Archive of Our Own

I.

“Serao, where are you? The staff here are looking for you.” Akira’s voice filters out through the phone call.

Seraph hums as he looks around. “I’m near a café. Do you want anything?”

“Oh, is it Zeffiro?” Seraph looks up at the sign and replies with another hum in affirmation. “I’ll send you everyone’s orders, then.”

Seraph laughs. “Everyone? That’s going to be a lot of coffee. You really think I can carry this alone?”

“Yep.” Akira’s reply is instantaneous, which makes Seraph scoff. “Just kidding. I’ll meet you halfway to help. See you then.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Seraph ends the call and pockets his phone, making his way toward the café. Nagi-chan’s got coffee and food from this place before, he thinks absentmindedly as he pushes the entrance open, a chime ringing as it signals his arrival. I remember they had good stuff in here last week.

“Welcome!” A cheery voice greets him, and Seraph looks up. What he did not expect was a guy with a pretty face and even prettier eyes to be smiling at him. “What can I get you?”

Seraph blinks at him. The guy blinks back. “Oh.” Seraph snaps out of his shock. “Uh, sorry. Here.” He quickly approaches the counter and pulls out the list of orders Akira had sent him a while ago.

The guy—his name tag reads Kanato—hums. “This is for the radio station around the corner, right? I’ve made some of these orders before, but you’re not the usual coffee errand guy.” He looks up from the list, and Seraph feels as though he’s being pinned in place by those blue eyes. “You new there?”

In an attempt to regain at least some composure, Seraph tries for a smile. “No, I’m a recurring guest for the radio. I’m just a singer-songwriter.”

“That’s cool!” Kanato replies with enthusiasm. “Looks like I have to tune in later, then. I really like music.” He grins, and somehow Seraph feels embarrassed at the fact that he might be listening later. “Oh, this should be the price for everything.”

Seraph glares at the green numbers. “That guy… he’s totally paying me back for this,” he grumbles as he pays the exact amount, and smiles shyly when Kanato unexpectedly laughs at what he just said.

“You can take a seat over there. These orders will take a while. I’ll holler when they’re ready.” Kanato grins. “Oh, tell me your name! So that I know who to call.”

“I’m Seraph,” he answers, and Kanato writes his name on a sticky note.

“I’m not sure if you haven’t noticed my name tag yet, but I’m Kanato,” he introduces himself with a smile.

Seraph laughs. “I did. It’s nice to meet you.” With a smile of his own, he turns back and makes his way toward one of the empty tables in the café. He takes a seat and fishes his phone out of his pocket to check the time. Okay, just a little over an hour left. I should make it in time.

Out of curiosity, he looks over where Kanato was and leans against the table. Seems like he’s the only staff member. Taking on all the work on his own sure must be tiring. With a quick shake of his head, Seraph snaps out of his own thoughts and opens his phone to chat with Akira, a small petulant pout on his lips.

serapipipipipi ☆: y didnt u tell me the barista here was so cute wtf

shikanagi naginagi: ?!(#((!!?#((
Are you sick
?? Did you get hit by a rock on the way there or something

serapipipipipi ☆: no???
first of all i’d dodge that rock ez

shikanagi naginagi: Sure
But seriously

serapipipipipi ☆: should i get his number :(

shikanagi naginagi: Oh my god
Don’t even

serapipipipipi ☆: nagi-chan u dont understand
hes so pretty
maybe i SHOULD get his number
nagi-chan?? naginagi u didnt read my text
naaaagiiii-cchhhaaaann

Seraph knows it’s a futile effort to even send any more messages to Akira like this, so he sighs and exits their chat. Getting Kanato’s phone number is a good idea, but he hasn’t tried doing anything like that in… a long while. That’s a little depressing.

With a stifled groan, he picks up a pen from his bag and grabs a tissue from the dispenser, doodling notes on it and humming to himself. Time passes by, and his tissue pile just continues growing. It’s a bit of a cause for concern, but he’ll think about the consequences of his actions later.

He doesn’t notice how long it’s been until Kanato calls his name. “Seraph!” He looks up from his mountain of tissues. “Woah! I can barely see you over there! What’s with the tissues?”

“Ah, sorry!” Seraph quickly puts down his pen and approaches the serving area with all his stuff. “I have a bad habit of writing music on… well, anything. Keeps me distracted. I’ll throw them away, don’t worry.”

Kanato hums before he says, “Hey, can I keep those?”

“What?” This startles Seraph. “You don’t have to, they’re just mindless notes…”

“I want to. That looks like an interesting habit you have, and I told you before, didn’t I? I like music.” Kanato pushes the bags of coffee toward him. “And they’re my tissues, so I decide what to do with them. Anyhow, do you think you can carry these bags all the way there? They seem heavy.”

Seraph, still a little startled, takes the bags. “Oh, uh, don’t worry. I can handle it.” Kanato raises an amused eyebrow at him. “...I’m meeting someone halfway to help me out with this.”

