Archive of Our Own

Solovei, a young university student from a respectable family, hears one day that a new coffee shop is opening in town.

Maybe he should try it...

And so, he entered the newly opened coffee shop; the first thing that greeted him was the sweet smell of freshly brewed coffee and pastries.

He quickly sat down at a table near the window and looked around. The place was cozy with soft couches and soothing music. He picked up the menu to peruse what they had to offer.

The menu was filled with a wide selection of coffees, as well as various teas and pastries.

He decided to order a simple latte and a cinnamon bun, and once he made that choice, his gaze finally fell on the barista who was busily brewing coffee and taking orders.

He couldn't help but feel a strange flutter in his heart, it was a handsome young man with very fluffy blonde hair, it looked so soft to the touch.

The man looked up at him, his eyes were as blue as the deep sea, "Welcome, sir, may I take your order?"

Solovei's heart skipped a beat as the barista looked at him, he felt a slight twinge of embarrassment, but he quickly composed himself and smiled at the barista: “Ah, yes... I’d like a latte and a cinnamon roll, please.”

“Right away, you can sit wherever you like.” The man smiled and immediately got to work..

Solovei hummed and returned to his seat by the window, but he couldn’t help but glance at the barista from time to time, admiring his handsome features and the way his hair framed his face so perfectly.

A few minutes later, the barista approached him with a warm smile, holding the tray with his order.

“Your latte and a cinnamon roll, sir.” the blonde man said, setting his order on the table.

“Anything else?” He leaned in slightly.

Solovei shook his head, keeping his composure, “No thanks...”

At that, the barista nodded and walked back to the counter.

Once alone again, he took a sip of his latte, but his eyes kept returning to the other.

The barista seemed completely oblivious to Solovei’s gaze, once again busy tending to the other customers.

As he sat there, he noticed that the man would occasionally check his phone when there were no new customers, or he'd talk to his coworker.

Not knowing what overtook him, Solovei got up after finishing his drink and made his way straight towards the counter.

But it wasn't to pay and leave immediately, his mouth opened to ask a question instead: "Excuse me, do you have any recommendations for... other drinks?"

Both of workers stopped laughing among themselves and looked at him, but before the blonde barista could say anything, his coworker took over, listing the drinks they recommended.

Solovei cursed internally as the coworker answered for the barista, ruining his chance to communicate directly with him.

He listened politely to the recommendations, nodding his head and muttering thanks when they were done talking.

Even though he didn't want to leave without at least trying to speak to the barista directly… he still had some pride to uphold, so he decided to just leave.

However, as he paid and was about to open the front door, his ears caught the conversation between the barista and his coworker.

The coworker tried not to be too loud: "I know that guy- he's like super rich!"

As Solovei heard the words, his heart twisted; he quickly pretended to stop in his tracks to check on his phone.

The blonde barista chuckled back: "And yet he only ordered one latte and one cinnamon roll, he must be the stingy type of rich."

Solovei couldn't help but feel hurt by the barista's words; he wasn't stingy, he simply preferred to be responsible with his mora.

He felt a slightly bitter taste in his mouth, all while the two baristas laughed and resumed their duties.

Solovei clenched his jaw for a moment before finally forcing himself out the door.

He was used to being judged by people who saw only his family name and wealth, but hearing it from him... it hurt more than he cared to admit, for whatever reason.

As he stepped outside, he exhaled slowly... maybe it was best to stay away from that coffee shop after all...

At that thought, he heard a voice behind him: "Hey, hey! Wait a minute!"

Solovei turned swiftly, his eyes widening when he saw the barista jogging to catch up.

He composed himself just in time, "Y-Yeah?"

"You forgot this." The blonde man holds up his wallet.

Solovei's eyes widened once more in surprise when he realized he indeed forgot his wallet.

His mind was so preoccupied with the barista that he completely forgot his own damn wallet.

He took the wallet from the barista's hand, their fingers brushing for a moment.

"Oh, thank you so much..." he murmured, "I can't believe I almost left without it."

"Yeah, me neither, people often check their wallets first." The barista smiled teasingly.

Solovei couldn't help but to smile back, awkwardly laughing, "Yeah... I guess I was distracted by something at the moment."

There was a brief silence before Solovei added quickly, almost too impatiently: “Do you work here every day?”

The barista was a little confused by the sudden question.

He winced, cursing himself for his lack of subtlety, “I mean… I was just wondering…”

He looked away, looking at the floor before adding quietly: “Because I might… come back sometime…”

The barista smiled wider, “Oh, I see, well, yes, I do, it’s a new cafe so we’re a little short on staff for now.”

Solovei nodded, "Well... then I'll definitely be back."

"You're welcome anytime." The man winked and left.

For a moment, Solovei could only stare at the retreating figure, his mind completely blank.

He shook himself in his mind, this was ridiculous...

-

The barista, Avrelian, returned to the shop and laughed towards his coworker, "I think that rich fool is in love with me."

The coworker also bursted in a laughter, "Seriously? What gave it away?"

“He kept glancing at me when he thought I can't see him and was all flustered when I gave him his wallet back, even when he tried to hide it."

“He even asked me if I worked here every day, you think I should suck out some of his mora?” he joked.

His coworker grinned, “Why not? Rich fools like him have more mora than they know what to do with.”

Avrelian laughed, leaning back against the counter, but then he remembers Solovei’s eyes… they were green, his hair dark… his thoughts lingered on Solovei's features.

“But seriously,” Avrelian began, “he seems like an easy target, maybe I’ll have some fun with him next time he comes.”

His friend laughed again, clearly amused by the whole situation, “I’d like to see that, those rich kids need to be humbled a bit sometimes.”

Avrelian hummed in agreement, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “He’ll be eating out of my hand soon."

The two friends high-fived each other.

-

Solovei, on the other hand, was on his way home, still daydreaming about the guy.

He replayed their brief conversation over and over in his head, analyzing every detail and trying to figure out if there were any hidden meanings.

He couldn't deny the fact that he was attracted to the barista, he was quite handsome, but he didn't know anything about the guy... that was a problem.

He already planned his next visit to the coffee shop and he knew it was stupid, but he couldn't help it, the thought of seeing the barista again was too tempting.

So the next day, Solovei found himself outside one more time.

Once he stepped in, he saw that Avrelian had his back turned so instead the coworker took his order to his disappointment.

When Solovei walked away to find a table, the coworker grinned and nudged Avrelian.

Avrelian turned his head slightly to see what it is, but once he saw Solovei standing, his lips parted as he recognized him.

"Oh, he's back so soon?" Avrelian looked at his friend with a knowing grin, he got him!

The friend grinned back, "And he ordered latte again."

"Watch this." The blonde man started working with efficiency.

He on purpose made a little heart in Solovei's latte, all the while his friend watched him in amusement.

When the barista brought over his drink, Solovei looked down at it, his eyes widening at the sight of the heart-shaped milk foam in his drink.

“O-Oh.” is the only thing he said.

“I hope you don’t mind it, I like to get... creative, for exercise.” Avrelian said as innocently as possible, trying to act like it's not a big deal.

Solovei shook his head, keeping his voice calm, “No, no, it’s… it’s really nice.”

He took a sip of his latte, his gaze drifting to Avrelian, who was watching him closely, it was kind of uncomfortable.

As if the latter could read his thoughts, he simply smiled and turned to leave, "Enjoy~"

Solovei looked back down at his drink, the heart ruined now, he couldn't deny that the act was charming to him.

Though this was only making his dilemma even worse... he couldn't help but to feel that there was something more to it.

Was the guy flirting with him?

He took another sip of his latte, his gaze unconsciously drifting to Avrelian as he served a new customer.

"He didn't order a cinnamon roll today, I guess he's not hungry..." Avrelian muttered, more to himself.

The coworker laughed softly, "He's too busy drooling over you to think about food."

Avrelian snorted, "Okay... okay, take the counter, I'll sweep around for a bit."

Solovei was focused on his phone, unaware of his surroundings, all until a voice behind spoke: "People often come to cafes to socialize, do you like to sit alone?" Avrelian asks.

Solovei snapped out of his thoughts and looked behind himself only to see Avrelian leaning against his broom.

He couldn't help but feel uneasy about the barista's proximity, but he brushed it off, "I guess." he replied,  "I just... prefer silence when I drink my coffee."

"Then why not sit at home and drink your coffee?" Avrelian leaned a bit closer, pushing his luck.

The man shrugged, not really having an answer.

He took another sip, trying to think of what to say, "I needed... a change of scenery?"

Avrelian hummed at his answer, carefully examining Solovei's expensive-looking clothes...

Solovei was, of course, well aware of the gaze wandering over his clothes, it was no secret that he wore luxury brands and expensive accessories.

That came naturally with being from a wealthy family.

Avrelian's gaze fell down at the table, he let out an exaggerated gasp of astonishment: "Oh, your phone- it's the latest model!"

Solovei laughed awkwardly, knowing that his phone was indeed the latest model and definitely not cheap, it was a gift from his mother, who insisted on giving him the best.

