho replied without hesitation. “He’s like an older brother to me. Plus, he makes really good cookies,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.

Aiba gave a soft laugh. "Good cookies are nothing to sneeze at," he agreed.

They continued talking until their tea cups were emptied and refilled and emptied again. It was almost four in the afternoon, and Sho hadn’t realized that he had spent almost two hours sitting there talking to Aiba. But it was now almost time to open back up since Ohno and the others would be there soon for the afternoon shift.

“Now I get it,” Aiba said, interrupting his train of thoughts. “Why you looked so upset when I asked to sit here.” He looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was such an important spot for you.” 

“That’s alright,” Sho said quickly. “I don’t mind having you sit there.” 

“The flowers too,” Aiba said, looking around to find the bouquet on the counter. “They’re here for your grandma, aren’t they?” 

Sho nodded silently. 

Aiba gave him a sweet smile. “I feel honored to be sitting here, Sakurai-san.” 

Silence fell between them. Sho could only hear the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears. He looked up at Aiba, and decided to go for it. 

“You must be someone I really like to sit there,” he said nervously. “Only my close friends get to.” 

“Really?” Aiba said with a glint in his eyes. He looked flushed. “Guess that means we’re friends now?” 

Sho scratched his neck like he always did when he felt embarrassed. “I guess so,” he said, chuckling sheepishly.

Aiba smiled as he started to gather his things. “I need to go to work,” he said. “Thank you for the tea, Sakurai-san.” He stopped to look at him. “And for the chat.”

He took out his wallet to pay, but Sho stopped him.

“It’s on the house,” he said.

“Really?” Aiba glanced up at Sho, surprised. “Are you sure?”

Sho blushed faintly and quickly turned away. “The shop wasn’t even open. Plus, you saved me from boredom, so I guess you can say we’re even.” 

Aiba smiled brightly at him, and Sho felt like that was enough compensation, and more. 

“If we’re friends,” the other man was saying. “Then you can’t call me Aiba-san anymore.”

“I will call you Aiba-kun, then,” Sho said, feeling warm inside all of a sudden. “If that’s okay with you.”

“Perfect,” Aiba said with a bright smile. “I really do wish I could stay, but my shift starts in ten minutes, and my boss will actually deduct my pay if I’m late. Then you’ll have to treat me to more than just tea and sweets,” he said, standing up.

Sho gave him a nod with his head. “I hope to see you again soon. Have a good day at work, Aiba-kun.”

Aiba gave him a dazzling smile that made Sho’s heart skip a beat. And that was before he even heard the next words he said to him before he left: 

“See you soon, Sho-chan.”

🍵🍵🍵

It was a couple of days later, and Aiba waited for the automatic doors to open fully before crossing into the building. 

“Good afternoon.” 

There was no reply from the reception, or from anywhere else in the office.

He looked down at his watch, checking the hour, then at the clock above the counter. It was the right time, but why was no one to be found? 

Suzu and Kanna, who both worked there as receptionists, were usually the first ones in. They were the ones who had the keys to the place, and who would activate and deactivate the automatic doors. Aiba wasn’t sure who was working the afternoon shift that day, but if he was in, that must mean one of them must have come back from their lunch break.

Not only that. Even if everyone of his coworkers was fashionably late – well, later than he was, anyway – where were the customers? He was sure he had a 3 o’clock appointment with a very feisty shiba inu. They should have been there by now. 

“Hello?” 

Aiba walked past the waiting room into the offices until he saw a group of people gathering around something. 

“There you all are,” he said. 

Four pairs of eyes were immediately on him. 

“Aiba-chan!” his coworker Aya jumped to his side and clung to his arm. “Why didn’t you say anything? Who’s the lucky person?” 

“Eh?” 

“I’m jealous,” Kanna was saying. “My boyfriend never gives me flowers.” 

“The composition is so pretty too,” the client Aiba had an appointment with, a woman going by the name of Koike Eiko, was saying. Her dog barked for good measure too. 

“What are you talking about?” Aiba finally asked. 

Emerging from the middle of the three cooing women was his coworker Sakuma, his bubblegum colored hair sticking out and making him seem even more out of place. “Something came for you, Aiba-kun,” he said, pointing at whatever it was everybody was looking at. 

Aya let go of him so he could get closer. On the table in front of them was an exquisite bouquet with pink flowers in a sea of green. There was a card hanging from one of the sparse, long branches coming out of it. It had his name on it. 

He grabbed it, ready to open it, when he felt everyone staring at him again – including the dog, this time. He awkwardly smiled and took the bouquet by its vase, running to his room before anyone could stop him. “Koike-san, I’ll be there momentarily to get Hiro-chan,” he said, closing the door behind him. Outside, he heard a mix of disappointed noises and then: 

“I even stayed past my shift for this!” 