Kanato points at himself. “Want me to help?”

Seraph shakes his head. “I’ve already troubled you enough. I’ll be fine.”

Kanato nods, looking just a touch bit concerned. “If you say so.” He backs away from the counter. “Well, off you go!”

“Yeah.” Seraph nods as he makes his way toward the door. However, before he leaves, he turns to look back at Kanato. “I’ll see you later?”

Kanato blinks before he laughs and waves a hand goodbye. “Yeah! See you later!” With a nod of his own, Seraph finally leaves the café.

As he’s walking a good distance away, Seraph lets out a loud groan. “I really should’ve gotten his number…”

(It’s a few hours past afternoon, and Hibari enters the café. “Yo, Kanato!” He greets, but pauses at the sight of tissues on his counter. “...What’s with the tissues? You cleaning or something?”

“No, but a customer left these behind.” There’s a fond smile on Kanato’s lips. “Hey, you think you can play some of these?”

“‘Play?’ What’s this about?” Hibari approaches the pile of tissues and picks one up. “Woah! There are music notes on these!” He hums some of the notes. “And they’re really good!”)

II.

“Nagi-chan,” Seraph says so that he can get his attention.

“What is it now? Also, why in the world are you lazing around in my studio?” Akira sighs as he shuffles through some papers on his desk.

“Your studio’s closer to my house,” is Seraph’s answer as he sits up from the couch to look at Akira. “Nagi-chan.”

“What?” Akira shoots back, finally looking up from his papers.

Seraph pauses before putting his hands on his face and lying back down with a sigh. “I should’ve gotten his number…”

He believes he just heard the sound of a pen snapping from Akira’s direction. “Oh my god,” he hears Akira whisper. Seraph knows that the guy is massaging his temples right now and tries not to snicker. “Can you please stop whining? If you want to see him so badly, why don’t you just go back and order something?”

Seraph sits back up so fast he must’ve gotten whiplash. He sees in real time how Akira’s expression turned into one of regret. “Nagi-chan, have I ever told you that you are a genius?”

“I absolutely can’t believe how hopeless you are right now.” Akira lets out a long sigh in exasperation. “Since you’re going anyway, here’s my order.”

Seraph raises an eyebrow as he stands up to take the piece of paper. “Somehow, it feels like this was just one whole elaborate plan for me to get you coffee.”

Akira smiles, but Seraph knows better. “What do you think?”

Seraph’s already at the door. “Yes, whatever. I’m going!” Waving goodbye, he exits the room with a hop to his step.

It doesn’t take long for him to arrive at Zeffiro. “It really is right around the corner,” he mutters in amazement. “Ugh, Nagi-chan doesn’t realize how lucky he is,” he grumbles to himself as he enters the café, the chime ringing in his ears.

Kanato looks up from his workstation and brightens at the sight of him. “Seraph!” He calls out his name enthusiastically. He remembers me. The thought sends Seraph’s heart all aflutter. “Welcome back! See anything you fancy for today?”

You. Seraph’s mind supplies, and he almost chokes at that instantaneous thought. Almost. “I’m just picking up two orders for me and Nagi-chan.” He approaches the counter with the paper Akira handed him.

“Oh, there’s no need for that. I know that guy’s order like the back of my hand. Have you ever told him that he needs to cut back on the caffeine?” Kanato scoffs at the sight of the order. “Does he even sleep?”

That makes Seraph laugh. “Oh, I’ve tried, but a Nagi-chan without coffee is a different person altogether.” He pockets the piece of paper. “As for me, I’d like this one, please.” He points at something he’d probably like on the menu.

Kanato takes note of it on a sticky note. It’s the same one he used to write his name on a few weeks back. “You like sweet things, huh? You ordered something similar the last time you swung by.”

Seraph scratches the nape of his neck. “A lot of people tell me that. I also know how to make desserts, so there’s that.”

Kanato hums as he looks up. “That’s interesting. You know how to make music and food, is there anything else you can do?”

Seraph goes over the extensive list of hobbies he’s tried and done over the years and nods. “Definitely.”

Kanato laughs. “That’s some confidence!” The cashier register dings. “Okay, time to pay up. Your order will be done quickly, so just wait by the counterseat.”

“Roger.” Seraph hands him over the money and proceeds to sit near Kanato’s workstation. “Just wondering, but are you really the only one working around here? Making orders must be tough.”

Kanato shrugs. “I hire part timers over the summer, and this much is stuff I can handle, don’t worry.” He flashes Seraph a smile. “Also, I have a friend that comes by a lot, so he helps me out here as well.”

“Is that so?” Seraph shifts his attention toward the pastries displayed. “Then did you make these?”

“Oh, no.” Kanato’s reply is instant. “I can cook a bit, but baking isn’t exactly my forte. I’ve burned too many cupcakes over the past few years.”

Seraph chuckles. “Your friend is the designated chef of Zeffiro, huh.” He absentmindedly taps a rhythm on the counter. “If you want, I can teach you how to bake.”