"Yeah, I just got it a few days ago actually..." he replied, keeping his tone nonchalant, as if it was nothing special.

"Ah, so it's cool- wait- that phone case, is that..." Avrelian tries to get a closer look at it, if he wasn't mistaken, it had a symbol from one of his favorite video games.

Solovei couldn't help but feel amused as he watched Avrelian try to get a closer look at the phone case.

It was true, he had a case with a design from one of his favorite video games, it was something he impulsively brought after getting the phone.

"Yeah, do you recognize it?" he asked with a hint of excitement in his voice, he was surprised that the barista knew about the game.

For a moment Avrelian forgot about his pretense and his eyes shone genuinely this time, "I've never seen another fan!"

He tilted the phone towards Avrelian, fully showing the phone case’s design, “Are they that rare? Huh, I suppose they are.” he paused for a moment before adding: "You play too?"

Avrelian nodded, “Mhm, when I have free time, ah, by the way, I’m Avrelian, nice to meet you.”

Solovei finally realized that they didn't even properly introduced themselves yet, "Oh, nice to meet you too.” he replied, smiling slightly at the barista, “I’m Solovei.”

The two men proceeded to chat about the game for some time, discussing strategies and various teammates they encountered over the span of playing.

Avrelian lost himself in the conversation, forgetting he was working, and especially forgetting about the plan.

But it eventually did hit him and he immediately straightened his back, "Would love to chat some more, but duty calls, enjoy the rest of your latte, Solovei.” He smiled back before continuing to clean up.

Before he completely left him, Solovei blurted out: "Wait- I wanted to ask... do you ever take breaks?"

He wasn't even sure why he was asking this, what would he accomplish by knowing Avrelian's schedule anyway?

"Tch, doesn't this guy know how to be subtle with people he's interested in", Avrelian thought.

Either Solovei was on purpose being shameless or he had terrible social cues.

But Avrelian wasn't going to complain, it made his plan a hundred times easier, he just chuckled, "Uh, I have a 20-minute break every day."

"Oh, uh, great." Solovei awkwardly replied, "What do you usually do during your break?"

Avrelian glanced at the sudden crowd at the counter, he really should get back.

He looked back at Solovei, "Just go through my phone and eat, nothing special."

Solovei fell silent, not knowing where he was going with his questioning anyway.

He only returned back to reality when he heard footsteps fading away, Avrelian left him.

He sighed, he was truly pathetic... they were two different worlds for God's sake.

He finally decided to leave before he made an even bigger fool of himself.

He pushed his chair under the table and left the building without looking back.

Avrelian's coworker widened his eyes, "Hey, your new friend didn't even pay!"

Avrelian frowned when he realized that Solovei indeed just left without paying for his drink.

"Damn, I guess we'll have to take that from the tip jar..." his friend murmured.

"Oh no, we're not, wait a minute." Avrelian said in a serious tone, the last thing he would do is let a rich kid leave without paying.

He rushed out and shouted, "Hey, Solovei!" His voice was not friendly at all.

Solovei turned immediately at the sound of his voice, surprise flashing in his eyes; the barista sounded angry, and Solovei had no idea why.

"Y-Yeah?" he asked as Avrelian closed the distance.

“You forgot to pay for your drink, unless you don't think you have to pay because you’re rich, I'm sorry but some of us have to earn a living.”

Though he immediately regretted that last part… maybe he shouldn’t have said that…

Solovei froze at the words, his expression changing from surprise to hurt.

With shaking hands, he fumbled for his wallet and pulled out enough cash for his drink, plus an extra tip just in case.

“I wasn’t trying to…” he began before breaking off, not knowing how to explain that he was too distracted by Avrelian himself to think about paying properly.

“…Here.” He stiffly held out the mora.

Avrelian pulled the mora out of his hand, “Do I always have to chase you after you leave this shop, you forgot your wallet yesterday, and today you forgot to take it out."

“I’m sorry, okay?” Solovei sounded almost irritated now.

He hated being treated like some spoiled child who couldn't remember to pay for his stuff, it hurt even more that it was coming from Avrelian, he really wanted to make a good impression on him.

Avrelian tries to cool down for a moment, he's definitely overreacting, but... but nothing, he shakes his head instead.

"Forget it." He gives him a half-smile.

Solovei knew he should just say thanks and leave, but before he could stop himself, he blurted out: "I'm not some spoiled rich guy, okay?" The words sounded defensive, childish even.

Avrelian looked at him for a moment before exhaling, "Right."

With that, he went back inside.

Solovei felt like shit, Avrelian's simple "Right." spoke volumes, confirming his belief that the barista thought of him as just another rich brat.

His grip tightened around his wallet as he replayed every interaction today, the teasing, the heart-shaped latte, the bonding over a video game, and a single mistake ruined it all, such mess...

He let out an irritated sigh before turning on his heel and leaving the café altogether.

Maybe it was better this way, besides, he didn't even realize that he dodged a bullet.

-

Avrelian slammed his fist on the counter, "Plan failed before it even started, ugh!"

His coworker, who had been watching the scene from the window, laughed at Avrelian's reaction, "Yeah, no wonder, you were a moment away from yelling at the poor guy."

Avrelian sighed, clearly frustrated with himself, "I know, I know, I should have just forgiven him... it's my fault if he never shows up again..."

His friend rolled his eyes at him, "You should have thought about it before you did what you did, you idiot."

The blonde man groaned and covered his face with his hands. “I just... ugh."

For a split second, just for a second, he hoped that Solovei would forgive him and come back tomorrow.

But it wasn't a hope born out of his desire to continue the plan, it was more of a genuine hope because imagining Solovei hating him was...

His heart sank at the thought.

His friend noticed how his face flickered, just for a moment, before he forced his anger back.

“...You like him, don’t you?” His tone was flat, unimpressed.

Avrelian immediately frowned, “No, I don’t, I told you I’d only win him over for his mora.” He said through clenched teeth.

-

The next day, as Solovei walked towards the campus, he vowed to never set foot in that coffee shop again.

And he repeated that vow over and over again throughout lessons, barely even focusing at anything around him.

Even at the lunch break, he just stood outside aimlessly instead of going to eat something.

All until he was jolted out of his thoughts by someone calling his name.

"Solovei! Hey!" A familiar voice cut through the crowd of students around him.

Avrelian was standing there, holding a tray with coffee cups on it.

The sight made Solovei's stomach churn, "Why is he here?"

"Wh-What are you doing here?" He managed.

Avrelian held up the tray of coffee, the smell filling the air, "I'm giving out free samples for advertising here, don't worry, I'm allowed."

His casual tone almost made Solovei's blood boil, he had the audacity to act as if nothing happened yesterday?

“Here, do you want to try?” he asked, holding a small paper cup towards Solovei.

“Uh, yeah, sure.” he took the cup, his fingers brushed lightly against Avrelian’s, the touch sending a shiver down his spine.

He took a small sip, trying not to care about Avrelian watching him; the coffee tasted incredible… no surprises.

“Look… about yesterday...” Avrelian began.

Solovei stiffened at his words, almost preparing for another argument.

"Yeah?" He replied in a neutral voice.

The other man sighed, "I'm sorry, I definitely overreacted, it's not uncommon for people to just forget to pay."

Solovei's eyes widened at the apology, "Oh, um, it's okay, I guess I was just distracted."

Avrelian smiled, then looked around them, "This campus..."

Solovei followed his gaze, watching the students pass by in pairs and groups.

"What? This isn't what you expected from Snezhnayan University?" He tilts his head.

Avrelian smirked at him, "Not that, more like it looks pretty... fancy?"

"Well, it's the best university in the country." he said, unable to hide the hint of pride in his voice.

"And what a coincidence that my boss chose this one to seek publicity." Avrelian hummed, but it made sense, these students are probably loaded!

"Yeah, it's, uh, really a coincidence..." Solovei eyed him.

Avrelian looked back him, his chances of getting filthy rich through Solovei have returned!

Solovei, completely oblivious to Avrelian's scheming thoughts, just shifted awkwardly under the sudden intense gaze.

"Uh... what?" he asked after the silence lasted too long.

Meanwhile, Avrelian was calculating to himself... "If I play my cards right here, I'll be fed with a silver spoon in no time!"

"Nothing, nothing!" Avrelian laughed in response, waving his hand.

His eyes remained fixed on Solovei who drank more, absorbing his every move and expression.

"How can someone be so wonderful without even realizing it?" he thought, shuddering at his own mild thoughts, this is just about the mora, nothing more.

"You're staring again..." Solovei pointed out, unable to hide the discomfort in his voice.

Avrelian immediately looked away, "My fault, so..." then smiled awkwardly, "I'm going to take a walk, I have to return to the store empty-handed."

He left Solovei alone and instead approached a small group of female students, "Ladies~ do you want some free coffee?"

The girls immediately brightened up at the sound of his call, giggling and blushing at the handsome barista.

"Free coffee?" one girl asked, her eyes shining with interest as she looked the barista up and down, "Of course~"

The other girls also agreed enthusiastically, they leaned forward, clearly interested in more than just the coffee samples.