Aiba grimaced as he clutched the bouquet to his chest, hoping that everybody was going back to work. He looked down at the card in his hand, opening it as he balanced the flowers in his arms. 

“Pink asper and eucalyptus. I hope you like it enough to display it in your living room. 

Sakurai Sho”

Aiba looked at the flowers, then back at the card. He wanted to scream. Sho had sent him flowers! Wait, not that it meant anything… Right? 

Aiba pushed himself off the door, pacing the floor of his office. 

He’d just seen Sho the previous day. Why hadn’t he said anything? Was that the reason why the other man seemed so nervous when he saw him last night? Wait, was that the reason why Sho asked him so many questions about his job and where the building was? So he could get the address? 

Aiba stopped abruptly. Did this mean anything? It probably didn’t. They’d just only decided to be less formal with each other a couple of days ago. It wasn’t like Sho had a long-time crush on him like Aiba did on Sho. He shook his head. The tea shop owner was just being nice, that must be it. 

“Alright, Masaki,” he told himself. “Pull yourself together.” 

The doorbell rang twice before Aiba opened the door to his apartment. 

“Ah, you’re my savior! I was just about to get hungry.”

His best friend, Ninomiya Kazunari, was standing on the doormat. One of his arms was raised, revealing a plastic bag with takeout for both of them. In the other hand, he was carrying another bag that contained beer. 

“No problem, you can pay me back later,” Nino said, making his way inside. 

Aiba chuckled, ignoring his friend’s antics. 

When Aiba followed him inside, Nino had already sat down on the floor, and was emptying the plastic bags on the coffee table in Aiba’s living room. Aiba plopped down across from him and picked up some chopsticks and one of the containers. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” he said to his friend as he popped a dumpling in his mouth. 

Nino took one of the pillows from the couch and put it behind his back to make himself comfortable. “As much as I enjoy my time alone, sometimes I do want to see my best friend, you know?” He glared at Aiba, who stopped with another dumpling in mid-air. “You disappeared on me lately.” 

“That’s not true,” Aiba denied. He looked over at the other containers to find some rice. 

“I know you’re not busy with work, cause I asked.” The chopsticks snapped as Nino pulled them apart. He picked up one of the dumplings first. 

“What?” Aiba said, with his mouth full. “Are you stalking me now?” 

Nino quietly chewed his food down before he spoke. “So? What are you hiding?” 

“Nothing.” 

Nino made a noise that told Aiba that he wasn’t buying any of that. 

Aiba decided to not encourage that talk. He knew that Nino wouldn’t be happy to know where Aiba was disappearing to for hours on end every day, especially when he realized with whom. “How’s work?” he asked casually. 

Nino ignored him. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing at something over Aiba’s shoulder. “Are you seeing someone new?” 

“What?” Aiba knew what Nino was looking at before he even turned around. “No, that’s just a gift from a friend.” 

Nino’s eyebrows rose impossibly high. “What friend?” 

“A new friend.”

Nino stared at Aiba. Aiba stared at Nino. It was like one of those western movies where two cowboys were squaring off before the big showdown. 

They got up at the same time, but Aiba knew he was going to win this game. He had the advantage of having longer legs and a shorter distance to cover. But he hadn’t reckoned with the fact that Nino didn’t play fair. 

Aiba let out a surprised sound as the pillow hit his face. Nino sprinted toward the bouquet, taking advantage of Aiba’s distraction. He reached the table, grabbing the card hanging from the flowers before Aiba could, and opened it. 

“I hope you like it enough to display it in your living room, Sakurai Sho,” he read out loud. “That Sakurai Sho?” 

“We’re friends now,” Aiba defended himself. 

Nino pointed a finger at him and stared at him. “What are you doing, Aibasshi?” he said. “You remember last year? When you’d just moved here and you asked him out?” 

Aiba felt himself shrink under Nino’s gaze. “I didn’t exactly ask him out…” 

Nino crossed his arms. “You said he wasn’t interested. You said you asked him if he was seeing anyone, and that he’d replied that he had ‘no time to be seeing anyone.’” Aiba remembered that very clearly even without Nino reminding him. “He was clearly letting you know he wasn’t interested in a nice way!” 

Aiba knew that his friend was not really angry at him. Even though he’d first met Nino online during a game session, and had only met him in real life a year ago, he considered him to be his best friend. Aiba knew that everything he was saying now was coming from a place of love. Nino worried about him, and he was grateful to him for that. 

