It was bright, the sun blazing like a fireball in the middle of a scorching afternoon. After resting for 20 minutes at a pasta noodle restaurant, a certain someone was now craving ice cream.
Two good-looking gentlemen exited the restaurant, and Saint dragged Fighter to an ice cream shop just around the block. They strolled leisurely with their hands linked together under the sunny afternoon sky. Fighter's smile was as bright as the sun, and Saint felt happier than ever. Public displays of affection weren't his usual style, but today he didn't care; he proudly held Fighter's hand, asserting his ownership and ignoring anyone's judgment.
They entered the ice cream shop, where a few diners were enjoying their cold desserts. A waitress welcomed them and led them to an empty table, handing them menus displaying various classic ice cream flavors in different sizes. One flavor in particular caught Fighter's eye.
"Saint! I want this chocolate chip ice cream," Fighter exclaimed, pointing to the flavor on the menu. Saint chuckled at his excitement.
"Whatever my baby wants," Saint replied affectionately, then ordered one chocolate chip ice cream. The waitress, noticing their choice, made a suggestion.
"Sir, we actually have a special dessert for couples. Would you like to try the special or just the regular?" the waitress asked politely, trying to suppress a grin as she looked at the affectionate couple before her.
"You want the special, Fight?" Saint asked sweetly.
"Yeah, because my Saint is special to me," Fighter replied with a grin, attempting a cheesy pick-up line.
"Oh, Fight. That was corny as fuck," Saint chuckled softly, though his ears turned red with embarrassment. The waitress couldn't help but cover half her face with the tray, also feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Can we have the special but in chocolate chip flavor?" Saint asked, trying to steer the conversation back.
"Yes, sir. Anything else you'd like to order?" the waitress inquired professionally.
"No, thank you," Saint replied with a smile.
The waitress nodded and left to place their order, leaving the two lovers to enjoy their time together in the ice cream shop.
Saint extended his right arm and rested it on the table, his palm facing up. "Fight..." he wiggled his fingers, inviting Fighter to place his hand on top.
Fighter immediately clasped Saint's hand, their fingers intertwining as they waited for their order.
Day by day, Saint seemed to grow more comfortable with public affection, but only with his boyfriend. As long as Fighter was with him, he was fine with everything. He would do anything to make Fighter happy, and seeing Fighter happy made Saint happy too.
After five minutes of waiting, their order finally arrived, and they were stunned by the beauty of the dessert. It was a chocolate chip ice cream cake accompanied by an Oreo smoothie.
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(chocolate chip cookie ice cream cake)
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(Oreo smoothie)
"Saint, these look sweetly delicious. I can't wait to taste them." Fighter couldn't take his eyes off the desserts as they were being served.
"First bite for my baby." Saint fed Fighter a slice of ice cream cake. Fighter eagerly opened his mouth, and when the sweet cream hit his tongue, he shook his shoulders with delight at the rich, chocolatey taste.
"Try it, Saint!" Fighter picked up the spare fork and fed Saint. He watched Saint's reaction with eager anticipation.
"Wow. This is a ten out of ten!" Saint said, savoring the flavor. He patted Fighter's head for choosing the special one. Fighter scooped another bite for himself, satisfied with Saint's reaction.
"Fight, you mentioned the food business you owned. Who's the new owner now?"
"My dad..." Fighter paused, still finding it awkward to call Mr. Panich 'dad'. Saint noticed but just smiled lovingly at him. "...Dad helped his niece take care of it."
"It's actually my favorite brand."
"Yeah, I realized that was the brand. It was the first food I ate at your house."
"Right," Saint said, smiling.
Fighter leaned in to drink the smoothie, and Saint immediately followed suit. Their noses slightly bumped, and they looked intently into each other's eyes, feeling as if time had stopped and the people around them had vanished. They could only hear each other's breaths and the thumping beat of their hearts.
After a moment, they realized they had been staring for too long and giggled. They stayed like that for a second before Fighter averted his gaze toward a table two meters away. He felt like the customer at that table was watching them. The man was wearing a black cap, and Fighter could tell he was blonde because his hair peeked out behind his ears. When Fighter locked eyes with him, the man immediately looked away and pretended to eat his dessert. The guy seemed dangerous. Fighter leaned back to sit properly, feeling uneasy.
"Saint, let's go," Fighter urged, his tone tense.
"What about your ice cream?" Saint asked, scooping the half-eaten dessert.
"I'm full. Let's go. Waiter!" Fighter called for a waiter to pay their order. He handed over some cash and told the waiter to keep the change. He then dragged Saint out of the ice cream house, walking quickly away from it.
"Fight... slow down. What's wrong?" Saint was confused by his boyfriend's sudden urgency.
Fighter soon slowed down the pace and looked back to check if the man was following them. Saint, confused by what was happening, also turned around. Fighter sighed in relief when he saw nobody behind them. He took Saint's hand again, and they walked leisurely toward their car parked outside the pasta noodle restaurant.
"Fight? What was that?" Saint asked, worried, as he unlocked the car and they both got inside.
"I sensed danger. I think someone... that guy was watching us," Fighter explained.
"Really? I think it's just nothing, Fight. Maybe that guy was just admiring you because my baby angel is handsome." Saint rubbed Fighter's arms and gave a reassuring smile. But internally, Saint wondered if it was some homophobic jerk judging them.
"Let's head back?" Saint suggested, and soon they drove back to the company, both a bit more on edge than before.