"What..."  Solovei thought, feeling an unexpected surge of irritation at the sight.

Avrelian glanced back at Solovei, delighted by his sour face, "I've got him under my thumb!"

He had to suppress his smug smile when he saw Solovei, trying to hide his pleasure at the other's obviously jealous expression.

The reaction did strange things to Avrelian's heart... no, he definitely shouldn't feel ANY affection for the rich brat...

Solovei squeezed his nearly empty paper cup so tightly that it was starting to crinkle.

Only three days passed, and yet here he was, clutching a cup of coffee over some barista who was still a stranger honestly.

-

Avrelian was practically vibrating with excitement as he recounted the day's events to his coworker.

"If you could have seen his face, he was so angry!" He giggled, wiping the counter,  "Oh man, this is going to be so easy, he's already hooked!"

His friend just sighed and shook their head, "Dude... you're a beast."

Avrelian grins, clearly proud of himself, "The way he looked when those girls came at me... he was so jealous~"

His coworker chuckled, “Careful man, you look like a puppy in love considering how much you talk about him.”

“Yeah, right.” Avrelian rolled his eyes, dismissing the comment, “It’s just about the mora, nothing more.”

But deep down, Avrelian- "STOP!" He screamed inside his head.

“Of course, just about the mora.” his friend muttered, clearly not believing a word.

Avrelian tried to focus on wiping down the counters, but his thoughts kept returning to Solovei.

He shook himself in his mind, no, he couldn’t start caring about Solovei now.

“Still, aren’t you afraid he might have lost interest when he saw you flirting with others?” The coworker murmured.

Avrelian paused for a moment, his hand freezing in the middle of wiping.

He shamelessly flirted with four girls in front of Solovei… what if the rich brat thought he was a player?

He sighed, “God damn it… maybe I should have held back a bit?”

“You think?” The other worker held back their laughter.

Avrelian groaned, burying his face into hands, he could only hope he didn't mess up AGAIN, this was already his second strike in not even a week.

-

Solovei was struggling with his thoughts even the next day... "Why do I care so much about what some barista does?"

He sketched in his notebook during class, unable to focus on anything but yesterday's events.

As his last class ended, he found himself walking towards the same coffee shop, despite everything.

He tried to tell himself that it was just because he needed a cup of coffee to wake himself up, but deep down he knew the truth... he wanted to see Avrelian again.

He pushed open the door of the shop, immediately spotting the familiar barista behind the counter.

Avrelian waved to him gently, "Welcome back."

Solovei froze for a moment at the sight for whatever reason, he hesitated a bit before approaching the counter, his expression unreadable.

"Yeah... I just came for coffee." he muttered, avoiding eye contact.

Meanwhile, Avrelian was screaming inside: "HE CAME BACK?! DOES THAT MEAN I STILL HAVE CHANCE?!"

"Just black coffee today." Solovei added stiffly, as if trying to hint that he was mad at the man.

Avrelian tilted his head, "What happened to the latte?"

"Nothing, I just want black coffee today." he said defensively, though even he knew it sounded childish.

Avrelian eyed him, he felt that something is amiss, but decided to cooperate, "Okay~ a boring black coffee is coming right up." He teased lightly as he turned to make a drink.

Solovei muttered to himself and left to find a seat.

Avrelian could feel his eyes on himself, it was so obvious that he was being stared at currently.

He chuckled to himself as he finished the coffee, leaving the counter to serve his dear costumer.

"Here you go, ond cup of boring black coffee, enjoy it." he watched Solovei take the coffee in both hands.

Solovei took a long, bitter sip of coffee, and Avrelian's eyes followed his every move, he immediately noticed the way Solovei cringed at the first taste.

"Why did he order black coffee if he didn't like it?"

The shop was strangely empty today and not even Avrelian's coworker was around, Solovei noticed.

"...Where is everyone?" he asked, looking up at the barista.

Avrelian looked around the empty space, "Who knows, I guess no one's in the mood for coffee today."

He looked back at the brunet man, "If it's not too personal, what's your major?"

Solovei was surprised by the sudden change in subject, "Um... I'm a law student." he replied, a hint of caution.

He didn't know if Avrelian would judge or tease him, but instead Avrelian's eyes widened, "Law? Wow!"

Avrelian instead looked impressed, it confused him, but in a good way, maybe the barista was different.

He cleared his throat, "Yeah, um... it's interesting, a lot of studying, though."

Meanwhile, Avrelian was a moment away from scoffing, thinking: "Of course a rich boy studies law, I bet your daddy and mommy are quite proud."

He quickly smiled politely, forcing a fake smile, "You're stronger than me, I could never."

Solovei raises his eyebrow, "It takes a lot of patience and dedication... yeah, not for everyone, I guess."

Avrelian chuckled at his words, "You idiot, I have the patience to suck the mora out of your pocket though."

The blonde man walked around Solovei and sat down next to him, the action made Solovei stiffened immediately, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Uh..." is all he let out, making Avrelian lean in, “Problem? I thought we were friends by now.”

“I don’t remember agreeing to that.” He snapped weakly, avoiding eye contact once more.

Avrelian sighed, “Ah well then, sorry.” Damn it, if he could, he would strangle this man right now.

Oblivious Solovei sighed, "Ugh it's fine, you don't have to apologize, you can sit next to me... the shop is empty anyway."

The other, heartless side Avrelian was grinning from ear to ear: "So desperate, hahaha!"

Their eyes finally meet and Avrelian tilts his head, "Is that coffee any good, by the way?"

"Uh... yeah." Solovei replied, lifting the cup to take a quick sip.

"I'm glad my coffee-making skills are pleasing to your taste buds, you know, I don't really like coffee." He laughs at his own words.

Solovei's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "You don't like coffee?" he repeated, as if Avrelian just confessed something blasphemous.

A barista who works at a coffee shop, making coffee all day... doesn't even like the product?

"...Then why do you work here?" Solovei asked in disbelief.

The blonde man leaned back in his seat, "The position was open, so I just applied."

Then he added: "I needed mora, well, I just needed a steady job; a person once taught me how to make coffee art and coffee in general when I was younger, so I remembered them when I saw the ad for the position."

"A steady job..." Solovei muttered to himself, so Avrelian got the job purely out of convenience and yet he managed to make the best damn coffee Solovei ever tasted.

His eyes traced over Avrelian, shamelessly checking him out, he swallowed... Avrelian was really handsome.

Avrelian immediately noticed the obvious ogling: "Yes, just look! Idiot, look at me!" His eyes widened slightly in excitement.

"Um... I just..." Solovei tried to think of something to say, but to his luck, a new customer entered, forcing Avrelian to immediately stand up.

Solovei was so grateful for the interruption, phew that was close...

"This is pathetic, being attracted to some damn barista; this guy is... beneath me, he's nothing special... I deserve someone of my status."

He repeated the words like a mantra in his head, as if that would somehow make them truer.

He should finish his coffee, and then disappear for better, at least for today.

He got up from his chair and headed straight for the exit without looking back.

"Don't forget to pay this time!" His brain shouted.

He immediately stopped in his tracks and pulled out his wallet, tossing mora on the counter, most likely a little more than the coffee should have cost.

"That's it! I'm never going back there again! I'm going to another cafe from now on, I'm not seeing that barista EVER again, I'm not attracted to him anymore!" He tried to convince himself as he ran back home at the full speed.

-

Once he arrived home, his parents were in the living room, talking to one another.

His mother turned around in her seat, "Well if it isn't my dear son."

"Hey." He greeted them, putting up a casual smile, not wanting his parents to sense something was off.

His father smiled back, "We were just discussing something about you."

"Oh yeah? About what?" He asked, sitting down at the couch.

"You know how old are you, right?" His mother folded her arms.

"Twenty." He responded automatically. 

She nods, "We were thinking of moving you out of the family home."

The words immediately made Solovei's eyes widen in surprise, "M-Moving out? You mean… like getting my own place?"

His father hummed, "Why not? I'm sure you're tired of seeing us every day, you're in university after all."

Having some more freedom didn't sound all too bad actually, "Fine by me." He replied steadly.

"We should check some houses near the campus, hmm...." The older man scrolled his tablet.

His mother looked over her husband's shoulder, "Just don't pick some apartment, actual house is way better."

Solovei hovered over his other shoulder, eyes immediately locking onto the image of one of the houses, "Wait- I like this one."

His mother looked at him, "That one?".

Yeah, he loved it, if he were to bring Avrelian home, they could- wait what?

NO!

Solovei’s brain short-circuited at the thought of bringing Avrelian to his future house.

"Why would I even think about that?! Why is my mind going there right now?!"

"Yeah!" he repeated quickly, clearing his throat roughly, "I'm gonna go study now that we chose."

"And I'll go call the seller." His mother also gets up, pulling out her phone.

Solovei wasted no time in running up the stairs, once inside his room, he let out a heavy exhale and flopped onto his bed like dead weight, burying his face into one of the pillows with a groan.

"What the hell is happening to me?" He mumbled into the pillow, feeling like he was going insane.