“Things are different now, Nino-chan,” he said, trying to reason with him. “He’s very nice with me. Well, not that he wasn’t before, but now he seems… warmer. More open.” 

Nino shook his head. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.” 

Aiba smiled sweetly. “I won’t. Promise.” His eyes widened all of a sudden. “What about you come with me tomorrow? You can meet him and make sure his intentions are noble and all.” 

Nino seemed to think it over. Aiba could almost see the gears in his brain turning. “Whatever,” he said. So that meant yes. 

With that settled, Nino sat back down on the floor, getting another pillow to replace the one he’d thrown to Aiba. 

“So, how will you be paying me back for dinner?” he asked nonchalantly. “Cash or credit?” 

🍵🍵🍵

It had been a day. 

It had been a full day since Sho had sent the bouquet he made for Aiba to his office, and the man was yet to show his face. 

Clearly, something was wrong. 

Not that Aiba owed him a thank-you at all. If anything, he probably found Sho’s gift creepy and out of place, and decided he didn’t want to see him anymore. He probably felt harassed by Sho, and thought he was a stalker. Sending flowers to a person you don’t really know? To his office? Of course Aiba didn’t want to see him anymore. 

“Are you still thinking about it?” 

Ohno came out of the kitchen with a peace offering for Sho. The tea maker grabbed the cookie Ohno was handing him and bit on it. It was delicious, but not even Ohno’s famous chocolate chip cookies could help him now. 

“I. Hate. Myself.” he said, punctuating every word by banging his head on the counter. 

“There, there,” Ohno said, trying to comfort him. He saved the cookie before Sho would send it flying accidentally and placed it on a napkin on the counter. “Don’t be like that.” 

Sho lifted his head and looked at his friend. “What if he doesn’t want to see me anymore, nii-san?” 

“I’m sure Aiba-san is not like that,” Ohno said with a frown. “It’s only been a day,—”

“Twenty-six hours.”

“—maybe he’s busy.” 

Sho groaned at Ohno’s sympathetic smile. 

The bell over the door tinkled, making both of them turn around – Sho with renewed hope, and Ohno with genuine curiosity. When Sho saw who crossed the threshold, though, he groaned again and buried his head in his arms. 

“Nice to see you too, Sho-kun,” Jun said, approaching the two of them. He sat down at the counter and looked around. “No lover boy today, huh?” 

The mass that was Sho’s figure made a distressed noise. 

“What happened?” Jun asked, talking to Ohno rather than Sho.

“He gave the bouquet to Aiba-san—”

“Sent!” Sho yelled from his miserable pit of despair. 

“He sent the bouquet to Aiba-san because he was too shy to give it to him in person, and he hasn’t yet shown up in, ah, twenty-six hours.” 

“Maybe he’s busy,” Jun unhelpfully said. 

“That’s what I said,” Ohno agreed. 

“He’s not busy,” Sho said, emerging from the pit. “He always goes for his morning jog down the street, and he hasn’t today.” Jun and Ohno blinked at him. “The day after I send him the bouquet?” Sho couldn’t believe he had to spell it out for them. “It’s clear he hates me.” 

His friends looked at each other, then back at him, not knowing what to say. 

Sho sighed and went back into hiding. 

The delivery truck had come late that afternoon, which served Sho well, because he had an excuse to spend most of the afternoon in the storage room so he couldn’t fixate on the fact that every new person coming in wasn’t Aiba. Ohno had left Chinen in the kitchen to do the next day’s preparations, and was taking over from Sho at the counter. Sho was carefully checking every ingredient that had arrived, tasting and smelling the contents to make sure the quality was up to par. He was very happy with the new hojicha batch he’d received, and was making a note of it in his notebook when he heard a familiar voice come from the other side. 

“Good afternoon, Ohno-san.” 

It was Aiba. 

Sho’s eyes flashed wide open. He felt his palms sweat profusely as his heart accelerated. 

Aiba was back. 

He didn’t hear what Ohno replied, but he must have said something, because he faintly heard some mumbling that struggled to get past the noise of the blood in his ears. Before he realized, his traitorous legs decided to walk him back into the shop, where he found himself face to face with the cause of his anxiety. 

“A–Aiba-kun,” he said. “Welcome back.” 

“Sho-chan!” Aiba seemed as cheerful as ever. “I loved the flowers so much, thank you!” 

And just like that, Sho was suddenly the happiest man in the world. 

“Oh,” he said, lowering his head. “It was nothing. I’m glad you liked them.” He risked glancing up. “You—” he stopped himself. “Oh, hello.” 