Kanato’s eyes widen as he secures the coffee cup with a cover. “Eh? Is that okay? Aren’t you busy with that new single you mentioned over the radio?”

Seraph inwardly takes a deep breath. Ah… he really did tune in on that day, that’s embarrassing. No time to be flustered, however. “It’s okay if you don’t want to, though. We only just met, after all.”

“Oh, no! It’s fine with me!” Kanato quickly turns around. “Besides, we can get to know each other better, right? I mean, we’re practically friends now!”

Seraph smiles. “Thanks for thinking of me that way.” As he’s about to say something else, his phone alerts him of a new message. Grabbing it from the counter, he frowns to see that it was from Akira, asking him to hurry up and a follow up message—“Tarai’s looking for you in the office rn. Why in the world are the 2 of you always here”—and he sighs. “Sorry, Kanato, but I gotta go. Are those orders ready yet?”

“Is Akira looking for you already? We barely even had time to talk!” Kanato sighs in exasperation, but he hands over the two cups of coffee in a bag.

“Unfortunately. I’ll be sure to visit you next time, so see you then?” Seraph takes the bags and slowly, very reluctantly, makes his way toward the exit.

“See you, Seraph!” Kanato waves goodbye and with that, he exits Zeffiro, silently cursing about bad timing.

The moment Seraph is back inside Akira’s office, he’s confused as to why Hibari wasn’t inside. “Uh? Where’s Hiba? You said he was looking for me.”

Akira gestures towards the door. “He said he was hungry so he decided to check out the cafeteria. You can go find him once you give me that coffee you took so long to get.”

Seraph frowns as he approaches the table, grabbing Akira’s coffee to hand it over. “Hey, at least you have it now.” However, he smiles triumphantly at Akira’s direction. “For your information, I got a date out of those apparently very long minutes, so, hah.” He leaves out the fact that nothing concrete has been planned out just yet.

The coffee Akira is holding almost tumbles out of his hands. “What? You sure move fast.” He shakes his head as he takes a sip out of the cup and sets it down on his table. “Then I’m sure you got his phone number?”

A moment of silence passes.

At this, Akira frowns. “Serao, don’t tell me—”

Seraph merely sighs and walks toward the coffee table, sets down the paper bag, and slumps on the couch. “Don’t say it. It slipped my mind…”

“I wasn’t going to say anything!” Akira barks out a much too amused laugh. “For a man praised for his intellect, you sure are a little romantically slow.”

Seraph pouts at Akira, waving around a cushion as though he’s about to throw it.

(“Akira, you have some good food in this office so I don’t understand why you keep—” Hibari cuts himself off once he sees Seraph sulking as he’s drinking coffee. “Serao! What’s gotten you down in the dumps? Want me to make something for you?”

“Oh, don’t mind him. He’s just like that because he forgot to ask someone’s number despite making plans for a date.” The reminder merely makes Seraph sulkier. Akira waves him off as he’s signing a paper. “And done. Since you two are already here, I’d like to kindly ask for the both of you to get out, because I’m leaving for a meeting in a few minutes.”

Hibari salutes at him as he grabs Seraph by the collar. “Noted. We’ll get out of your hair, Akira!” He drags Seraph out of the room and into the hallway. “Come on, Serao! Let’s go to an arcade, my treat!” That gets a response out of Seraph.)

III.

Seraph feels a migraine coming on as he palms at his eyes. That’s what he gets for staying up late. With a sigh, he presses on and eventually reaches Zeffiro. “Good morning…”

“Morning—oh, wow. You don’t look so good.” Kanato points out the obvious, and Seraph can hear the worry in his voice. “What do you need? I’ve got some painkillers back in the staff room if you want.”

“It’s fine. No need to fuss.” Seraph shakes his head as he sits by the counter. “I just need something to wake me up.”

“I’ll make you the usual, then?” Kanato asks, already making his way towards the espresso machine.

“The usual?” Seraph dazedly questions, looking at Kanato.

At this, Kanato’s actions slow down, as though he’s hesitating. “Oh. If… you want something else, you can look over the menu there.”

Seraph blinks as he takes note of this reaction with keen interest. There’s a slowly growing grin on his lips. “I’ve only been here a handful of times, you know.”

Kanato looks away, but Seraph can clearly see his red ears. “So? From those handful of times, you’ve only ordered one thing.”

Seraph can totally feel the teasing grin on his face. “You got ahead of yourself,” he says in a singsong manner. He doesn’t quite understand why he feels pleased, but to know that Kanato even bothered to remember something like this for him makes him feel a little giddy. A little unreasonable and foolish, he admits, but sue him.

Kanato huffs and crosses his arms, finally looking back at Seraph with furrowed eyebrows. “Okay, I did. I just—I don’t know. I naturally assumed you’ll get that for a while, and you liked it, so… so—ugh. Come on and just order already!”

