11. Hot chocolates and cold stares

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Johnny couldn't stop neither fidgeting with tenseness nor nervously tapping his fingers on the little pink table, earning looks from the few old ladies scattered in the place. It was obvious that, even though he had been the one to propose the café, he clearly wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

For his defense though, he did look unfitted for the place: his long legs were pressed under the table, shaking it with their every moves and the few kittens surrounding Ten were almost glaring at him for disturbing the calm atmosphere of the place with his uneasy figure. He was a giant in a toy house.

Ten, on the other hand, was having the time of his life. The cats were drawn to him like bees to honey, and he thought the pink furniture to be very flattering.

"We'll take two hot chocolates, please.", he ordered the waitress in a sweet tone, his lashes fluttering like a princess's.

"And uh–..." Johnny tried asking but the woman ignored him, leaving him with a pout.

"Oh, right I forgot.", Ten apologized when he saw the sulking expression of his friend.
"Excuse me!", he called back the lady loudly, under the fascinated yet puzzled look in the American man's eyes.
"Could you add whipped cream on one of our hot chocolates? Thanks."

Johnny was frowning now, his surprised expression long gone. No matter how much years had passed, Ten was still a mystery to him. Many questions rushed into the head of Johnny as he stared silently at his hands. His life was a rollercoaster of emotions now that he couldn't see his old companion in the same light anymore.

"What's up?", Ten asked quizzically, seeing the face of Johnny without its usual smirk.

"Nothing...", he answered like a child. It was cute to the other, whose heart slightly fluttered at the sight. He coughed a little, that kind of thoughts were prohibited, Ten reminded himself.

"Johnny. Come on.", he asked again, more determined to hear the answer that time.

"It's just... how did you know I was gonna order whipped cream?", Johnny asked timidly, hoping he wasn't blushing, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. The new charismatic demeanor of his crush had been enough to crumble his own so-called charisma.

His head shot up to look at Ten with wide eyes as the smaller took his hand into his hands.
"Don't you think I've known you for long enough to know what you order?", he replied with a small smile.
He made sure to look carefully at the taller, taking pictures of the taller's features with his eyes, as these types of situations where he wanted to cooed at Johnny for being so cute were too rare not to be remembered.

"I– I guess." Johnny thanked the waitress in his head as she arrived with their orders, allowing him to free himself from the Thai student's grip as she put their fuming cups on the table.

Sipping carefully the hot beverage, Johnny tried to calm down. This situation was new to him, he wasn't supposed to be the one whose heart would flutter and skip a beat. He cursed under his breath at his own stupidity. He had been the one to offer to take Ten's virginity and now he was the one stuck to the other like chewing-gum under a shoe.

"What did you want to tell me?", he asked Ten.

"I wanted to clear up this entire misunderstanding about, well, you know about what...", he began, playing with his straw.

"Okay...", Johnny defiantly replied.

"It's just... I'm sorry." Johnny quirked one of his eyebrows, hoping that, maybe, he would like the rest of that sentence.
"I shouldn't have asked you to devirginate me." And there went our soft boy's hopes.
Few seconds that felt like hours to the two boys after, Ten looked up, hearing the loud thud Johnny made when he shot up from his seat.

"Are– are you fucking serious Ten?", Johnny couldn't help but ask. At first it was disappointment that hit him, but now it was only anger that boiled up in the pit of his stomach at the smaller's obliviousness.

"What do you mean?", Ten asked, his tone not masking his surprise.

"Do you regret what we did?", Johnny asked as an answer, his face painted with a hurt expression. The trembling sigh that slipped past his lips was heart clenching to the seated male, who didn't know what to do but stare with teary eyes as the other got up quickly and left without the answer to his question.

Both boys had come in hopes to find answers to their doubts; but both of them were left with a sickening impression that something wasn't right, as the thought of the other brought nothing more than a frown to their faces anymore.

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