Behind Aiba, there was a man who was pointedly staring at Sho. He was shorter than Aiba, but the way he stepped forward to line up with him made Sho feel like he was a ferocious animal ready to kill to protect his littles. 

“Good afternoon,” the man said. 

Aiba grabbed his shoulders with ease. “This is Nino,” he said. “Ah, I mean, Ninomiya Kazunari.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Nino said, but the tone of his voice didn’t match his words. 

Sho looked over at the two of them. Aiba’s hands were still firmly pressed on Nino’s shoulders, and it didn’t seem like he had the intention of removing them soon. Those two were clearly comfortable enough to stand in each other’s personal space. Maybe that kind of physical contact was nothing special to them… Maybe they were used to even more skinship than that… 

“Nice to meet you, Ninomiya-san,” Sho said with a bow. He turned to Ohno, who was evidently oblivious to Sho’s internal struggle. “Ohno-kun, could you please show them to a table?” 

Ohno seemed confused at that request, but he readily agreed. “This way Aiba-san, Ninomiya-san.” 

Aiba smiled at Sho before pushing Nino to follow Ohno to their table. His hands still lingered on the other man’s shoulders…

Sho all but ran back to the storage room. ‘Of course someone like Aiba wouldn’t stay single for long,’ he thought, angry at himself. So what if Sho thought Aiba and he were getting closer? It was clearly a one-sided attraction, if Aiba was going around letting his touch linger on other people and bringing them on dates in Sho’s tea shop under his nose. And what was up with Aiba calling that Ninomiya person without any honorifics? 

“Sho-kun.” Ohno’s head popped into the door. “You need to come back here. Chinen-kun dropped a whole bag of flour, so I need to make the preparations as he cleans up the mess he made.” 

Sho nodded, irritated. Just his luck. “I’ll be there.” 

Ohno looked at him for a second before disappearing. 

Sho sighed. The sooner he went back there, the sooner it would be over. 

He stepped back inside the shop again, trying his best not to let his gaze wander to Aiba’s table. It was hard, though, because Aiba was doing anything in his power to catch Sho’s attention instead. Everytime he looked, he was either deep in conversation with the man across the table from him, or he was waving at Sho, trying to get him to come over. 

Sho called Abe to tell him to get their order, pretending that he was too busy to go over himself. Abe didn’t think much of it, and immediately complied, eager as ever to please his boss. 

Sho busied himself with some pretend organizing while he waited for Abe to come back. He checked that every lid on the tin boxes was properly closed, and then checked them again. When the server came back with Aiba and Nino’s order, Sho was already looking for something new to do. 

He thanked Abe and prepared the tea as requested. Aiba, as his usual, had picked a green tea with sweet notes. His friend Nino had chosen a black tea with a sharp flavor instead. He almost wondered if there was something to be read between the lines there. 

He sent the orders back with Abe, painfully ignoring the way Aiba was trying to call him over. He knew it was irrational of him to be angry at Aiba for something Sho hadn’t even put into words for him, but at that moment, he only wanted the other man to go away so he could lick his wounds in peace. 

It seemed like the universe had heard him, because before long Aiba stopped trying to catch Sho’s attention, evidently content to just talk to his Nino. Sho angrily stomped over to the storage room to hide, but apparently he wasn’t even allowed that small grace, because Abe called him back right away to prepare a new order. 

He was in the middle of measuring the right quantity to brew a cup of Chocohno, when Aiba materialized in front of him. 

“Sho-chan,” he said, softly. “I’m sorry, I see you’re busy, but I wanted to tell you we’re going.” 

Sho barely looked at him. “Thank you as always,” he said mechanically. “Please come back soon, Aiba-san.” 

The tea maker didn’t witness the expression on the other’s face when he said that, but hearing the sudden gasp coming in that direction, he figured his words didn’t go unnoticed. 

“Yeah,” Aiba said weakly. “I will. See you, Sho-chan.” 

‘Don’t look at him, don’t look at him, don’t look at him.’

When he lifted his head, he saw Aiba’s dejected back walking away and Nino’s eyes piercing him where he stood. 

🍵🍵🍵

Aiba was up before his usual alarm even started going off. 

He sat up. A look at his bedside table clock told him it was almost 6:00 in the morning. Usually, he’d be up and running at 6:30, ready to take a jog around the neighborhood for an hour or so. However, knowing that he’d have to pass by Sho’s shop to do that, he really didn’t feel like it. 

He laid back on the bed with a sigh, making it bounce on impact. Three days had gone by since the last time he brought Nino to the tea shop. At first, the fact that Sho was busy didn’t strike him as odd, so he didn’t realize something was off until it was time to go. Sho had barely even looked at him when he said goodbye, and he’d called him Aiba-san, effectively putting up a wall between them after Aiba had so painstakingly tried to bring it down. 