“I think I’m okay with the usual, then.” Seraph laughs when Kanato rolls his eyes. “I mean it. I appreciate the effort you took to remember some customer’s order that hasn’t even been visiting for a week yet.”

Kanato now laughs, sounding embarrassed. “It’s—it’s no big deal, really. You don’t have to thank me like that.” He readies up the espresso machine. “It’s just… I really thought you’d keep coming back, or something.”

“Even though I’ll maybe change my order every now and then?” Seraph leans against the counter with a laugh.

“You’ll eventually go back to this one, no?” Kanato chuckles. “You can pay after I’m done, so sit tight.”

“‘Kay,” Seraph murmurs, slumping over. He must be sleepier than he thought. “Just… wake me up when you’re done, thanks.”

“That nap of yours is going to be short though?” Kanato looks back at Seraph and laughs. “And he’s out like a light!”

It’s only been a few minutes of sleep when Seraph feels someone tapping his shoulder. “...Seraph.” It’s Kanato, he realizes. “Seraph.” The hand on his shoulder is shaking him more insistently this time.

“...I’m up.” Seraph groans as he wakes up, dragging a hand across his face. He should really go home, this migraine was going to kill him.

“And I’m down,” Kanato replies as he snorts, and Seraph rolls his eyes at the joke. “Had a good sleep? Here’s your drink to wake you up more.”

“Thanks.” Seraph takes it as he rummages his bag for his wallet, and eventually grabs it. “Now, if I remember correctly, this should be the exact amount for the drink?”

Kanato takes the money and laughs. “What! It really is the exact amount! Why in the world do you remember that!”

“I just have a really good memory.” Seraph shrugs with a smile, and the look Kanato gives him is one of disbelief. He picks up the coffee cup, but notices the name written on it. “...‘Sera?’”

“Oh.” Kanato laughs sheepishly, and Seraph notices the pink flush on his cheeks at the mention. “Well, it’s just a little nickname… are you bothered by it?”

Seraph smiles, feeling a little too happy just from a nickname. “I don’t mind.” He chuckles. “I think it’s cute.” Well, he doesn’t know where that came from, but he considers it a victory when Kanato looks away from him with a smile. “Though I think I should be going home now… my head is killing me.”

“Hey, I told you I had some painkillers out in the back. You sure you don’t need one?” Kanato looks at him with concern.

Seraph shrugs. “And I said I should be fine. I can probably make it back home without dying in the middle of the street.” That makes Kanato laugh. “Thanks for worrying, though. I’ll get going. See you, Kanato.”

“Bye, Sera!” Kanato waves, and Seraph can’t help the smile on his face at the nickname.

(It’s late at night when Hibari enters the café. “Kanato, you here?” He looks behind the counter and jumps when he spots Kanato standing there, unmoving. “Uh, hello? What are you doing?”

“Hibari,” Kanato finally speaks, his voice grave as he slumps over the counters in defeat. “Maybe I should’ve written my number on his cup.”

Hibari gasps in shock. “What the hell! You like a customer?! This is my first time hearing about this! Does Kana-chan know? Hey, you idiot, don’t die on me right now!”)

IV.

“Hey, Akira.” Hibari enters the studio with a bang, which startles both Seraph and Akira. “Serao’s here too? Since we’re all present, let’s get food!”

“Why are you two here again…” Akira lets out a sigh, while both Hibari and Seraph laugh at his exasperation. “Didn’t you say the cafeteria had good food?”

“Well, yeah, but I wanna eat out! My treat!” Hibari grins, showing off a peace sign. “So, any of you guys craving anything?”

“Let’s go to Zeffiro,” Seraph suggests as he puts down his headset onto the coffee table, filing away his music sheets to work on later. “I like their pasta.”

At this, Hibari hums, a contemplative expression on his face. Seraph doesn’t know why he even looks like that. “Well—”

Akira chortles from across the room, standing up from his desk as he approaches Hibari. “—Yeah, let’s go to Zeffiro. I need some coffee, after all.”

“Eh? Hey, you know that I—” Hibari is once again cut off as Akira slaps a hand onto his mouth to shut him up. “—Ow?! Okay, okay! If you want to go to Zeffiro so badly, then fine!”

Seraph stands up from the sofa as well, squinting his eyes at Akira. “Hibari, Nagi-chan’s planning something again.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Akira says in a singsong manner. “Besides, it’s Tarai’s treat, yeah? Let’s empty out his wallet.”

Seraph immediately perks up. “Okay. Hiba, I’m going to eat lots, yeah?”

Hibari groans as he follows after them. “I swear, there’s no arguing with the two of you.”

The three leave the building and head for Zeffiro, where they find Kanato cleaning the outside tables. He looks up and immediately grimaces at the sight of Akira and Hibari together. “You guys again. No, I am not going to give the food for free—” Seraph peeks from behind Hibari, and Kanato instantly brightens. “—Sera! You’re here!”

“Sera?” Akira whispers, shocked at the use of a nickname as Seraph waves with a smile.

