Unexpected Sparks | BxB

The Start of Something

Ethan did not plan on meeting anyone today, actually the plan was to get coffee, get work done, and avoid distractions. Life as a freelance writer was supposed to be flexible, but lately, it felt like he was always lagging behind deadlines. There he sat at his usual table in the back corner of his favorite café, headphones on, laptop open, furiously typing away.

That was until a clumsy movement in front of him caused a cascade of iced coffee to spill over his table-soaking his notes and laptop in the process.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" The voice was panicked, coming from a guy with wide, green eyes and a sheepish smile, holding an almost empty cup that had definitely once contained Ethan's least favourite liquid: iced coffee.

Ethan yanked the headphones off and turned, glowering at the guy, annoyance barely contained. "You got to be fricking kidding me."

"I didn't mean to! I wasn't watching, and then—" the guy trailed off, his face completely red. "I'll buy you another coffee, and—oh god, is your laptop okay?"

Ethan let out a sigh and rubbed his temples. "No, it's soaked." He looked up at the guy then, and despite how he felt, couldn't help but notice the genuinely apologetic look on his face. He was tall with dark hair that was tousled just enough to suggest he didn't spend too long fixing it, and freckles dotted his nose and cheeks, giving him this oddly endearing look.

"Let me at least get you some napkins," the guy offered, already hurrying toward the counter. Ethan watched as he frantically snatched handfuls of napkins and hurried back. "Here, let me—"

Ethan waved him off, taking the napkins and starting to clean up the mess. "It's fine. I'll deal with it."

The guy stood there awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot. "I really am sorry. I'm kind of a disaster today."

"As if my day wasn't already bad." Ethan grumbled, attempting to blot the coffee now seeping into his keyboard.

"I'm Liam, by the way." The guy -Liam- stuck out his hand as if that would make it all better.

Ethan looked at it and back to his destroyed laptop. "Ethan."

Liam winced. "I owe you big time. You think it'll still work?"

Ethan sighed once more and pressed the power button tentatively. The screen flickered to life, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Looks like I got lucky."

Liam breathed out. "Thank god. Can I buy you a new coffee? It's the least I can do."

Ethan looked up at him, ready to decline, but something in Liam's expression stayed his hand. Despite the annoyance of the situation, he found himself nodding. "Fine. But no iced coffee this time."

Liam grinned, clearly relieved. "Deal."

A few minutes later, Liam returned with a hot latte, carefully placing it in front of Ethan as though it were an apology in liquid form. He sat down across from Ethan, much to Ethan's surprise, and smiled awkwardly. "I figured I'd sit with you. You know, make sure I don't spill anything else."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You're sticking around?"

"Well, yeah. I kind of owe you for almost ruining your day."

Ethan smirked. "Fair enough."

As the coffee cooled and Ethan's laptop dried off, they fell into a surprisingly easy conversation. Liam turned out to be a graphic designer working at a nearby agency, and they quickly found common ground in their creative professions. What started as small talk about their jobs quickly became a deeper dive into shared interests — movies, music, and how they both had a secret love for trashy reality TV.

"So, what are you working on?" Liam asked, nodding toward Ethan's now-closed laptop.

"Just an article," Ethan said with a shrug. "Nothing exciting. You?"

"Same old, same old," Liam replied. "But I gotta say, I wish I could work from coffee shops all day like you. The office life gets suffocating sometimes."

"Yeah, but coffee shop life comes with its own risks," Ethan joked, glancing pointedly at the napkins still piled up on the table.

Liam chuckled. "Touché."

Ethan found himself relaxing more and more as they talked, the earlier frustration melting away. There was something refreshing about Liam's openness, his easygoing nature. It wasn't often that Ethan let people get past his carefully constructed walls, but Liam was managing it without even trying.

Before he knew it, hours had passed, and they were still talking. The café was quieter now, the afternoon crowd thinning out, but neither of them seemed in a hurry to leave.

"I didn't expect to spend my entire day here," Ethan admitted, leaning back in his chair.

"Same," Liam said with a grin. "But it's been fun, right?"

Ethan nodded, surprised at how true that was. "Yeah, it has."

Liam glanced at the time on his phone and frowned slightly. "I should probably get going. I've got a meeting later. But, um..." He hesitated, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Would you maybe want to do this again sometime? Without the coffee spillage, I promise."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You mean like a date?"

Liam's face turned even redder. "I mean, yeah. If you're into that."

Ethan considered it for a moment, feeling the quiet excitement stirring in his chest. "Sure," he said, smiling fully now. "I'm into that."

Liam's face lit up. "Great! I'll text you."

After they exchanged numbers, Liam awkwardly attempted to kiss Ethan's cheek in which he was successful in. Ethan was flustered, but he wasn't going to lie, he really liked it. They were both equally awkward and it was something Ethan found comfort in.

Following a few more awkward goodbyes, Liam finally left the café. Ethan watched him go, a small smile still on his face. It was funny how a spilled coffee could turn into an unexpected spark.

As he packed up his things and headed home, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that maybe today hadn't been such a disaster after all. Maybe, just maybe, it was the start of something new.

A few weeks later, Ethan and Liam found themselves sitting at the same café, at the same table. But this time, there was no spilled coffee, no awkward introductions. Instead, they sat close, talking and laughing like they'd known each other for years.

Their first few dates had been easy, natural, and filled with the kind of chemistry Ethan had always hoped to find but never quite believed he would. Liam, with his infectious smile and easy charm, had a way of breaking down Ethan's walls, and Ethan found himself falling for him more with each passing day.

"So," Liam said, breaking into Ethan's thoughts. "Are you glad I ruined your coffee that day?"

Ethan chuckled, leaning closer. "Yeah. I think it was the best thing that could've happened."

Liam smiled, reaching out to take Ethan's hand across the table. "Me too."

And as they sat there, surrounded by the familiar hum of the café, Ethan knew one thing for certain: sometimes, love came in the most unexpected ways. And sometimes, all it took was a spilled coffee to change everything. Yes, as simple as that. Love can be easy!

The End.

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AN:
I rlly doubt anyones gonna read this stupid story but im getting back into writing after a few yrs with a new acc
This story isn't something im fully proud of since it doesnt rlly show my writing abilities but im using it as a startup
Its lighthearted, cute (kinda idk), and fast paced..... like rlly fast paced
Lol

I have so many crazy stories so stay tuned hehehehehehehehehehehhe
After i get my laptop from repairing NO ONE CAN STOP MEEEEEEEE IMMA FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
k