Chapter Text
Wynter looked up, hearing the familiar ding of the bell.
He must have been lost in thought because he hadn’t even noticed him come in, and he always noticed.
He should’ve been expecting it, he came in at the same time, same day, same order and the same fucking adorable smile.
And there he was now with that smile, the beautifully curly, dark hair and his puppy-dog eyes.
Those damn brown eyes - he felt like they were boring into his soul and could read his mind. He really hoped that, today especially, they couldn’t.
“Uh, hiya! I’ll have my usual, yeah?”
Wynter nodded and smiled,
“Of course Steven, one earl grey: milk, two sugars?”
“You know me so well.” Steven grinned.
‘I’d like to know you better…’
And today was the day that he’d tell Steven that… he just didn’t know how.
Maybe he’d come up to him on his break, or maybe he’d follow him on his routine walk in the park and
godthatsoundedsocreepy.
But he followed such a strict pattern every time he arrived and it was so hard not to notice!
Or at least, that’s what he told himself…
Or maybe he, if he was feeling really brave, he could write his number down on the napkin for Steven’s order.
Yes! Yes, that was it! He had a sharpie ready in his back pocket, and the tea was almost ready.
He could see Steven out of the corner of his eye, sitting at his table - it was his table now, or at least it was in their minds.
And now he was putting the mug on the tray and the napkin and it was right there!
He took a deep breath, popped the lid off of the sharpie and…
“Oh, thanks mate!”
Wynter gave him a half-smile.
“No problem Steven.”
He put the tray down, hoping he couldn’t see his hands shaking, and walked back behind the counter.
And now he could see Steven taking out his reading glasses and was
doing-that-thing-makes-him-look-so-adorable-and-so-much-like-a-boomer-at-the-same-time
when he peeks over the top of the frames and squints.
And then he looked over at Wynter and smiled, with a small wave, and Wynter was sure that Steven could see his cheeks flush.
——————————————————
Enjoy.
Fucking enjoy?!
That was all he’d had the confidence to say - no, not even say, write!
Wynter slung his bag across the room and threw his boots rather half-heartedly after it.
“Mmmmfff!”
He screamed angrily into his pillow as he fell onto his bed.
“Stupid, STUPID!”
Oh, and he’d added a :) as an afterthought.
“Say goodbye to true love Wynter.”
He sighed as he turned onto his back and looked glumly at the cracked, off-white ceiling above him.
“Say goodbye…”
——————————————————
Even though Wynter had been too scared to share his true feelings (or even his number) this message sharing had become a new activity between the two.
Wynter would write ‘Enjoy :)’ on a napkin and Steven would reply with a smile and a wave over to him.
But, despite this, Wynter was still no closer to confessing his true feelings to Steven - all he wanted was to be able to have one date, just one!
He would be able to get to know him better and - if maybe Steven wanted to know a bit more about him - they could go on a few more dates…
But that was wishful thinking, how was he going to do all that if he didn’t even have the nerve to give him his number!
Wynter sighed and looked at the clock as he prepared another order, Steven would be arriving soon.
Today, today he was finally going to do it! He could and he would!
He carried the tray over to the appropriate table and looked up as the man himself walked through the door.
Was it just him or was he looking cuter than normal? He was wearing a dark shirt and looked as if he might actually have combed his hair for once.
However, he looked rather disheveled and downcast. But he plastered a smile on his face nonetheless and Wynter walked behind the counter to meet him.
“I’ll have the usual today mate… oh, and a blueberry muffin, if that’s okay?”
Wynter could hear the slightly disappointed tone in his voice, and he always sort of shrunk away from the world when something bad happened.
Wynter remembered when Donna had threatened to fire him when he’d been particularly late, and Steven had come in babbling and apologising when the kitchen was out of oat milk as if it was his fault.
“Y’alright Steven? Did something happen?”
Steven looked a little absentminded and answered distractedly, “Oh, it’s a bit of a long story, well, not long as such but just complicated…”
He was talking very quickly now.