“You guys know each other?” Hibari looks back and forth between the two of them and grins. “That’s great! Owner, we’ll head inside now!”

Kanato rolls his eyes in fond exasperation. “Yeah, whatever. I’ll take your orders in a sec, so just sit tight.” With that, the group enters the café and they all sit at a table near the windows.

It looks like Zeffiro is a little packed today, seeing as it should be around lunch time. Seraph taps his fingers on the table as Kanato comes back and approaches their tables. “Now what gave you guys the bright idea to grab lunch at Zeffiro?” Akira merely smiles as both Hibari and Seraph shrug. “Well, it’s fine. More business for me, I guess. For drinks, I’m going to assume you all are going to get your usuals. Have you decided on what to eat?”

“Today’s special for everyone, please!” Hibari grins as Kanato nods and writes it down on his notepad. He salutes and makes his way towards the counter.

“The usual?” Akira elbows Seraph’s ribs. “Hey, you haven’t been frequenting that often, right?”

“I haven’t,” Seraph says with a smile. He feels all too smug for someone who hasn’t gotten Kanato’s number yet.

“What are you two whispering about over there?” Hibari squints at them. “Don’t tell me you guys are plotting something again…”

“We would never.” Akira looks affronted, but both Seraph and Hibari glance at each other. “Speaking of plotting, do you have any details on the collab next week? We’re kinda in a bind on how to prepare things at the studio.”

“Oh, count me in as well. Just wanted to know when you and the rest of Nijidatoka are coming to record.” Seraph pulls out the notebook and pen he had in his bag, finally remembering to bring it along instead of using tissues.

Hibari frowns. “Why in the world are we talking about work when our food is about to be served…” It’s a bit of a grumble, but he still relents. He pulls out his phone. “Here are the details we’ve discussed in the chat, but they’re still pending for approval, so just contact our manager if you guys need anything more.”

What was meant to be a lunch outing has become an impromptu meeting for next week. Hibari’s starting to look more drained the more Akira talks, likely because he’s hungry, and Seraph continues to diligently take notes. Well, by diligently, he means that he’s getting sidetracked and wondering when they’ll actually meet the deadline.

Akira notices this and sighs, pushing up his glasses. “We’ll talk about this back in my office. You guys aren’t even with me anymore.”

“Yep. You can even tell from all the way back here.” Kanato chuckles as he rolls in a cart with various orders, and both Hibari and Seraph perk up immediately. He places the plates and mugs down on the table, and Akira immediately grabs for his coffee. “Here’s your food. Finish quickly and pack up, I don’t want to see you guys hanging around here a second longer!”

Seraph tilts his head with a smile, pointing at himself. “What about me, Kanato?” He asks jokingly.

Akira coughs into his coffee mug as Kanato looks a little taken aback. He clears his throat, a little embarrassed. “...Well. I don’t mind if you come here more often. You barely do, anyway.” He laughs and pushes the cart away. “Enjoy your meal!” He scurries off.

“You guys are ridiculous.” Akira sighs as he grabs a tissue to wipe his mouth. “Coming from the guy who doesn’t even have his phone number…”

Opting to ignore Akira, Seraph sighs. “He’s so pretty…” He says as he slumps against the chair, hands covering his face.

This garners Hibari’s attention with a raised eyebrow, finally looking up from his plate of food. “Oh? Who are we talking about?”

“Kanato,” Seraph replies with another sigh. Hibari might tease him for being this lovesick, but he doesn’t care.

His answer, however, startles a laugh out of Hibari. He even chokes on his food before wheezing out: “Kanato?”

“...Is something wrong with that?” Seraph asks as he hurriedly grabs a glass of water and hand it to Hibari.

Hibari downs the glass with a loud gasp. “No, there’s nothing wrong! It’s just… uh, weird, hearing someone say that about someone I’ve known since I was a kid.”

Okay, that was new. Seraph sits up straight as he stares at Hibari. “You’ve known Kanato since you were kids?” He thinks he looks like a goldfish right now. “And you didn’t say anything?”

“Hey! In my defense, I only knew you were interested in him just now!” Hibari whispers harshly as he leans against the table, and Seraph immediately flushes pink at being pointed out like that. “I work here too, so it was weird when you guys suggested going to Zeffiro!”

“You work here—you’re the guy that helps around with the cooking?” Seraph leans against the chair before turning to face Akira. There’s a smile on his face, but his eyes were much too amused. Seraph glares at him. “...You knew what was going on the entire time, don’t you, Nagi-chan?”

“Maybe,” Akira answers, and Seraph groans, further slumping into his chair. “It was funny, I have to admit, since we’ve been talking to his best friend this entire time.”

Hibari speaks aloud for Seraph with a laugh. “That’s mean!”

“This is embarrassing,” Seraph mumbles as he finally sits up properly, poking at the pasta. “Let’s just eat already.”

(Hibari goes up the counter with a mischievous grin on his face. Kanato has always hated that face. “What is it this time?” He asks, suspicious.