The worst thing was that he didn’t know what happened, so he didn’t know how to feel. He was certainly feeling frustrated and sad, especially because there was nothing indicating that something had happened between him and Sho to bring them in their current situation. 

He got up as a resolution finally formed in his mind. It wouldn’t do him any good to hide at home and wonder about things he didn’t have an answer to. 

He took a quick shower, hastily drying his hair with a towel as he picked out his clothes for the day. Outside his window, the sun was starting to get inside his apartment as it rose up in the sky. The sun rays bounced on every metal surface in his house, making it shine. 

It wasn’t a long way to the tea shop. It was so early that few people were in the streets, and even fewer were walking down the narrow back road. With spring in full bloom, the cherry blossoms were starting to appear on the nearby trees, and Aiba was grateful to not be sneezing at that point. The white and pink cherry blossoms gently swayed in the breeze, seemingly watching over him as he walked to his destination. 

As soon as he saw a man opening up the front door of the shop, there was no doubt in Aiba’s mind that it was Sho. After all, he’d spent the better part of last year looking at his back, as he tried to steal a glance of Sho without him noticing – all the while being amused at his very sloping shoulders. 

He suddenly felt very nervous. What if Sho didn’t want to see him for some reason? What if he told him to go away? 

But that wasn’t the time to be thinking that. 

With a newfound confidence, he stepped out from the corner he was hiding behind, and approached the other man. 

“Good morning, Sho-chan,” he said, as soon as he was close enough. 

Sho winced slightly when he heard his voice. He glanced back at Aiba for a second with an expression he couldn’t decipher, then looked away. “’Morning,” he said, pushing the door to the shop open. “What are you doing here?” 

Aiba followed him inside without replying. It was a strange feeling to see the shop that early in the morning. Every curtain was drawn and the scent of freshly baked cookies and freshly brewed tea didn’t linger in the air yet. 

The light slowly invaded the place as Sho got it ready. It was still very early, as the clock on the wall showed. Aiba wondered if Sho had got up earlier than usual because he couldn’t sleep either. 

As the tea maker made his way around the shop, Aiba sat down at his usual table overlooking the street outside. He waited patiently until Sho was finished with his preparations and couldn’t ignore him anymore. 

“What can I bring you?” 

Aiba turned around to see Sho standing there. It was clear that the tea maker would give anything not to be in that situation, if the way he was twisting his t-shirt was anything to go by. 

“Did I do something wrong?”

It was obvious from Sho’s reaction that he wasn’t expecting Aiba to be that direct. 

“No,” he said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Alright then. If that was how Sho wanted to play it, then Aiba would play too. 

“Oh,” he said, trying to get as much sarcasm as he could into that single syllable. “And here I thought you were avoiding me the other day when I came in.”

Sho seemed irritated at Aiba’s tone. “No,” he said, piqued. “I was just busy working.” He stopped for a second and then continued. “Also, I didn’t want to interrupt the date.” 

Aiba squinted his eyes. “The date?” he asked, confused. “Whose date?” 

Sho looked at him incredulously. “Your date!” 

“My date!?” Aiba repeated. He had no idea where Sho was getting that from. “I wasn’t on a date, Sho-chan.” 

Sho scoffed, probably not believing him. Then, when Aiba kept staring at him, his expression turned from annoyed to confused. “Wait, you weren’t?” 

Aiba shook his head. Was that what this was about? 

“Sit down, Sho-chan,” he said, motioning to the chair in front of him. 

Sho, visibly more relaxed now, did as he was told. 

“Nino wasn’t my date,” Aiba explained. “Maybe you’ve mistaken our closeness, but it’s just cause I’ve known him for years and he’s my best friend. I asked him to come to the shop with me cause I wanted to introduce him to someone special…” he trailed off, avoiding Sho’s gaze. 

The silence stretched between them. Aiba, who kept his gaze down, was feeling more flushed as the seconds went by. 

“I’m so sorry.” 

Sho got up quickly, making the wooden chair scrape the floor with a loud noise. Aiba lifted his gaze, surprised to find the other man bowing deeply to apologize. He panicked and got up too. 

“Sho-chan,” Aiba said in a rush, his hands grabbing his shoulders to make him straighten up. 

Sho was resisting. “It wasn’t fair of me to be angry at you,” he said, so fast that it surprised Aiba that it didn’t come out all jumbled. “I got jealous even though I have no right to be.”

“Sho-chan,” Aiba interrupted him, finally managing to bring him back to the upright position. “Stop. It’s alright.”

