Never Said

5. WAIT [Aof, Gan]

.oOo.

There were three reasons he liked this cafe the most even though it was the farthest from his apartment.

First, they rented movies. DVDs, BluRay, LaserDiscs and even VHS formats were available across an amazing collection of international and hard-to-find films.

Second, the drinks were out of this world! Their extensive menu offered a variety of creative hot and cold beverages--including his current favourite.

And third...

"Triple-shot affogato with whip and chocolate drizzle for Shorty!"

That barista. Aof, according to his name tag. He was...tall. And maybe dreamy? Or handsome? Was he eye-candy...?

Yes. All of the above. And as that barista did his work, Gan felt no shame in staring at the man that shook his heart.

Discreetly, of course.

From behind a DVD–on the opposite side of the cafe.

Gan lowered the video in his hands and moved toward the pick-up counter, feigning irritation. "Still not my name," he replied with a forced smile.

"Still a fact," the server quipped and smiled brightly in return, arms hidden by the bulky machines he used to create another beverage, or three. Aof winked and blew an air-kiss to his petite customer before leaving the prep counter to pour a new brew.

Gan shook his head and turned away to hide a genuine smile--not to mention the blush. He made the long trek to this particular establishment three times a week just to be teased by Aof.

And he had no regrets.

He only hoped the taller guy hadn't noticed.

Grabbing his messenger bag from a chair, films and creamy, cold dessert drink in hand, he headed toward the register at the rental counter.

And without missing a step, Aof slid from one workstation to the next. "What'll it be today, Shorty?"

Gan pursed his lips, trying to hide his grin behind feigned annoyance, and handed his selections to Aof, who nodded in appreciation of his choices before punching the keypad on the touch screen. "Good picks, as usual," he finished inputting the information with dramatic flair, the monitor wobbling with his taps. "But these are pretty long--ooooohhhhh!" He pointed from the videos to Gan and back. "I see what you did there!" He made an amused face and gestured with his chin toward the highly caffeinated treat his customer held.

Gan smiled, his dimples kissing his cheeks as he raised the drink. "Marathon night."

"Marathon night," Aof mimicked with a nod before pushing the films toward the edge of the polished wooden counter. He rested his elbow on the shiny surface and cupped his chin in his palm while he watched the other man slip the plastic cases into his bag. "So, what happened? Bad day at work?" He frowned, eyes concerned. "Or another disagreement with one of your coworkers?"

Gan froze, eyes wide. "What...happened?" He repeated slowly, surprised.

Aof hummed, his lips drawn into a thin line. "You only marathon the epics when you're trying to escape something," he pointed to the drink with his free hand, "and you never order a triple shot." He stood, palms flat on the counter. "Honestly, I'm not sure your," he looked the young man up and down, and shrugged his shoulders, "smallness could handle that much caffeine."

Surprised for the second time, and suddenly feeling shy, Gan shook his head and grabbed his drink from the counter. "You're unbelievable," he replied before turning to leave. He stuck the straw in his mouth and sucked. His irritation was genuine now. He liked being teased, not insulted.

"I think I'm quite believable, actually," the server called after the retreating figure. "What I find unbelievable is that you travel this far just to get drinks you can get anywhere," he shifted his weight, "certainly closer to home."

Gan choked on his sip, coughing into the crook of his elbow, face turning red as he struggled for breath.

"Hey--oh, hey!" Aof grabbed a towel from a nearby shelf and trotted around the counter. "I'm sorry--I didn't mean to make you choke on it."

Gan blanched at the barista's choice of words and accepted the terry cloth. He set his drink back down and as he wiped his face and shirt was grateful the heat had already flooded his cheeks. "What...what are–are you talking about?" He struggled to speak as the spasming fit subsided.

"Aow. You didn't know?" Aof leaned against the counter, arms folded to his chest.

"What didn't I know?" He gestured with his chin to the other guy. "What do you think you know?" The shorter man glared at his leggy counterpart.

The barista smiled with a light chuckle. "You know," he pointed between them with one hand, grinning, "that we live in the same apartment building."

Gan stared at Aof as the full weight of what he had just learned caught him unaware. "Wait--what?" He honestly had no idea.

Aof shrugged. "We live in the same building." He pointed up. "I live above you."

Gan shook his head. "What?" How was that possible? "How do you--I've never seen you--"

"I work second shift," Aof stated matter of fact, "and I'm assuming you work first?" He smiled again and tilted his head to the side. "Our schedules don't match up--speaking of, my shift ended early today--" he glanced at the giant clock on the wall behind him. "Oh. It ended twenty minutes ago," he gave Gan a toothy grin and untied his apron. "Wait for me--I'll ride you." He winked.

"Hah??" Gan nearly choked again, his eyes as wide as saucers and the tips of his ears reddened.

Aof laughed. "I've got a bike--you ever ride pillion?"

Gan nodded slowly.

Aof grinned before jogging back behind the counter and toward the staff room in the corner. Gan just...blinked. Could this get any weirder? What was even happening right now? All that negative stuff that went down at his workplace, and now this? What was going on?

Was he one of those characters that got transported into a book and had to do some questing stuff to save the world from the rise of a demon lord? Or cultivate magic potions for heavenly disciples? Or maybe save a stray kitten...?

He looked up as the taller man slid on his jacket, another smile in place. He hitched his backpack up on one shoulder and held a helmet held in his other hand.

"Ready?" He gestured toward the exit.

Gan put the towel on the counter and retrieved his drink. "You make a lot of assumptions you know," he took a slow sip and cautiously moved to walk beside his alleged "neighbour".

Aof nodded. "That could be true," he turned and bent at the waist to look Gan in the eye. "Or I'm just very observant," he spoke in a low voice, refusing to break the stare and watched the other guy fidget with his cup before finally looking to the side, blushing.

"Cute," Aof smirked.

Gan sighed and hid his face in his beverage. His cheeks were warm and his ears were hot. He was sorely unprepared for more than the snarky, casual teasing he had signed up for. This was too much--he felt so shy!

"To be fair, though, this place has an amazing movie selection." Aof changed the topic to remove any awkwardness between them. He looked forward to their weekly back-and-forth dialogues and didn't want his favourite customer to feel uncomfortable around him.

He held the door open for Gan, the gentle clinking of bells announced the end of Aof's, shift as well as their exit. "So surely you must come all this way for the films."

"Name's not Shirley either," he threw a sideways glance to his companion, "and yeah. I come here for the films." Gan strode through the doorway.

"Right," Aof laughed. "The films." He shook his head as the door closed with a jingle.

.oOo.

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