Hibari’s still grinning when he hands over the money for the bill. “You wanted to give your number to Seraph the other day, right?”

Kanato drops the coins onto the floor, his eyes widening and his face going aflame. “How did you—” With a cackle, Hibari runs out of the café to join Seraph and Akira outside, who look confused by his sudden behavior. A long sigh escapes Kanato as he drops to the floor to collect the coins. “How does he even know?”)

V.

“I’m gonna get his number today,” Seraph says resolutely as he turns the corner and sees Zeffiro in view.

Akira chortles into their call. “Yeah, sure. Wanna bet on it?”

“Let’s do it. I’m confident that I’ll win, Nagi-chan.” Seraph doesn’t exactly know where his confidence is coming from, however. “I’ll be your coffee errand boy for two months if I lose.”

Akira scoffs. “As if you aren’t already? You’ll pay my orders for me in those two months.” Seraph groans, but relents anyway. “Nice. Okay, if I lose, I’ll buy those favorite pastries of yours from the bake shop for a month.”

Seraph grins as he enters Zeffiro, a stutter to his step once he sees how packed the place was. He fishes for a mask and a cap in his bag before anyone can recognize him. “Those super expensive ones? Nagi-chan, do you want to lose to me that badly?”

“No, I’m just confident that I’ll win.” Akira cackles. “‘Kay, gotta go. Gonna be on air soon.” With that, the call ends and Seraph pockets his phone.

He’s met with a long line to the counter. Well, it’s lunch hour, so it’s to be expected. He strains his neck to check up on how Kanato is doing, and he’s met with not one, but two people working on the counter, Kanato included.

“Sorry for the wait! Here’s your order.” Seraph notices that the woman behind the counter looks scarily similar to Kanato, handing the customer a paper bag and the line moves forward. “Good morning! What can I get for you?”

Perhaps she’s a sibling, or a relative, Seraph absentmindedly speculates. Not everyday you find someone who looks similar to you after all, so she must be family. This line is long. There goes his train of thought, derailing as he stands in waiting. Hope these two aren’t too overworked. Dealing with lunch hour with only two people must be difficult.

“Switch!” Kanato goes behind the counter as the woman nods and grabs the service cart he left behind, making her way around the café tables. “Hello, what would you like for today?”

The line dwindles down as the siblings(?) continue to switch between their shifts, and finally, it was Seraph’s turn on the counter. Luckily for him, it’s Kanato that greets him. He squints a bit before recognition lights up in his eyes. “Sera, hi!” The smile on his face betrays his haggard expression. “The usual?”

“Yeah, and for Nagi-chan, too. Oh, and add a croissant as well.” Seraph nods as he hands over the exact amount. “I’ll wait by the pick up counter.”

Kanato rings up the cashier. “Seriously, it’s scary how you manage to give the exact amount every time.” Seraph chuckles at that. “Talk to me while I make your order?”

“No problem.” Seraph exits the line so that he doesn’t hold it up for long. “Busy day today. Who’s helping you out?”

“Oh, that’s Kana-san, my sister. She helps around every now and then.” Kanato grabs two cups from the cabinet. “She’s older than me, actually.”

Seraph stares a bit at Kanato, then at Kana. He nods. “...Yeah, you don’t look like the older sibling at all.”

“Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?” Kanato laughs, coffee pot in hand. “I can be responsible!”

Seraph hears a snort from the side and finds Kana beside him. “You? Responsible? You can barely keep Zeffiro alive!” She turns to Seraph. “You a friend of Kanato? Nice to meet you. Can’t talk much right now, but let’s hang out some other time!” She laughs and runs away with a cart of orders as Kanato swats a towel at her.

“Sorry, she can be… loud.” Kanato sighs as he hangs the towel on a rack. “She’s not so bad, though. Also, just a warning, but she drags you around anywhere she wants.”

Seraph nods, keeping that in mind. Suddenly, his phone vibrates incessantly in his pocket. The only one in his contacts who can blow up his phone like this is Hibari, so he ignores it for now. Might just be TikTok links about cute cats.

Kanato arrives at the pick up counter with his orders. “Here are your drinks and your croissant! I can’t talk much right now, but see you later, Sera!”

“Oh, wait. There’s something I wanna ask you.” Seraph stops Kanato, who looks at him with his head tilted. He grabs his phone from his pocket. “Do you mind if—”

His phone starts blaring his ringtone. Surprised, Seraph checks up on who the caller is, and the name reads “Hibalark.” Kanato leans over and catches the name, laughing. “...I think you should get that.”

With a sigh, Seraph nods. “Yeah, I will.” He starts to walk towards a relatively quiet and secluded part of the café and answers the call. “Hiba, this better be good—”

“—Serao! Oh my god, you haven’t read my messages so I was worried you weren’t going to answer!” A panicked Hibari cries out. It seems that there’s some commotion on his end of the line. “Sorry for being abrupt, but Wacchi-san called in earlier and said he was sick, so now we’re short on a guitar and I wanted to ask if you’re free? Today? Because our concert starts a few hours later and we haven’t done rehearsals yet?”