Aiba found himself looking at his reflection in Sho’s big eyes. The two of them were very close as a result of Aiba’s struggle to get Sho to stop bowing, and he realized distractedly that his hands were now resting on Sho’s chest. 

Aiba didn’t know how much time passed. Sho’s breath had become more labored the closer they got, and he was starting to feel the hot air on his own lips. His gaze didn’t budge as they inched forward, slowly, ever so slowly. 

Ding, ding.

In a panic, Aiba and Sho stumbled while they tried to break apart, and Sho managed to catch Aiba just in time before he fell with his nose smack on the floor. The tinkling stopped as the door closed, and the two found Ohno’s figure on the threshold, fishing rod on his shoulder and cooler in his hand. 

“Sorry,” he said in lieu of a greeting. “I was just—” he looked back at the door, then at the two of them. “I can come back…” 

Aiba looked at Sho, who was still holding on to him where he’d grabbed him to stop his fall. Sho let him go and Aiba took a step back, clearing his voice. 

“’Morning Ohno-san,” he said, putting on an embarrassed smile. “I have to go actually,” he said to both of them. He turned to look at Sho and walked backwards. “But I’ll be back later today,” he promised. “With my friend.” 

He all but ran outside, only stopping to bow to Ohno on his way out. 

When the door finally closed behind him, he dashed for the nearby corner and leaned on the wall, giving his heart the time to calm down. He took a big breath then, and looked back at the tea shop in the distance to sneak a peek through the big windows. Ohno had disappeared somewhere, possibly the staff room so he could change, and Sho had started lining out his equipment on the counter. Aiba saw him taking out a leather notebook from a drawer and smiling to himself as he read something in there. 

Feeling a rush of adrenaline, Aiba looked up at the bright sky and sighed happily. 

🍵🍵🍵

When Aiba crossed into the tea shop that evening, Sho’s eyes lit up. 

Aiba waved cheerily at him as he stepped inside, bowing shortly to Abe who welcomed him. His friend Nino was following him with an ice cold expression in his eyes. Looking at him, Sho wondered if Aiba had to do a lot of convincing to get him to come again. Even though, after the way Sho had behaved last time, he couldn’t bring himself to blame him. 

He stepped out from behind the counter, and bowed deeply to Nino. 

“I’m sorry for not being welcoming last time, Ninomiya-san.” He got back up. “Can we start over?” 

Nino squared him from head to toe, his gaze almost burning Sho with its intensity. 

He took his time to reply, probably enjoying the way he was making the tea maker squirm. Then, when Sho thought nothing was going to happen, the other man gave him a nod. 

“Nice to meet you, Sakurai-san.” 

Aiba happily patted them both on the shoulder and pushed them to a table with empty seats. Sho stopped in front of the chair and took off his apron before sitting down. Aiba and Nino sat next to each other, right in front of him. 

Sho almost felt like he was being interviewed. The position: Aiba’s boyfriend. Only, he hadn’t prepared for the interview, and he wasn’t sure he could secure the spot. 

But it seemed like Sho had been worried for nothing. Even though Nino still looked unconvinced, he was nothing but polite as the three of them got to talking. Abe came by at some point to get their orders, and then eventually Sho found himself sipping on some tea as Aiba recounted the whole story of how he and Nino met during an online event of their favorite FPS game. 

“I was supposed to play in a private room with some friends,” Aiba was explaining. “But I somehow put in the wrong code and I found myself playing with Nino.” 

“It was a disaster,” Nino cut in. “It was a private room with all pros, and this one,” he said, pointing at Aiba with his left thumb, “was a complete amateur. He almost got shot right away, so I had to win the game and save his ass at the same time.” 

“And here we are, nine years later.” Aiba chuckled. 

“Still saving your ass,” Nino deadpanned, barely avoiding Aiba’s slap at those words. 

“Very funny,” Aiba remarked. He clapped his hands after that. “You know what this story is missing? Sweets.”

“I can get Abe-kun to get your order,” Sho said, silently trying to get Abe’s attention.

“No need.” Aiba jumped up from his seat. “I’ll go and pick something for the two of you as well.”

“I don’t need one,” Nino said, but Aiba had already left. 

Sho felt the air become tense all of a sudden. With Aiba gone, Nino’s expression seemed to have completely transformed. He grabbed the cup of tea in front of him with both hands, and took a sip, his eyes never leaving Sho all the while. 

Sho cleared his voice and looked away. When he looked back at the man in front of him, his expression hadn’t changed. 

“What is it?” he asked. “Do you want to tell me not to hurt Aiba or you’ll have to kill me?” 