"I don't want to bring that stupid barista to my new house, I don't, I don't, I don't... then why can't I get him off my mind?!"

-

In the meantime, Avrelian was on the complete opposite end.

He was leaned against the counter in a relaxed manner, his head empty.

"This job is so fucking dull..."

He drummed his fingers against the countertop, how should he go about this? Solovei was obviously into him, the man couldn't hide it to save his life.

Should he just confront him and ask him out, lie that he feels the same, or is it too early...? He groaned.

Avrelian rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on from all these thoughts. 

It would be so easy to take advantage of the man's feelings, but now it also left a bad taste in his mouth.

He chuckled at himself, his mind speaking: "Suddenly you feel bad? Come on Avrelian, you're not that weak, right?"

He scoffs, shaking his head as if to physically rid himself of the thought, "Ugh... weak?" He muttered under his breath.

His fingers twitched against the counter, torn between reason and greed, "He might be rich, but what if I mess it up? What if he catches me lying?"

"But then again, he could only find out if you give in to him."  That's right, if he played it smart, Solovei would never have to know a single thing.

"...I mean..." he mused aloud, tilting his head slightly, "He already wants to date me, obviously."

A slow smirk curled at the corner of his lips, "So what if I give him exactly what he wants?"

His fingers tapped an eager rhythm against the counter now, "Alright then... time to go hunting."

-

The next time Solovei returned to drink coffee, Avrelian was ready.

"Here you go.” The barista serves him, then adds: “Anything new going on with you?”

“Nothing big, just normal classes.” Solovei answered with a shrug, “I have a few assignments due soon, but nothing I can’t handle.”

He wanted to tell Avrelian about his moving, sure it wouldn't be a big deal, right?

“It’s just… my parents are trying to find me a new home close to campus.” He finally muttered.

“Oh? Is your current home too far?” Avrelian asks.

Solovei’s grip on the cup tightened as he took another sip of his latte.

He hums in confirmation, and notices that Avrelian lets out a sigh, as if he remembered something.

But the blonde man seemed to realize that he was acting strangely, so he smiled again to mask his melancholy: "Ah, so... did you find anything yet?"

Solovei's shoulders relaxed a little, "Uh, there was one-"

Just then, his phone interrupted him with his ringtone going off, the screen lit up with his mother's phone number.

With an apologetic look at the barista, he picked up the phone and answered quickly, “Yes?”

“Solovei, my little bird~ are you busy? I’m just calling to tell you that I called the seller of that property you’re interested in, she said you could come and check it out in person on Friday.” The woman on the other side said proudly.

Friday, that was in two days, “Okay then... what time on Friday?” he asked casually, gripping the cup in his other hand tighter.

“3PM, do you want me to accompany you or are you going alone?” She asked, and he could hear in her voice that she really wanted to come along.

But the thought of going to check out the house with his nitpicking mother, no way.

She would probably add her opinion on everything and give him advices he didn't need.

He cleared his throat, "No thanks, I think I can do it myself."

"Ah okay, honey, I'll see you when you get home~" she hummed.

Solovei's blushed and quickly muttered a goodbye before hanging up.

He looked up to find that Avrelian was already on the other side of the store, serving other customers.

Once the man saw that Solovei was free from the call, he hurried up the orders and made his way back to his desk, "News about your new home, eh?"

"Yes... Friday." He nods, "My mom just told me I could check it out myself."

He toyed with his cup again before adding quietly: "...Have you ever thought about moving somewhere new?"

He doesn't even know why he asked that, and judging my Avrelian reaction, the man was taken by surprised as well.

Avrelian quickly schooled his expression once more, "Uh- no, I barely found my current home, I feel like I can't move for a long, long time."

Upon hearing that, Solovei couldn't help but be interested in the other man's living situation, "Living in an apartment?"

The blonde man nodded, "Yes, a modest one, but for one person enough."

"A modest home..." he repeated almost to himself, before without hesitation asking the barista, "You live alone?"

Avrelian chuckled, the rich fool is growing curious, getting even more attached... hah.

"Mhm, just me..." Something in the way Avrelian said it almost sounded like a sigh.

Solovei opened his mouth again, wanting to probe further, but he bit his tongue.

Instead of asking the question he wanted to, he said: "It sounds lonely."

"That's why I work here every day, I have a lot of social interactions, I meet people like you, we're friends, right?" Avrelian sits down next to him again.

"Friends?" He repeated, "Yeah, friends, I guess..." He quickly takes another sip of his latte.

"Perfect..."  thought Avrelian, leaning on his arm, "And friends hang out, why don't we go out for a drink together sometimes? Do you drink anything besides this caffeinated crap?"

The offer took Solovei by a surprise, he would never guess that he'd actually hang out with this barista.

“I mean…” he hesitated, thinking, “Yeah… I drink occasionally.”

Avrelian smiled brightly, “Great! We can have wine together, isn’t that what you rich people drink in your free time?”

Solovei swallowed, trying to suppress the urge to roll his eyes at the teasing; he knew full well the image Avrelian probably had in his head when he thought about the rich class.

But still, he decided to just chuckle, “And how do you know what we rich people do?”

Avrelian shrugs, "It’s common knowledge that rich people drink expensive wine and act like jerks.”

Solovei’s eyebrow twitched at that, this guy...

He sighed and looked at the man, "Do I really seem like a jerk to you?"

Avrelian hums loudly, pretending to think, but… the truth is, Solovei really wasn’t rude or anything…

Before he can give some snarky response, Solovei leans forward on the table, “Do you really hate rich people that much?"

Avrelian smirks back, “Well, I’m not exactly thrilled with your kind.”

“My kind, huh?” He takes another sip, looking at the latter with curiosity, "And what exactly is it about 'my kind' that you find so disgusting?"

"You have too much, and most of the time you don't deserve half of it." is the first thing that comes on Avrelian's mind, but he can't be too honest with Solovei if he wants to win him over.

Instead he says: "Well, I don't know, rich folks are so... greedy even if they have enough..."

Solovei snorts at his words, but for some reason, it still pains him to hear Avrelian lump him into the same category without knowing anything about him.

"Greedy..." he mutters to himself, "Is that what you see when you look at me? Just another spoiled rich fool?"

Avrelian shakes his head, “Well, it seems you’re not the same, unless you’re hiding your true face~”

Just like I am.

Solovei rolled his eyes, “If you’re implying that I’m secretly a brat in disguise, then no, I’m not.”

He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair, feeling defensive, “I may be rich, but I’m not some greedy, spoiled brat, you don’t even know me.”

Avrelian immediately jumped at the chance: “Well then, nice to meet you, so you’ll accept my invitation for a drink?”

“I guess I can't say no to a good wine…” he found himself saying.

The blonde man nodded with an eager smile, “That’s right, I know a good bar! Are you free tonight? No studying?”

Solovei mentally ran through his weekly plans, he had some studying planned for tonight, but… there was always another evening to study, right?

“Yeah I’m free, we can do it tonight…” he returned a soft smile.

Avrelian takes out his phone, “I’ll send you the address, meet me at 8PM, does that sound good?”

He nodded just when Avrelian looked at him wordlessly, holding out his phone.

He took the phone and quickly entered his number.

-

That evening, Solovei was getting ready to leave, but not without his mother noticing it: "Dear, are you going somewhere?"

Solovei didn't look at her, instead he was too busy looking in the mirror, tying his hair into a long ponytail, "I'm just going out with someone I recently met."

His mother raised an eyebrow, "Ah, just be careful, don't cause any trouble."

He nodded, "Yeah, yeah... I'll be on my best behaviour, I'll be back fast."

He glanced at the clock on the wall: 7:45PM.

Grabbing his coat from a nearby hanger, he left outside into the night.

As he walked calmly, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

Could he really... trust Avrelian? He barely knew the guy, and now he agreed to meet him at a bar he didn't even recognize.

He sighed, rubbing his face and then turning back towards his home for a moment.

He paused, considering the idea of ​​simply returning back to the comfort of his own home.

And yet... he still decided to turn back forward.

Once he finally arrived at the address, Solovei's gaze swept around the room until it fell on Avrelian, who was already sitting at a corner table with two glasses waiting.

Avrelian waved at him casually, "Hey, as you can see, I already chose something good for us."

Solovei looked at him blankly, muttering: “How generous.”

Avrelian laughed and gestured to the glass of wine, “Try it, it won’t poison you, I swear.”

Solovei didn't hesitate, he took a sip of wine, his expression immediately changing to one of surprise.

The wine was indeed good.

"I told you it was good; cheers, to a new beginning." Avrelian raises his glass and pressed it against Solovei's.

Solovei muttered "Cheers." before taking another sip, letting the drink course through his body.

Then Avrelian leaned forward, “So... you still checking out the house in Friday? Nothing changed?"

“Nothing changed, still checking it out in Friday." He wasn’t sure why Avrelian brought it up again.

Avrelian eyed him... "If I win him over well enough, I might even live in that house, pft."

He noticed that Solovei was shifting in his seat, uncomfortable slightly.

He tilts his head, "Do you have anything you want to know about me?"