Seraph can feel a headache coming. “...You get me pastries from the bake shop near Nagi-chan’s place for a week, then consider it a done deal.”

“Those pastries are expensive, dude. I can totally make those better,” Hibari grumbles. “Fine! Suck my wallet dry, will you! Get over here already, yeah?”

Seraph grins, victorious. “Yeah, I’m in. I’ll just drop off Nagi-chan’s coffee and then I’ll be on my way.” With that, he ends the call.

He is so not delighted about the fact that he lost the bet and will now be paying for Akira’s orders in the next two months… at least he’s still getting those pastries some way or another.

Seraph goes back to the pick up counter and sees Kanato attending to another customer. He picks up the paper bag. “Kanato, forget about the thing I was going to ask you earlier. I gotta go, Hiba has an emergency, but I’ll see you tomorrow.” He makes his way to the exit.

“Huh? Uh, Sera! Wait a sec!” Seraph turns to look back and sees Kanato by the counter, a little frantic. “Can you—uhm, once you’re done with whatever you’re doing with Hiba, can you come back here? I—I don’t really care what time you come, I’ll still be here.”

Seraph feels a smile on his face, though the mask covering his face doesn’t exactly show that. He feels his eyes crinkle, too, so he must be really happy right now. Silly, he thinks, far too gone. “Yeah,” he replies, and Kanato lights up with a smile. I really like this guy, huh. That’s his last thought before he waves goodbye and exits Zeffiro.

(Kana sidles up to Kanato in the break room, a shit eating grin on her face. “So? So? Who in the world was that?! All of our customers kept side eyeing you after that happened! You must like this guy, huh?”

“Shut uppp,” Kanato groans as he covers his face behind his hands. “This is why I didn’t want you to know…”

Kana snorts as she slaps his back. “Stupid. You must’ve wanted him to come back so badly if you didn’t think about me knowing about your little crush. You could’ve texted him, you know.” Kanato coughs awkwardly at that. “...You don’t have his number, do you?” The silence that follows after makes Kana laugh. “Kanato, you are so lame.”

Kanato glares at her behind the gaps of his fingers. “I’m working on that, just so you know,” he mumbles as Kana laughs again, wishing him good luck.)

VI. (Bonus)

Kanato taps his fingers against the counter, chin resting on his other hand as he looks out the windows. It’s late at night, and he supposes the trains are going to stop running soon. He sighs as he lies his head against the counter, belated embarrassment rushing to his cheeks, red and hot. “What in the world was I thinking?” He mumbles to himself. Guess this was the world punishing him for not getting Seraph’s number.

With another sigh, he pushes himself off the counter, wondering if he should start locking up the café for today. It was an unreasonable request after all, so it’s not like Kanato can expect Seraph to burst into Zeffiro and—

—The doors creak open, and the telltale ringing of the bell reaches Kanato’s ears. He looks up from the counter in surprise, and he can only stare in shock as Seraph enters through the doorway, hair messy and windswept as he pants for breath. “Kanato,” Seraph greets with a smile.

“...Sera.” Kanato nods in disbelief, before he snaps out of his shock. “Oh! Uh, you’re—you’re here! Wait, you must be tired, let me get a glass of water for you—” He rushes to the back, feeling frantic. Why in the world was he nervous now, of all times? Groaning quietly, he quickly grabs a glass and fills it with water before going back to Seraph, who’s sitting by the counter now. He hands him the glass. “...You mind if I ask why you arrived here all tired out?”

“Oh. Uhm…” Seraph scratches his cheek, and Kanato can only stare in intrigue as he watches pink color his face. “After the concert, I booked for the nearest taxi and tried to rush over here as soon as possible.” He notices Seraph start to twiddle with his fingers. “On the way here, there was a traffic jam, and I started feeling antsy. I noticed we were close to the café anyway, so I… paid the fees and ran all the way here.”

Kanato’s mouth opens in shock. “You—you ran all the way here?!” The disbelief is so potent that he lets out a hearty laugh. “Sera, seriously—that’s so silly. I wasn’t going anywhere!”

Seraph groans quietly. “I know, but you told me to come. Who knows if you’ve closed down shop already? Also, I’ll have you know that I’m quite proud of my physical prowess.” He huffs.

Kanato hums in reply, a wide smile on his face. “Well, your worries weren’t unfounded. I did think about locking up before you showed up. I didn’t really expect you to come.”

“Hey,” Seraph starts, a frown on his face. “Why didn’t you? You were the one who told me to.”

Kanato sighs. “I know, but I was a little worried, too. My request wasn’t all that reasonable, you know. You weren’t obligated to come here at all.”

“I’m here now,” Seraph replies. “And I wanted to. I wouldn’t think about running over here at all if I didn’t.” There’s a small smile on his face.