Nino didn’t reply. He leaned back in seat and crossed his arms. “There’s something I want to know, Sakurai-san.” 

Sho put down his tea and laced his fingers together. There it was. The real Nino was finally coming out. Now the real test was starting. 

“Why did you turn Aibasshi down when he first asked you out?” 

Sho’s mind went blank and he felt at a loss for words. When did he ever do that? 

“I didn’t,” he said carefully. “That never happened, Ninomiya-san.” 

Nino moved closer, leaning on the table on his forearms. “Last year, when Aiba moved here,” he said. “He started hanging out here before work. There was a time when you two were alone and got to talking for the first time.” 

Sho nodded. 

Nino continued, apparently pleased that Sho was starting to remember. “He asked you if you were seeing anyone. Do you remember what you said?” 

Sho thought back to that day. He remembered the first time he’d met Aiba, and also the first time the two of them had a whole conversation together. He also remembered how the day seemed to get better whenever he was around. But what Nino was describing? It didn’t ring any bells. 

Not getting any response from Sho, Nino spoke again. “I’ll tell you.” The way he said that made Sho think that that was not a man one wanted to cross. “You said you weren’t dating anyone and that you didn’t have time to anyway. So Aiba thought you were letting him down easy.” 

Those words unlocked a memory in Sho’s brain that had been pushed down so deep that he didn’t even know he had it anymore. 

When Aiba first came to the shop, it had only been a couple of months since his grandmother had passed away, and Sho was dealing with his grief on top of managing the store. That was why most of that time still felt like a blur to him. What’s more, with the addition of the kitchen, there were new and different regulations, and he was feeling overwhelmed day in and day out. If it hadn’t been for Ohno, who’d suggested bringing in Abe and Chinen to lighten Sho’s workload, he didn’t know if he could have done it. So, when Aiba had asked him about his personal life, Sho had felt the weight of everything that was happening all at once, and hadn’t even thought about the possibility that the other man was flirting with him. 

“I wasn’t,” Sho said earnestly. “To be honest, I don’t remember much of that time apart from the fact that seeing Aiba was the highlight of my day. It’s true,” he added when Nino scoffed. “It was a very dark time of my life, but no matter how tired I got, or how sad I felt, everytime he would wake into the shop it was like the sun had started shining again.” Sho looked over at the counter, where Aiba was happily chatting with Ohno over the sweets display. “So believe me when I say, Ninomiya-san, that I had no intention to hurt him.” 

Nino seemed to consider his words. After what seemed to be an eternity, he leaned back into his chair. “I sure hope so. Cause for some reason he could never move on from you. It’s why none of his relationships have worked out since.” 

Sho didn’t know what to say at that, but he was saved by the bell as Aiba came back carrying three stacked plates with three different kinds of sweets on top. He put them all down on the table. 

“Sho-chan, I got you a vanilla cupcake,” Aiba said, placing said cupcake in front of Sho. “Ah, can I have a taste? Please?” 

Sho, who was still locked in a staring contest with Nino, didn’t hear him. 

“Sho-chan?” 

As if he’d been woken up from a dream, Sho gasped and turned to Aiba. “Sorry?” 

Seeing that reaction, Aiba squinted his eyes and looked between Sho and Nino, who suddenly started acting innocent. “What were you two talking about?” 

“Nothing,” Sho rushed to say. 

Nino smirked. “Just telling him that if he breaks your heart I’ll have to kill him.” 

Aiba laughed, but from the way Nino looked at Sho, he knew he’d better look twice before crossing the road from now on. 

“Today was weird,” Aiba sentenced. 

Sho made a curious noise at that statement. 

“I witnessed the shop opening and now I’m seeing it being closed. It kinda feels like I have the backstage pass to a concert,” Aiba said, giggling merrily. 

“That’s the analogy you choose to make?” Sho asked incredulously, joining in Aiba’s laugh. 

“Ohno-kun was sure quick to leave though, wasn’t he?” Aiba snorted. 

“He’s always been like that.” Sho gave a chuckle. “If going home were an Olympic sport, he’d get the gold.” 

“He’d have to compete with Nino!” Aiba interjected. “I’m not sure he would win.” 

They were the last ones left, and their laughter filled the empty shop until they were out of breath. Sho felt elated and couldn’t stop smiling. Without realizing, he’d got closer and closer to Aiba. He pressed his lips together and reached out his hand to touch the other man’s hip. The contact was electrifying. 

Aiba giggled and rested his hands on Sho’s chest, allowing him to circle his waist. “Sho-chan…” 

Sho, who was a bit distracted by their closeness, hummed in reply. 

“I like you.” 