If I let him into my private life, I'll gain his trust more easily.

The other shrugged and leaned back in his chair, "Let's see..."

Avrelian sat back too, his smile still firmly on his face, he seemed too pleased to be asked.

"You have... a family?" Was his first question.

Avrelian smiled before taking a sip of wine, only then answering: "No, I have no parents or siblings; nobody's son, nobody's brother."

Solovei froze for a moment, his fingers tightening around his glass at the other's words.

No family? That was completely different than his own upbringing which was filled with different people.

He hesitated before speaking again, his tone quieter than before: "No one?"

The blonde man just shook his head in confirmation.

A sick feeling settled in Solovei's stomach, the way Avrelian reacted so casually... as if it didn't matter.

But it did matter, Solovei knew how important family was.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, not being able to find the right words.

Only after a few more moments of silence, he spoke once more: "What happened?"

Avrelian poured more wine into his glass, "It's just that my parents were killed when I was really young."

Solovei felt his chest tighten at the direct answer... he never expected this.

He sat stiff for a moment, watching Avrelian drink another round.

His grip on his own glass tightened slightly, "I... see... I'm sorry for asking."

But then he suddenly blurted out: "Who raised you then?"

"I spent my entire childhood in an orphanage." Avrelian smiled softly, looking back at him.

...Orphanage, there were times when he would find own parents annoying, but at least he had them at the end of the day.

They were always there for him, he couldn't even imagine what life would be like growing up in a place such as orphanage.

He lowered his voice further, "That... must have been hard."

The barista hummed, still giving no drastic reactions to the whole conversation.

"...You ever tried to find someone, anyone, from your family tree?" Solovei asked, maybe he was pushing a bit too far now?

"Not really, I didn't know where to start, I didn't even know my own parents that well, how then some distant family." Avrelian said in a slightly frustrated tone.

Solovei exhaled sharply through his nose, right... Of course Avrelian wouldn't have any traces.

He took a sip of his own wine, "What about… the people at the orphanage? Did you stay in touch with anyone from there?”

Avrelian shook his head, “No, they were eager to get rid of me.”

For some reason, that hit Solovei like a punch in the gut.

“They don’t care about you, they raise you until you’re 18 and then you’re on your own.” Avrelian adds bitterly.

Suddenly Solovei slammed his glass down on the table, "That's... that's bullshit!"

His voice was sharp, and it caused Avrelian genuinely flinch at his action.

Solovei looked down, calming down his anger that flared up seemingly out of nowhere.

He slowly looked up at Avrelian, could this man be more fragile than he appeared, despite his cold facade?

He suddenly felt the urge to reach out and touch Avrelian, to comfort him, but he quickly suppressed the strange impulse and kept his hands to himself.

Avrelian muttered, "I know it sucks, but it's behind me now."

Is it? That was what Solovei wondered, how could something like that ever be behind someone?

“So… what did you do after you turned 18?” he asked, but not sure he even wanted to know the answer.

“Well, since I didn’t have any mora, I started off by stealing.” Avrelian smiled to himself at the memory.

Solovei widens his eyes, “You’re not kidding, are you? You seriously started by stealing?”

“I stole enough to rent a small apartment, and then I got a job.” The blonde laughed again, more at himself.

But when he looked up and saw Solovei's speechless expression, he quickly explained: "Don't worry, I wasn't robbing people on the street in the middle of the night, I usually picked locks on stores."

Suddenly he remembered something and laughed even harder: "Oh, wait- you're a future lawyer, haha!"

Solovei finally reacted, raising an eyebrow, like he didn't understand what exactly Avrelian meant.

“I’m telling my crimes to a law student." Avrelian shakes his head in amusement.

Solovei rolled his eyes, but he did let out a quiet chuckle, “Hey, I’m still just a student, and I don't even have a solid proof to report you or something."

But he added: "Though for the record, stealing is bad. Bad.”

Avrelian gave him a pout, “Yes, sir.”

Solovei once again rolled his eyes with faint smile at the adorable expression that the other was displaying.

After that, the two men drank for maybe an hour longer before they ended their evening out.

Solovei was thankful because he was starting to feel slightly dizzy from the wine, even his lips felt more relaxed.

He stumbled a little as he followed Avrelian out of the bar, walking next to him in silence.

After a minute or two, he blurted out: "Hey."

The latter looked at him slowly, "Hmm?"

Solovei hesitated, he swallowed once, but then decided to spit it out: You should... visit that house with me on Friday."

The offer came out of nowhere and judging by Avrelian's reaction, he never ever saw this one coming.

It was true, Avrelian, who was usually prepared for any situation, was left dumbfounded at the invitation, "H-Huh? You mean...?"

Solovei nodded, his expression determined, "Yes, come check out the place with me." He repeated.

Avrelian watched him for a moment, "Hmm, he trusts me so much already, he's easier than I thought, I guess it was worth crying over my childhood a little."

He then smiled softly, "Sure, I can keep you company."

The other nodded again, feeling pleased with Avrelian's answer, "Yes, I... I'd love to."

After that, they went their separate ways; Avrelian walked with a big smile, looking forward to seeing the new house, even though he wasn't even the one who was going to buy it.

Well... if he ended up tricking Solovei into thinking he was in love with him, it will surely be his house as well.

"Seriously... fake dating just for the sake of a better bed?" His own thoughts voiced themselves.

Avrelian opened one eye, frowning at his own thoughts, "It's not just about a better bed, look at the whole future, a comfortable bed is just a stepping stone, so what if I have to pretend to love this guy?" he muttered.

He sighed when he realized he was scolding own brain, it sounded wrong out loud... but then again, was it really that BAD to fake date some rich kid for a while? It definitely wouldn't be the worst thing he'd ever done.

But, Solovei was... Avrelian stopped in his tracks, shaking his head.

No, no, he wasn't going to start thinking about a rich guy like that, he quickened his pace, trying to somehow escape own thoughts.

But the way Solovei looked at him when he listened to his past... his usual sharp gaze softened so much.

He'd seen a lot of rich people over the years and most of them didn't care about the less fortunate, but Solovei... enough!

He groaned as he reached his home, slamming the door of his miserable rented apartment.

Not even bothering to take anything off, he just fell into the bed, telling himself he was probably just drunk.

Solovei, on the other hand, entered his warm and welcoming home, immediately smelling his dinner that was prepared not too long ago.

-

The Friday arrived, and Solovei found himself getting ready.

He chose his outfit and looked at himself in the mirror one last time before grabbing his coat and heading for the door.

Before he could leave, his father called out: "Make sure you check every corner of that house, hear me?"

He sighed, "Yeah I'll make sure to check under the carpet too." He answered sarcastically before leaving.

Avrelian was waiting nearby, leaning on the wall and scrolling his phone. 

Solovei walked over, trying not to let his eyes linger too long, "You're here already."

The other man backed off the wall, "Hm? You expected me to be the late kind of type, pft."

Solovei snorted, yeah he doesn't know why, but he did kind of expect Avrelian to be the type to do everything in last second.

He started walking, waving for Avrelian to follow, "Come on."

As they were nearing the house's location, Avrelian could notice the buildings were starting to get bigger and more expensive looking.

He rolled his eyes, this is where the biggest jerks live.

Solovei eyed him as discreetly as possible, noticing a frown that Avrelian forgot to hide.

"You're already judging whole neighborhood?" He called him out, immediately getting a defensive answer: "Huh? No- what do you mean?" Avrelian feigned confusion.

The brunet looks at him, "You're the worst liar I've ever met."

Avrelian snorts, but doesn't even try to defend himself anymore, he slows down a bit, letting Solovei walk a bit forward.

"If I'm such a bad liar, then why can't you see I'm fooling you? Huh, Solovei?" His eyes widened as he extended his hand towards Solovei with a grabbing gesture.

Oblivious Solovei suddenly stopped and turned to him, noticing Avrelian shoving his hands in his pockets, "It seems like the real estate lady isn't here yet, let's wait for a bit."

Avrelian nods and looks towards the house, it was a nice building, he had to admit.

Just then a car pulled up in front of the house and a woman professionally dressed in a suit left it.

She smiled politely at them both, holding a small briefcase in one hand.

Solovei smiled back at her: "Good afternoon."

The woman greeted them both a firm handshake before she opened her briefcase to pull out papers, "Here are all the details about the property, have a look."

As Solovei flipped through informations, Avrelian stood behind him, looking at the papers over his shoulder.

Solovei lowered the papers with a nod of approval, "So far, so good."

As they entered inside, the woman started pointing out all the details of the home: high ceiling, marble floors...

Avrelian looked around, completely amazed at the luxury, even the simple furniture like a couch looked more expensive than his whole poor home.

They passed through the living room, the dining room, the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom, storage, attic, basement; Solovei tried his best to concentrate, but a constant distraction stood beside him.

Once they left into a big, spacious and empty backyard, the said distraction looked at him, "What are you planning to put in a garden like this?"

He shrugs, "Flowers, maybe a swing... oh a pool would be nice too."