Kanato blinks. “You… you wanted to.” He pauses for a bit before asking hesitantly, “Why?”

Seraph is quiet for a while. Kanato can probably see the gears in his head turn before his eyes finally settle on an answer. The smile on his face goes a little softer as he answers, “Because I wanted to see you.”

Kanato’s traitorous heart lurches at the admission. He can feel a blush starting to form at the base of his neck, and he scratches the itch there as a giddy smile slowly forms on his lips. “You wanted to see me,” he repeats, and a giggle escapes his mouth. He covers it with his free hand, and he sees Seraph looking at him, inexplicably fond. He groans. “Stop that. You’re saying a lot of things that I want to hear.”

“Oh? What is it? What are you going to do about it, Kanato?” Seraph chuckles as he props his arm up and rests his cheek against his hand.

Kanato grumbles a bit and, with an unfounded surge of confidence (seriously, where did this come from), he grabs the lapels of Seraph’s jacket, surprising the other man. “Stop talking,” he fondly murmurs as he tugs at the lapels, kissing Seraph squarely on the mouth.

It’s nothing smooth. They both laugh into the kiss, lips awkwardly moving in tandem as their teeth clash together. Kanato tries to persevere, but he groans a bit from the pain in his teeth and pulls away just as suddenly, covering his mouth. “Sorry, that must’ve hurt,” he mumbles as he moves his hand away, his lips tingling from the sensation of Seraph’s lips on his own. He laughs again. “That must’ve been bad f—”

Kanato doesn’t finish what he was just saying, he can’t even finish it, actually, because Seraph cups his cheeks and says, “How about you stop talking,” with a laugh of his own and presses their lips together once more.

It’s not as clumsy as before, Kanato notices. It’s slow, maybe a little more hesitant, but it’s firm in a way that Kanato knows that Seraph wants this. He kisses back with a shaky sigh, and he can feel Seraph smile.

Kanato appreciates the pace they’re going at, letting out a pleased hum as he closes his eyes and moves his hands to rest on Seraph’s jaw. He hesitantly traces it, mainly because Kanato doesn’t really know where his hands should be going, and Seraph notices this with a chuckle. A little annoyed at that, Kanato bites at his lips.

That certainly elicits a small, quiet sound from Seraph’s mouth. Kanato pauses in his movements, a little in awe, but that gives Seraph all the more opportunity to lean in a little closer, as much as the counter in between them can allow.

Eyes half-lidded from surprise, Kanato swallows a gasp as Seraph insistently presses against his space. It’s warm, he thinks, a little dizzy from the proximity, before remembering that ah, yes, he needs to breathe. He gently taps Seraph’s shoulder. That does make Seraph pause a bit, lost as he is in his own haze. Kanato pulls away, and he realizes that they’re both breathing heavily now. “...You should’ve pulled away to breathe too, you know.”

Seraph hums, a small, embarrassed smile gracing his lips. “I didn’t want to.”

Kanato groans, squishing Seraph’s cheeks. “Silly.” He huffs. “We can always kiss next time!”

Seraph’s smile turns dopey at that. “Next time?”

Kanato nods with a smile of his own. “Next time.” He even reassures Seraph with a fleeting kiss.

“Okay.” It seems that Seraph is enthusiastic about the idea. Kanato snorts. “Actually, don’t you think we’re missing a whole lot of steps here?”

Kanato reflects on their actions leading up to this point and laughs. “You have a point there. What kind of steps are you thinking about, though?”

Seraph hums thoughtfully as he clasps his hands around Kanato’s. “Well, I should’ve taken you on a date…”

“We both know how busy you are, so it’s fine. Besides, we have one pending, don’t we? Teaching me how to bake.” Kanato grins. “Who knows how long I’m gonna get good at that.”

Seraph chuckles. “That’s true. Let’s talk about that more next time.” He hums again. “Though I think I should’ve told you that I like you before that.”

Kanato laughs again, more than a little giddy. “You’ve got all the time in the world to tell me that now, don’t you?”

“I do.” Seraph nods in agreement before smiling mischievously. “I like you.”

“Stupid,” is Kanato’s reply, a blush high on his cheeks as he knocks their foreheads together. “I like you, too.” Seraph beams at him. “...Actually, I think you should’ve asked me something first before telling me that.”

Seraph blinks at him. “What is it?”

Kanato grins as he pulls away and grabs his phone from his pocket. “Can I have your number, Sera?”

Seraph pauses in surprise before laughing, pulling out his own phone with a grin. “Sure thing, Kanato.”

serapipipipipi ☆: sooooo
we’re dating :D

shikanagi naginagi: ????
Is this about you and Kanato

serapipipipipi ☆: yes

shikanagi naginagi: So
Did you get his number before you guys started dating?

serapipipipipi ☆: actually
we kissed and THEN i got his number
after that we started dating ✌️

shikanagi naginagi: Oh my god
I did not need to know that
Congratulations however!! 🎉