Hello, My Love

Lance drummed his fingers on the countertop, the pads tap-tap-tap-ing against the surface.

It had been a busy day in the café he worked at, the cold December weather forcing people inside for a hot cup of something or other to warm their hands upon while walking around town.

It was a blizzard outside and the little café was heaving, the place overheating with the number of tourists packed in. A layer of fresh snow covered the ground, the white sparkling in the reflected lights of the café, currently unbroken by footprints.

Lance scratched the soulmark on his wrist. It'd been itching all day and it was starting to annoy the young Canadian. What was wrong with it? He'd never heard of soulmarks itching for no reason. His mother never told him about that!

He was half-tempted to pull out his phone to Google it when the bell on top of the café dinged, indicating another customer.

He lifted his head, putting his most professional look on his face and grinned.

"Welcome to Despierta! How may I help you?"

His eyes met the customer's and it felt like the world stopped. Lance could hear his heart beating faster and faster and faster and -

"Can I have a medium gingerbread hot chocolate to go, please?" The customer asked.

Lance shook himself out of his trance and picked up a cup. "Would you like cream and marshmallows?"

"Yes please." The customer smiled and Lance's breath caught in his throat.

"Name?" Lance asked, Sharpie ticking various boxes on the cup.

"Esteban." Came the reply and Lance scribbled it down.

"That'll be €2.50, please."

Esteban handed over the money and headed over to the waiting area where a small group of people had started to grumbled impatiently while Stoffel and George- the other two baristas on shift that day- rushed around, trying to complete orders.

His soulmark started to burn and he quickly turned around so the customer couldn't see his wince.

As the coffee machine whirred to life, he gave himself a few seconds to rub his mark in the hopes it would stop stinging. He turned back around to continue serving.

He heard Stoffel call out Esteban's name and glanced up from his scribbling of another order. Esteban collected his drink and graced Stoff with a smile and a nod before leaving the café, drink in hand.

His soulmark stopped burning as soon as Esteban left, and instead started to tingle, sending pins and needles up his arm.

'Huh, strange'. He thought, returning his attention back to the lady in front of him and pushed all thoughts of Esteban to the back of his mind.

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The next day Lance was working again.

Luckily it was quieter than the day before, giving Lance a chance to look up what the tingling and burning of his soulmark meant.

His phone finally loaded, displaying the medical website he'd found and started to read through the possible reasons.

The most likely reason is your soulmate is near. If this is the case, both of you will feel a burning or itching sensation around the soulmark area.

Lance frowned. If that was true, then wouldn't someone have said something?

Anyway, he worked in a coffee shop, he served hundreds of people daily, it could be any one of the people he met yesterday!

Not to mention the Uni.

Lance's frown deepened and he slipped his phone back into his pocket, pulling his apron back on and heading back into the café.

He was cleaning the coffee machine when the bell above the door dinged, alerting him of a customer.

He placed the cloth on the counter and turned around, a smile gracing his features.

"Welcome to Desp- "

His words caught in his throat, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish's.

Esteban stood there in the doorway, wrapped up in a black wool coat with matching black-and-pink striped gloves and scarf. Black snow boots finished the winter outfit.

His black hair was covered in a dusting of snow, a layer of which had also settled on his coat, the snowflakes catching the light and making Esteban look like a thousand lights were shining on him.

Esteban stopped on the doormat, shaking off excess snow on his boots. His head snapped up at the sound of Lance's voice.

Their eyes met once again and the world around them blurred into slow-motion. Lance's breath caught in his throat, almost forgetting how to breathe.

His soulmark started to burn like Lando had split hot coffee on it, a tingling sensation crawling up his arm. His hand flew to it, rubbing small circles on it in the hopes of easing the pain.

"I had a feeling it was you." Esteban's silky voice flowed through the air, a smile playing on his lips.

He shook off his coat, hanging it up on the coat stand by the door and headed over to the counter, resting his elbows on it.

"Y-you did?" Lance stuttered, cheeks burning almost as much as his soulmark.

"I met a lot of people yesterday, but my mark didn't burn nearly as much as it did when I came in here."

Esteban pulled off his gloves and yanked up his jumper sleeve, exposing his wrist. Lance dropped his gaze to Esteban's soulmark, a small pink, five-pointed crossed star.

His eyes widened and he removed the watch from his left wrist. The exact same pink, five-pointed crossed star winked back at Esteban.

Esteban's eyes gleamed, his face breaking into a wide grin and he grabbed Lance's arm, pulling him in for an awkward over-the-counter hug, the edges of the countertop digging into their stomachs.

Not that they cared though, all that mattered in that moment was each other.

Eventually, they pulled away, both still wearing grins on their faces like love-sick idiots.

The radio, which had been humming quietly in the corner of the shop, decided, at that moment, to play a song the two knew very well.

Esteban laughed lightly and pulled Lance to the shop end of the counter.

"Hello, my love."

With that, he pulled the Canadian in for a kiss, sparks flying as their lips met, moving in sync with each other- soft and gentle and slow.

They parted, softly gasping for air.

Esteban rested his forehead on Lance's.

"I've been searching for someone like you."