"And a few sun loungers." Avrelian adds with a smile

"Yes, that too!" Solovei agrees, already imagining himself sunbathing here when summer comes.

Avrelian crosses his arms: "Have we checked all the rooms?"

The woman chuckled and nodded, “Yes, indeed, we’ve covered all the rooms." She then faced Solovei, "And sir? What do you think so far?"

“I like it.” he simply said in response, “I really, really like it.”

Avrelian smiled and added himself in the conversation as well, “I like it too!"

-

The next few weeks flew by in a blur of paperwork and the whole process of finalizing the purchase.

Solovei sighed as he packed another box from his childhood room at home, his parents still didn't know who exactly this friend was who came in to help with whole luggage.

The two men worked together for several hours, stacking boxes in the hallway and Avrelian even ended up dragging furniture around if Solovei didn't feel like the placement was right.

Solovei wiped his forehead when he put down the last box, "I think that's all."

He didn't get a response, Avrelian was too busy fighting his inner battle.

His had his back turned to Solovei, "Come on Avrelian... it’s been at least a month! It's not like you're REALLY trying to date him, just do it!"

Solovei noticed Avrelian's silence, he turned to look at him, “Are you okay?”

Avrelian immediately froze at his voice, not responding.

The other man raised his eyebrow curiously at the strange reaction.

Quickly, Avrelian made up his mind and turned around, walking towards Solovei with a determined expression on his face.

Solovei's eyes widened as Avrelian closed the distance between them, suddenly he could feel Avrelian's hand on his cheeks causing him to be the frozen one now instead.

"Solovei... you're beautiful." Avrelian immediately cringed inside, "is this really the best you could come up with?"

Solovei's brain had completely shut down for a few seconds, seeing this, Avrelian continued: "I mean it." He placed the other hand against his face as well.

He was drawn to Avrelian, since the day one, and finally hearing those words out loud from Avrelian made his chest tighten.

Avrelian noticed the way Solovei's mouth slightly parted at his words, and suddenly, something pulled him in.

He closed last bit of distance between them, pressing their lips together gently.

Solovei immediately responded, his fingers reached into Avrelian’s shirt as he kissed back.

Once they pulled away, Avrelian pressed their foreheads together, "So, you like me too...?"

Solovei chuckled breathlessly, "Yes... I like you."

Avrelian's eyes softened at the answer, he leaned in to hug him, pressing his forehead against his shoulder.

Solovei's hands roamed over Avrelian's back, feeling the muscles through the fabric beneath his fingertips.

One thing he didn't know, however, was that he fell right into a trap.

Avrelian smiled sinisterly, his smile hidden from the man above him.

And Solovei was far too absorbed in the warmth of Avrelian's embrace to notice anything is amiss.

Avrelian's grin disappeared completely as he leaned back to meet Solovei’s gaze again, "We should probably start unpacking, you surely don't want to delay it."

Solovei's grip on Avrelian loosened a little, "Yeah... you're right." He muttered, reluctantly moving away.

As they started opening the boxes, the one Solovei took had a framed photograph of his family.

Avrelian watched him out of the corner of his eye, eyeing Solovei's tender expression, "Are you close to your family?"

Solovei looked up from the photo, not realising he was staring mindlessly at the picture.

He slowly placed it aside at the table before answering, "We're close, yes... why?"

Avrelian shrugged, "Just curious, I often wonder what my parents were like..." he mutters.

"Do you know what they looked like?" Solovei tilted his head, watching him.

The blonde man shook his head, "Not really..."

The man beside him reached out and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, for comfort.

“I’m sorry…” Solovei said quietly, not knowing what else to say.

Avrelian’s gaze drifted to his hand on his shoulder, he manged a small but a sincere smile in response, "Don't be."

With that, Avrelian continued working with the box in front, Solovei followed, working in silence.

It took a few more hours to finish unpacking, but it wasn’t so bad with two people working together.

Solovei leaned back against the bare wall, “I don’t know about you, but I need a damn rest.”

The latter smiled at his words, "Mhm, I'm starving."

“No wonder, we didn't stop to eat all day.” the other groaned, stretching his arms above his head, “We should order takeout right now."

“Sounds good to me, order whatever you want.” Avrelian fell back into a comfy couch.

“Pizza?” Solovei suggested and received a hum in agreement.

He quickly ordered two pizzas and sat down on the fluffy carpet, watching Avrelian get up from the couch and crawl to where he was.

"I'm dead tired~" He whined and placed his head onto Solovei's lap.

The brunet sighed softly and ran his fingers through the other's hair, "Like a cat..."

In response, Avrelian mimicked purring and in addition pressed further into Solovei's thighs.

As he continued with patting, Avrelian suddenly looked up, "Solovei..."

The other stopped his fingers and met his gaze, "Yes?"

Avrelian sat up and then leaned in to kiss him once more; this time the kiss went on for longer, neither of them pulling away.

But once they started running out of air, Avrelian was first one to pull back, "If you like me... then stay with me."

The word "stay" echoed in Solovei's head, stay as in today, tomorrow, all the days after...

He let out a shaky breath: "I will."

"You fool." Avrelian smiled.

-

That night they were sleeping entwined in Solovei's new bed, well Solovei was sleeping, meanwhile sleep evaded Avrelian.

He was laying on his back, this was it, he was finally in bed with the man he was going to rob step by step.

He looked at Solovei beside himself, for a moment thinking about reaching towards him and running his fingers over his skin.

But he held back, no unnecessary touching allowed.

Instead he focused on his plan, he should start by stealing something small, something Solovei wouldn’t easily notice.

His mind drifted to a watch that he remembered seeing in the bedroom, Solovei mentioned that he doesn't wear it all that often, perfect.

He shifted slightly, careful not to wake Solovei up as he slipped quietly out of bed.

He walked over to the table where the watch laid, but once he reached for it, his hand somehow hesitated.

Even though he was a master thief by now, who has done this a tons of time already, he still just...

He quickly grabbed the watch and left the bedroom to hide it in his coat till tomorrow.

He couldn't help himself but to feel like such shit about this as he slipped back into the bed, immediately feeling Solovei's warmth...

-

As soon as morning arrived, Solovei woke up; he spent a few seconds trying to remember where he was exactly, but then it dawned on him: his new home!

He turned his head to the half-awake Avrelian and smirked: "...Good morning."

Avrelian slowly opened his eyes as well, then yawned, "Morning..."

Solovei rolled onto his side to face the other man fully, leaning on his left arm, "Did you sleep well?"

Avrelian hummed while sitting up to lean against the pillows, "Yeah... I could get used to this comfortable bed; say, do you have classes today? Don't be late."

Solovei winced at the reminder, "Damn it... yeah, I do..."

He would much rather stay here wrapped in Avrelian's arms for the rest of the day, but what can you do.

-

After they had breakfasted together, Avrelian saw Solovei off, kissing him on the cheek before he left.

And as soon as Solovei was out of sight, he turned back in and made his way to his coat, pulling out the watch, "Let's see how much I can get for this baby."

He held it up to examine it; it was a beautiful piece, but it would look even better converted into mora.

He smiled at the thought, then pulled out his phone to do some research.

Oh, this thing cost more than he thought... though he shouldn't even be surprised, Solovei's family was loaded.

The next part of the plan was simple, sell it, luckily he already had few good locations.

He stole a lots of times in his past, but this time it was different, he was betraying someone who actually trusted him...

He shook his head, trying to push the thought away.

Once the watch was successfully taken off his hands and replaced with mora, the feeling of guilt was temporarily gone.

-

But weeks started passing and with each little stolen item, Avrelian's guilt would return and eat at him harder.

Luckily Solovei didn't notice anything missing, at least not yet.

He was too busy with studies to pay attention to the little things that kept disappearing around his home.

Meanwhile, Avrelian watched him from the shadows... following his every move.

"I really should start going home instead of sleeping here, my landlord will worry." Avrelian joked as they cuddled one evening.

Solovei snorted at the comment, "You didn't sleep at your place in weeks now, at this point you could just move in with me- I mean... if you want to." He blushed slightly at own proposition.

Avrelian coughed, acting innocent, but already knowing that he will accept anyway, "Oh I couldn't..."

Solovei raised his eyebrow, "It's not a problem, besides, that way you could stop worrying about your rent."

The blonde man lowered his shoulders, "Ah... thank you." He smiled gratefully at him.

"Don't mention it." Then he suddenly remembered something he wanted to ask, "Oh, yeah, I wanted to ask, have you seen my ring?"

Not only that, though, he noticed that his watch was missing too, though he didn't actually wear it that often, but he was still pretty sure he brought it from the family home.

His porcelain owl figurine was also missing, he was collecting porcelain birds from a certain collection for years, the other figurines were in their places, but that one simply disappeared overnight.

Avrelian immediately looked up at the question, almost TOO fast, "Uh... the ring... oh wait, the one with the nightingale insigna?"

Yeah, that ring was a bit of a low blow to sell, he knew that Solovei had it since forever, but man, it brought in a lot of mora...

Solovei nodded, "Yeah, that one, it just vanished into thin air."