Sho couldn’t help but let an embarrassed smile take over his face. “I think I got that by now.” 

Aiba lifted his eyebrows, as if he was waiting for something. “So?” 

Sho played innocent. “I like me too.” 

Aiba slapped him jokingly. 

Sho gave a big laugh. “Alright, alright,” he conceded. He moved away and held out his hand to Aiba. “Come with me.” 

Aiba looked confused, but he still took his hand. Sho pulled him across the shop and had him sit on the stool as he went behind the counter. 

“Will you let me make you some tea?” he asked. 

“Now!?” Aiba seemed a bit taken aback, but he quickly admitted defeat when Sho made puppy eyes at him. “If that’s what you want to be doing now, Sho-chan,” he conceded. 

Sho gave him a brilliant smile. 

He hurried to the staff room to get what he needed before he could start. Under Aiba’s watchful eyes, he measured some of the blend in front of him and prepared to brew it. As the water heated up in the boiler, he felt nervous all of a sudden. He hoped Aiba wouldn’t be disappointed with the tea he was making for him. 

After the right amount of time passed, Sho picked up the teapot and started pouring the tea into Aiba’s green mug. The aroma of caramel immediately hit his nose, and he could see that Aiba had noticed it too, for his eyes widened and he looked at Sho excitedly. 

“Sorry for the wait,” Sho said, placing the mug in front of Aiba. “Here’s your Aiba-cha, sir.”

Aiba gasped. “Aiba-cha? Is this…?” 

“Try it,” Sho said, impatient for him to taste it. 

Aiba let the sweet scent of the Aiba-cha fill his nostrils. “It smells sweet,” he said. He blew on the liquid before he took a careful sip. Sho’s nervousness grew as he waited for the other man’s comment. But Aiba didn’t let him wait too much before he made a sound of appreciation. “Sho-chan, this is amazing.” 

Sho was so relieved to hear that. “You like it?” 

Aiba nodded excitedly. “It has caramel inside, then what?” 

“It’s hojicha and rooibos mixed together with caramel, dried fig and dried cherry blossoms,” Sho explained. “Hojicha is a green tea with a characteristic red color, and it pairs well with rooibos, an African tea that has many health benefits. They’re both naturally sweet, but with the addition of caramel and fig, that sweetness will be enhanced. The dried cherry blossoms give it a slightly sour aftertaste that pairs well with the sweet tones of the hojicha.” 

“This is amazing,” Aiba said, closing his eyes and relaxing. “I can really taste the caramel in the blend.” 

Sho nodded. “Also, you said you go to bed early, so I thought about a tea with little to no caffeine so that you can drink it even at night.” 

Aiba smiled. “You remembered that?” 

“Of course I did,” Sho said. “It was almost a deal breaker.” 

They both laughed at that. Sho, who had been nervous until now to have Aiba try the blend he created for him, finally felt himself relax. Even as he thought back to Nino’s words from before, he couldn’t stop this feeling of happiness inside as he looked at Aiba drinking his tea contentedly. He was going to do anything in his power to make Aiba happy. He wasn’t going to mess this up. 

“It’s really perfect, Sho-chan,” Aiba said as Sho poured him another cup. “How did you know that I would love it?” 

Sho smiled. He reached out into the drawer on his left and took out his grandmother’s leather notebook. “A little secret from my grandma,” he said, waving the notebook. “One day I’ll tell you all about it.” 

Sho closed the door to the shop with a small click that reverberated through the empty street. Then, he looked down at his messenger bag, and put the keys safe in the inside pocket. 

“Sho-chan?” 

“Yes, Aiba-kun, what is—” 

Sho’s back was softly pressed against the door of his shop as Aiba bent down to kiss him on his lips. It was short but sweet, and when Aiba pulled away Sho realized he’d stopped breathing. 

“Sorry. I couldn’t wait anymore.”

“Do it again.” 

Aiba looked a bit surprised at those words, but he complied right away. He got closer to Sho, crowding him against the door. One of his hands sneaked up to grab his cheek and his lips met Sho’s again. 

Sho’s head was spinning, so he grabbed Aiba’s coat to keep himself steady. Aiba hummed into the kiss, prompting Sho to flip them around so that Aiba was the one pressed against the door now. As he deepened the kiss, all he could taste was the sweet caramel from the Aiba-cha the other man just drank. 

Sho smiled. If he didn’t know before, now he was sure. The taste suited Aiba perfectly. It was so him; but it was Sho too, somehow. It was the green tea, and the red tea, and all the other little ingredients harmonizing with each other that made the tea work. 

He now really understood what his grandmother meant when she said tea is an art you do with your heart. 

He finally found his perfect blend.