Work Text:
He slides the pot of coffee to the side while taking the creamer with the other hand. The doors bell chimes and the door opens a creak. Ren had never been quite the romantic type. In fact, he was terrible at romance. But when his eyes laid upon Goro for the first time, everything changed.
Goro had a peeling mask, a fading persona. Ren wasn’t sure if it was obvious to tell, or he just spent too much time observing Goro. Still, he was his friend. He should care about him and was curious about the real Goro, the Goro who isn’t perfect and the centre of attention. The only thing on his mind had been Goro recently, maybe he was just worried? Still making coffee with precision, Ren turns around to see who came in before almost stumbling and dropping the pot of cream.
Goro was standing there, unknowingly looking absolutely beautiful. He had his hair tucked behind is ear, but it was slowly falling down. His eyes reflected the light of the café. His uniform had a neat outlook, but it still had some creases and folds around, yet it perfectly suited him. Ren almost let the coffee overflow but managed to snap out it just in time. He serves the coffee to the old regular and walks over to Goro. “Pancakes?” Ren said with a smirk. His expression immediately changed when he saw Goro’s soft smile. It wasn’t exactly warm, but it was enough to strangle Ren’s heart.
He whipped out overly fluffy pancakes and drizzled it with extra toppings, hoping to see genuine excitement in Goro’s face. Which, he manages to do. A light bounces off his face when he takes a bite. Goro digs more into the pancakes, getting bits of cream on the edges of his mouth. After he finishes, he grabs a napkin to wipe away the mess he had made in his mouth, to only be stopped by another tissue. Ren gently wipes away the sticky syrup, leaving nothing but a few crumbs Goro wipes off himself. Still shocked by that action, Goro looks over at Ren. What the hell? Why is he feeling this way? It’s not like he’s never had a crush before, but to feel this way to who he deems as his enemy? He must be confused.
The rain grows stronger and stronger, soon watering Goro’s hair. He puts away his umbrella while walking into LeBlanc. The fluorescent lights flicker, a warm yellow aroma painting the café. His eyes flicker at the missing sight of Ren. Might as well order something anyways he thinks to himself. He sits by the counter and waits for someone to serve him. Goro can’t help but admire the soft atmosphere, a homey feeling that washes away anything but comfort. LeBlanc is very special, from the people he’s met here to the warm and fresh food. It makes him feel something new, something warm.
Ren walks down the stairs, his hair a mess and his hands dirty. It wouldn’t take a genius to find out that he was working on something mechanical in the attic. With a tiny spark of curiosity, Goro questions him as Ren washes his hands. “What are you working on?” The question is light and friendly, right? Ren pushes his hair back with the back of his hand before closing the tap. “Want to see?” He asks with his still wet hand in front of Goro. Goro takes his hand and they walk up to the attic. It’s dirty and soiled, but Goro only cares about the pile of metal in front of him. The machine looks like a puzzle; all the parts spread around the desk. Ren leans his body against the wall “It’s still a work in progress, so currently it’s really nothing.” he says while Goro lightly brushes his fingers on the metal bits. They both make eye contact for a moment before Goro breaks away. “It’s quite impressive, but I’m afraid I must leave now.” He mutters while walking past Ren. Ren’s eyes trail off Goro as he leaves the shop, a small pit of sadness in his heart.
His stomach warms up when Goro walks in again, his hands holding his briefcase tightly. Goro hadn’t been in LeBlanc for a while, and Ren was honestly just about to message him personally. He sits as his usual seat and watches Ren make his usual order. They’ve created a small routine for whenever Goro comes over. Ren slides his coffee over while preparing the pancakes. The coffee has a heart foam inside, something new. Goro looks up and watches Ren put a large amount of syrup all over his pancakes. He admires the beautiful pancakes before taking a big bite. Politely, he demolishes the entire thing. Ren leans over to the back to get him a tissue, handing it over while starting a new pot of coffee. Goro grabs the tissue and tugs on Ren’s hand. He turns his head, immediately meeting with Goro’s lips. The soft feeling of sticky syrup and remnants of whip cream pressing onto his lips. They stay like that for a moment, both melting into each other before Goro pulls away.
Ren flushes, but he knows his body, his ears should be burning by now. Goro’s face begins to twist before turning into a blur. The whole café moulds into mixed colours, a deepening sense of despair pulling Ren in.
He pulls himself up. Tightly wrapping his fingers around the edge of his blanket. The skies still dark and he feels his head sweat. The warmth his ears should’ve felt before rushes over, but a sense of sadness rushes over him. It was all a dream. All those days were all just a dream. After all,
Goro Akechi is dead.