Avrelian pretended to look around under the table, "Are you sure you didn't just drop it somewhere?"

The latter frowned at his suggestion, almost offended, "Definitely not, I don't just drop a family heirloom."

That's what he wants to believe, but then again... maybe he really did just lose it, just like with other objects.

But this ring had been passed down from father to son for generations in Solovei's family... and now Avrelian felt like an ass.

He stopped pretending to search and leaned back, "You know, as a former thief... I can tell you that people can be cunning, if someone noticed you wearing something that pretty in public, they probably stole it from you without you even realizing it, it takes skill, but it's not impossible."

Solovei's expression immediately turned sour at that, it wasn't something he wanted to hear right now, but it was a possibility.

He gritted his teeth, "God... What kind of idiot am I, why did I have to carry something so valuable outside."

Avrelian moved closer and rubbed his shoulder in comfort, "Hey, hey, it happens... I'm sure your father won't be angry."

Solovei leaned into his touch, but still watched him carefully... ugh, there was no point in blaming anyone, he had no proof, and why would Avrelian steal from him in the first place? He had a roof over his head in a rich house, he didn't even have to pay rent, he didn't need the mora!

To clear his head, Solovei got up from the couch, "I'll just take a walk."

He grabbed his coat and headed straight for the door.

"Hey-" Avrelian stood up too, stopping Solovei whose hand was already on the doorknob; he looked back to listen to him.

"It's too late, do you want to be robbed some more?" Avrelian crossed his arms.

Solovei lets out a dry chuckle, "Ha ha, very funny... I can take care of myself and it's not like I'm carrying anything valuable with me."

The blonde man sighed as Solovei left the house anyway.

He let out a long breath and fell back into the couch, rubbing his temples, shit... he was running out of time.

If he kept stealing like this, piece by piece, Solovei would eventually figure it out, what then? He was already pushing his luck.

But he had a plan, just a little more time and he would disappear overnight, quit his job and move to another city.

(You can tell I was playing rdr2 while writing this part 💀💀💀)

But despite everything, he still had that nagging feeling that things wouldn't go so smoothly...

By the time Solovei returned home, Avrelian was already asleep.

He stood in the doorway for a moment before quietly creeping into bed beside him, keeping some distance between them.

Should he sniff around for some evidence? He hated to doubt Avrelian, but the man WAS a thief once.

"Tomorrow." He thought before closing his eyes tightly.

It seemed as if Avrelian felt himself being judged, because at that moment, he woke up, "Oh... you're back home."

Solovei froze immediately at the sound of the other's voice, his back turned to him.

"Yeah..." he muttered, refusing to look at him, "I didn't mean to wake you up."

Avrelian reached out and wrapped his arms around him, "Let's go to sleep... I'm so tired~"

Solovei stiffened at the touch, feeling the blonde man pressed firmly against his back.

"You're all tense..." Avrelian's voice suddenly came out in a worried whisper.

"I'm tired as well..." Solovei lied, making Avrelian just let out a hum, the man then patted his shoulder before releasing him.

-

The next morning, Solovei waited for Avrelian to leave for his morning shift before getting out of bed.

He immediately began looking for anything that would prove or disprove his suspicions.

Meanwhile, Avrelian decided to use his coworker as a therapist, sighing dramatically, "I robbed that idiot, sold a few of his things, they were quite valuable, but..."

His coworker raised an eyebrow curiously, a sly smile spreading across their face, "But what? Got scared or something?"

Avrelian looked at him, “But now it feels strangely wrong, in all this craze, I even sold his family’s ring, his great-great-grandfather owned that thing!”

His coworker looked at him in amusement, “Oh my, that’s low even for you, but don’t tell me you’re being soft on that guy now.”

Avrelian groaned, running a hand through his hair, “Don't..."

Then he added: “I didn’t think that far ahead, it’s just… karma catches up with everyone eventually and I’ll be punished, even if I manage to escape it, the guilt might eat me alive instead…”

-

Solovei was now searching through Avrelian's still unpacked luggage when he suddenly touched something of a familiar shape.

He immediately froze, feeling his heart start to beat faster.

As soon as he pulled out the item, he was met with a porcelain owl figurine that was missing from his collection.

Solovei stared at the statue in his hand, this couldn't be what it looked like.

What if Avrelian was cleaning around his collection and just mindlessly took it and what? Accidentally hid it as his luggage to sell later?

So it's true... Avrelian had been stealing from him from the moment he arrived at the house, how could he be so blind...?

-

After finishing his shift, Avrelian returned, the first thing he did was call out to his boyfriend: "Solovei? Are you home?"

Solovei walked out of their bedroom, holding the figurine behind his back, "Mhm."

"I have an idea, I'd like to meet your parents now that we are dating, take me to their home?" Avrelian smiled, he thought that if Solovei had valuable items, his parents probably had twice as much, to speed up the process.

Solovei's entire body stiffened at the request, his parents? He wanted to meet them now?! After everything he had done???

A bitter laugh escaped his lips, he was unable to hold in any it longer, "You're kidding, right?"

Avrelian was completely oblivious, he instead looked outside the window, "Something wrong with that? But ah, not today, it's starting to rain."

Solovei stepped forward, gripping the figurine tighter, then finally revealed it to Avrelian, "Everything's wrong! You want me to take you to their home? To my family after what you did?! Did you think I'm an idiot?!"

Avrelian turned to him abruptly, his heart stopping at the sight of the porcelain owl, "A-Are you okay?" He still tried to play dumb.

"Am I okay? You're standing there seriously asking me if I'm okay after you've been stealing from me for weeks?!" He held up the figurine to show it off even better, just in case Avrelian didn't see it.

Solovei then suddenly threw it on the couch. "I was an idiot for trusting you, you're a damn thief, and I was stupid enough to think you were anything more!"

Then he laughed almost hysterically, “I was actually starting to fall in love with you, can you imagine? A rich idiot in love with a common thief!”

Avrelian wanted to tell him that he was starting to feel something as well, but his pride was too much, so instead...

Solovei clenched his hands into fists, digging his nails painfully into his palms.

The weather outside was getting worse, the rain was coming down harder and harder out of nowhere.

He glared at Avrelian, “Don’t you have anything to say in your defense?”

“You were just an easy target.” Avrelian muttered unapologetically just as it thundered outside, “You have enough wealth, and half of it is useless to you, you spoiled brat!” He suddenly stepped forward, raising his voice.

“That ring was a family heirloom! It wasn’t just an object, it was history! You had no right to touch it!” Solovei raised his voice right back at him.

Avrelian rolled his eyes, not holding back anymore, “As if you privileged people care about any family history, come on.”

“Oh, don’t come at me with that crap.” Solovei stepped a bit closer as well, “Did you even think about how I would feel before you took it?”

Avrelian felt guilty after stealing and selling the ring, true, but admitting it now would be useless.

The lack of an answer only made Solovei’s anger worse, “Of course not, why would you care about the feelings of a privileged rich kid, right?”

Suddenly he lunged forward and grabbed Avrelian by the arm, pulling him toward the front door.

He pulled him out to the rain and threw him forward, watching him stumble and fall on the wet grass.

Avrelian immediately shivered, looking up at Solovei, who was standing under the roof above the front door, his expression cold.

“You know what’s worse than having your things stolen?” Solovei simply continued, not caring that Avrelian was getting drenched, “Being betrayed by someone you thought you could trust.”

Avrelian still looked at him, watching Solovei restrain himself from completely exploding, “I trusted you, and you just… used me, pretended to love me just to get into my life.”

He clenched his jaw again, his vision suddenly blurry, but he fought back, he wouldn’t shed a tear in front of this man.

“I hate you… but I also deeply envy you.” Was all Avrelian said after Solovei bombarded him.

Solovei's expression widened a little, “You… you envy me?” he repeated.

Avrelian looked away, his hair plastered to his face by the rain, “You have everything… family, wealth, everything I never had… you never had to fight for anything.”

Then he looked back at Solovei, “The truth is, as soon as I found out you were rich, I decided to become your friend with the intention of winning you over, from day one in that coffee shop.”

Solovei already knew this by now, but hearing it out loud felt like a knife was stabbed in his heart, “So, all that affection, you… those kisses… it was all fake, huh? Just part of the act.”

“It was supposed to be… but something happened.” Avrelian then looked down at the ground.

Solovei’s breath caught at those words, something happened?

“Something… happened?” he repeated slowly, his voice barely audible in the rain, “What does that mean?” He knew what it meant...

Avrelian stood up from the grass, “You made me feel loved and I started to feel something, I hate you for it, but...”

He was definitely lying.

He wanted so much to believe him, but his mind repeated that it was a lie, that it was all manipulation.

He couldn’t do that to himself again, he couldn’t be fooled again, he just couldn’t.

“Why should I trust you now?” he asked, his voice cracking, “Why should I trust anything you say?”

He simply decided to turn his back on this thief, not seeing how Avrelian's eyes widened in fear; Is it over? The thief reached forward, but it was too late.

Solovei entered inside without another glance, slamming the door.