“Maybe you could tell me about it, my shift will probably have ended by the time you’ve finished your order? I could walk with you in the park across the road… if you wanted.”
Wynter wanted to curl up in a ball and hide from the world.
That was way too forward! Of course he wouldn’t want to hang out with you now, what if something serious had happened?!
But no, you had to go and ask him to hang out with you!
“Uh, yeah. I think I could do with someone to talk to…”
Wynter stopped berating himself and looked at Steven, he didn’t look like he was joking - maybe he had misheard him?
“So yeah, I’ll see you when you get off, then!”
Wynter nodded wordlessly, still processing it as he started making Steven’s order.
He told himself to calm down, it wasn’t a date, it was nothing serious - but his heart was still beating fast and a grin was spreading across his face.
He wrote down the time his shift ended, instead of his normal message and collected the order onto a tray.
He tried to control his expression as he delivered Steven’s order but it was so hard when Steven looked at him like that and tried to smile.
He had the look of a puppy who’d just lost a bone, but was still excited to have visitors and was trying to wag its tail convincingly.
As Wynter prepared and delivered more orders, he couldn’t help but glance over at Steven every now and then.
‘He may have agreed to walk with you, but he’s hardly going to appreciate you giving him your number or asking him on a date!’
He told himself.
He’ll hardly agree to go out with me in that mood, but I suppose I’ll just have to make the most of this.
——————————————————
Steven held the door open for Wynter.
Always the gentleman he thought, and tried not to blush.
“After you.” Steven said nervously.
“Why, thank you milord.”
Wynter said in a posh accent and beckoned Steven, who smiled.
They walked over to the park and Wynter glanced at the sky - grey clouds were gathering overhead.
Shit, the one day I forget my umbrella - typical English weather.
As they made their way over to a bench, Steven began to talk.
Apparently the cause of his bad mood was a date.
Oh.
The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind that he might already be going on dates!
Steven - as lovable as he is - didn’t seem to get along that well with other people.
It wasn’t that he didn’t try, Wynter had seen him try, it was almost as if he was too social.
He’d try and strike a casual conversation with people in line at the cafe or in the street outside, people found that disconcerting.
He’d already tried talking to Wynter’s coworkers, but they were more keen on simply getting the orders done and going home.
Wynter understood this, but he got lonely without his little talks with Steven every now and then, he welcomed them!
All this to say that Wynter hadn’t expected Steven to be dating, and he felt his heart sink.
Nonetheless, he continued to listen to Steven who was telling him about how disastrous his date had been.
“And, look, I know I’m not always great at getting to places on time or remembering dates, but I can’t just have ‘not realised’ that a few days had passed. I mean DAYS! Sure I don’t notice the hours passing sometimes, but time’s a funny thing!”
Wynter nodded. “So let me get this straight: this girl said that you’d arranged a date with her - which you don’t remember doing.”
Steven nodded enthusiastically.
“And then apparently you missed the date by a few days, but didn’t realise until you got there and thought you’d been stood up and she called you?”
“Exactly!”
Wynter breathed out deeply.
“I mean, do you really not remember anything from those days that you ‘missed’?”
Steven shook his head.
“I mean, stuff like this has happened before but it just really shook me up this time. I mean, first of all - I decided to go on a date that I don’t even remember planning and then I’ve missed half the week!”
Wynter shook his head. “Well, I know I’d be pissed if that happened to me, you go on many dates?”
He hadn’t really meant to ask that, but the question sort of slipped out.
Steven looked a bit embarrassed for a moment. “Well… not as many as I’d like. Something like this always gets in the way.”
“Have you tried dating boys? I would definitely recommend, maybe 8/10.”
He knew that was bold, but hoped it would both relieve some tension and give him an idea of whether or not to make a move.
Steven chuckled and flushed a little. “I’ve tried, same problem no matter who I date - I don’t go on dates with anybody really.”
Wynter was about to speak when a few drops of rain fell onto their heads, which soon turned into a downpour.
“Oh shit, we should probably make a run for it, yeah?” He shouted over the rain and pointed to a small covered area a few feet away.
They took each other’s hands - much to Wynter’s joy - and pelted towards the covered area, which turned out to be a small information point about local wildlife.
They laughed and looked at each other, both very wet and quite close due to the size of the shelter.
“I’m gonna have to run home after this.”
Wynter chuckled and Steven nodded.
“My bus stop isn’t too far from here, where’s yours?”
“Oh, it’s not that far either, no big deal.”
“Really, ‘cus you could probably stop at my place for the night if you live too far away and the rain doesn’t let up…”
Steven’s eyes widened as he said that, and he stuttered
“I - I mean, just that if you have a long way to go and you’d rather stay with me, b-but not that you have to, of course you don’t - but if you wanted to…”
Wynter blushed and he chuckled.
“I’d love to, Steven. I’ve never been to your place before, what secrets might you be hiding in that mysterious flat of yours?” He asked in a deep voice, making both of them laugh.
They waited for a few minutes, but the rain did not seem to be stopping anytime soon.
“We’d better make a run for it then.”
Wynter nodded and smiled, “Off into the rain again.”
——————————————————
By the time they got to the bus stop, they were both soaked and stood dripping under the shelter as they waited.
They were the only ones at the bus stop - everyone else probably had the sense to have taken cover already.
“Hmm, funny thing,” Wynter said and Steven looked at him curiously “I think we go to the same bus stop.”
Steven chuckled. “It would be funny if we got the same bus too, wouldn’t it?”
“Speak of the devil!”
A bus pulled up to the stop, answering Steven’s question - they did in fact get the same bus.
As they moved up to the top deck, Steven wondered aloud: “How come we’ve never seen each other, then?”
Wynter thought for a moment as they found a pair of seats and made themselves comfortable near the back of the bus.
“Well, I normally head off earlier than this and I guess you must get back later.”
Another thought came to Wynter’s mind and he asked which flat Steven lived in.
“Aah, same flat too - and neither of us have ever realised?”
“It’s crazy, but we must just leave and return at different times, I live on the first floor, I don’t suppose you live higher up?”
Steven nodded.
“I haven’t lived there for long, but I’m still surprised we hadn’t already realised.”
“I tend to keep to myself really, stay in my own little bubble…”
Steven looked rather embarrassed but Wynter nodded along,
“I get it, I’m still not sure how I landed a job where I have to talk to people daily - it’s not exactly my strong suit.”
“Oh, you seem to be great at it to me!”
“Yeah, but that’s you - you’re different.” Wynter realised what he had said and blushed “I - I mean, never mind …”
Both their cheeks were flushed and they stayed in silence - though it was a comfortable one.
——————————————————
The lift was stuffy and smelly, as always, but with Steven’s comforting presence, Wynter didn’t mind.
They still hadn’t said much since the bus, but Steven had agreed to walk Wynter to his floor, despite his protestations.
The doors opened slowly and the two walked out together.
“Well, I guess this is my stop…”
Steven nodded and looked as if he was going to say something before changing his mind and remaining silent. Wynter decided to break the silence instead,
“Y’know this was nice, maybe we could do something like this again some time soon?”
Steven nodded again, but more enthusiastic this time - with the same energy as a bobble head in an earthquake.
“There’s a nice little vegan place near your cafe, much better than that steak restaurant, you free around six next Friday?”
“It’s a date.”
Wynter wished the ground would open up and swallow him, both their faces flushed a deep pink and Steven nodded, yet again, turning and walking to the lift.
Once the doors closed, Steven felt himself relax and almost sunk down the wall in relief. He couldn’t believe it! The handsome barista at his favourite cafe had agreed to go out with him!
He hadn’t been this happy since someone at work had actually remembered his name.
He walked out of the lift onto his floor in a daze, drifting happily into his apartment and sinking down onto the sofa. He’d just gotten comfortable when there was a knock at the door, he walked up to the door cautiously - he wasn’t expecting any visitors.
“I know, it’s really dumb of me not to notice, but I left my bag at work so I don’t have my keys a- and the landlord won’t respond till morning, so… would you mind if I stayed the night?”