Shortly after, he threw all of Avrelian's luggage outside to pick it up himself before locking him out for good.

And with that, he buried Avrelian in the past.

-

A few weeks passed since, he eventually saw the coffee shop posting job applications, so Avrelian really quit?

He avoided going in there, hoping to avoid any reminders of... the whole mess.

But he just had to peek inside, and when he did, he didn't see the familiar blonde hair.

Avrelian was gone, Solovei should be happy about that... so why did this realization feel like another kind of loss?

He shook his head sharply and turned away from the shop's window.

He fell in love and was punished for it...

But when he got home from class, he found a small box in his mailbox, it was plain brown, no names or anything on it, nothing about it seemed special.

He decided to just take it and carry it inside, setting it on the table and then opening it.

He was met with a wrapped item and a folded note, it read: "After weeks of searching, I've finally found it, it's yours."

It's yours? Solovei quickly unwrapped the item, it was his family’s ring, so this box was placed in his mailbox by... Avrelian?

That bastard... his eyes were starting to sting, stop, you won't cry.

He forced the tears back, he won't cry because of that bastard, he had too much pride for that.

But if Avrelian was still somewhere around... how didn't they run into each other all these weeks, was he that good at avoiding him?

-

By now, months passed since then, and Solovei was overloaded with studying for his university exams. 

One day as he was walking back come from the library where he studied, he noticed a few nightingales nearby.

He stared, suddenly remembering a scene:

Avrelian was sitting outside in the garden, staring up at the sky.

He looked strangely vulnerable in that moment, just staring up at the sky with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Solovei hesitated at the entrance, almost not wanting to interrupt the moment, but it seemed like Avrelian could already sense him, the blonde man simply said: "You're welcome to join me."

Solovei accepted it, moving closer.

"I actually have a question for you." Avrelian patted the seat next to himself.

He tilted his head, looking at the brunet, "Why a nightingale? It's your family crest, isn't it? But what's so special about a nightingale?"

Solovei's expression softened a little at the question, "Because my great-great-grandfather loved them.” His lips curved into a faint smile as he said that, “It is said they are symbols of love and longing...”

“So that ring you wear... is passed down from generation to generation?” Avrelian pointed to the ring with the nightingale insigna.

Solovei's gaze fell on the ring as well, "Mhm, it's been passed down through generations, my father gave it to me when I turned 18, he told me it was worth more than all the riches in the world..."

Avrelian smiled and leaned back, "I wonder what kind of bird I would be if you are a nightingale."

Solovei immediately had an answer: "A raven." He said it as it was obvious, "They're intelligent, but they also have a reputation for being thieves."

"Aww, I'll take that as a compliment." Avrelian leaned into his boyfriend's space, "So, my dear nightingale, are you willing to fly with this raven forever?"

The other man rolled his eyes, amused by the corny sentence, “Forever is a very long time, idiot.”

“And we can spend it together, flying across the sky.” Avrelian reaches out his hand toward the clouds.

Solovei hesitates for a second before reaching up as well to take his hand, intertwining their fingers.

The present day's Solovei sighed, unable to believe that everything Avrelian said was a lie.

He clenched his fists at his sides, feeling his anger rise again, that bastard really played him from start to finish...

But Avrelian also said that he genuinely fell in love with him by accident... was it a lie? Did Avrelian actually mean it?

Suddenly someone ran past him, muttering a hurried "Excuse me"

Wait that voice- it can't be...

He turned around in an instant, his heart pounding as his eyes caught that familiar blonde hair tied into a short ponytail.

Without thinking, he immediately followed, why was he even running after that thief?

"Hey, wait-" Solovei said weakly, but the man didn't turn, still hurrying past people.

"Damn it." he muttered to himself, pushing past everyone, "Stop running, will you?"

"Just call out his name." His mind said.

He took a deep breath and then shouted: "Avrelian!"

The man immediately stopped dead in his tracks and turned his head, a look of utter surprise on his face, it WAS him.

For a moment, neither of them moved, staring at each other with wide eyes.

Avrelian was first one to speak: "Solovei?"

"You idiot." Is all Solovei muttered.

Avrelian sighed, "Why did you call out for me? Just to call me an idiot? I tried my best to stay away, isn't that what you wanted?"

He hated the fact that the thief was making sense, why did he want to see him again after literally throwing him out of house?

"Well, I..." Solovei started, "I wanted to talk."

Avrelian's face was almost dumbfounded, "Talk to me after all? Why...?"

Solovei simply decided to admit it: "Because... I missed you, even after everything." He laughs at himself, "I remember how you lied, but I also remember the other things..."

He remembers the nights they had spent together, he missed them; he missed the feeling of waking up with Avrelian curled up next to him, he missed those morning kisses...

Damn it, it was so unfair.

"Sometimes I think I'm going crazy..." he looks at him firmly, “Because I know you’re a thief, but I still want you, it makes no sense."

Avrelian shakes his head, “Just forget me.” He turns to leave.

But Solovei immediately grabbed his arm, "No, you're not getting out of this, look at me, look me in the eyes and tell me to forget you, I dare you.”

Avrelian gritted his teeth and really did look at him, "Forget me."

But Solovei didn't buy it, "Say it again, just one more time."

This time around, the blonde man hesitated, his lips trembling, why couldn't he repeat those words again?

Solovei's grip tightened, "I knew it, you dont want me to forget you just like I don't want to."

Avrelian pulled away from him, "What's wrong with you? You should despise me, are you broken?"

"You think I want to want you like this? Damn it, Avrelian, you ruined me." And then Solovei felt it, a tear rolled down his cheek, "I hate that I still love you."

"...You really shouldn't love me." Avrelian said, "You shouldn't love a lying bastard like me, just... go."

But the brunet wasn't budging, “Don’t you get it, you idiot?” I’ve been trying to forget you for weeks, but every night, every second we spent together replays in my head."

Upon hearing those words, Avrelian suddenly leaned forward and hugged him, wrapping him in a familiar warmth.

“I wasn’t lying when I said I was in love…” Avrelian muttered.

Solovei’s grip on Avrelian tightened even once he heard that, “That makes this even worse.”

The moment was short-lived, Avrelian pulled back, "And that's exactly why I can't do that to you."

Solovei looked at him with almost an offended expression, "Don't decide for me, this is my decision, I want you, so why can’t you just let me have you?”

He hated the desperate tone in his words, hated how he suddenly begged a literal thief to stay.

And yet, at the same time, he was never more sincere in his entire life.

Avrelian was about to answer, but suddenly he felt drops of water falling on his head, causing him to look up.

Great... rain again, just like on that day.

Solovei began to walk, fully expecting Avrelian to follow, “We are continuing this at my place."

As they ran faster, the rain came down harder and harder, "It's kind of fun." Avrelian smiled.

Solovei snorted in response to the comment, but his face also carried a small smile.

By the time they finally reached his front door, both of them were soaked.

"We better change if we don't want to get sick." Solovei murmured and immediately started undressing.

Avrelian followed, not noticing how Solovei's gaze seemed to linger on his exposed skin.

He shook himself off before his thoughts could go any further, "I'll get us something to wear."

Once they picked out clean clothes, Solovei first took a shower and then Avrelian.

As Solovei dried his hair, Avrelian looked outside the window, watching the rain still pouring.

"Still raining?" He muttered from behind, Avrelian turned to face him with a nod, "Mhm, but it's slowly stopping, I think."

He then added: "I'll leave when it stops completely."

Solovei immediately reacted at that, "Nonsense, you can stay the night, who knows when will it stop."

"Thanks, I guess..." Avrelian sat down on the bed, deciding to ask something: "So... you really didnt stop... loving me?"

"Of course I didn’t, you bastard.” Solovei murmured bitterly.

Avrelian didn’t even want to apologize, he knew Solovei wouldn’t accept it.

But he had to say something: “You don’t have to believe me, but I really meant what I said… I really fell in love accidentally, and I will never forgive myself for what I-"

He gets interrupted by Solovei, "Stop, I don't need you to hate yourself for it... I just need you to stay."

He reached forward and take a hold of Avrelian's chin, "Promise you won't leave."

"I... promise." Avrelian stands up and embraces him, burying his face into his neck, "I won't leave, if you're really willing to give me another chance."

Solovei pulled Avrelian even closer, if that was possible, "I'm not just willing, I need it."

Avrelian pulled away, tears already spilling from his eyes, “I’m so happy, I thought- I thought I lost you forever because I was so damn stupid."

He smiled through his tears, "My dear nightingale, don't worry, this raven will never fly away again."

Solovei pressed their foreheads together just like on the day when they confessed their loves, "Swear it, swear it on your life that you won’t leave me again.”

Avrelian nodded firmly, “I swear on this life, and the next, and the one after that, if I break my promise in any of my lives, may I never find happiness again.”

Solovei's breath hitched at his words, he carefully took his hands, intertwining their fingers, "So... it's for forever?" He asked quietly.

"As you said back then, forever is a very long time, but do you remember what I said in return?" Avrelian leans in to kiss him, "We can spend it together, flying across the sky.”