~Switz~

Coffee shop

Rain fell onto the sidewalk and swirled down into the gutters; forming deep puddles full of dead, red and orange leaves. University students huddled together under their umbrellas as they hurried down the sidewalk; some headed to their next class in one of the old, antique-looking buildings, others headed back to their dorms to sleep.
Making his way down the sidewalk, his arms full of textbooks he had just spent far too much money on, was a short young man; his brightly coloured bomber jacket making him stand out from the other students whose prim blazers and white shirt collars had been ironed over the weekend. He glanced at them with narrowed eyes, judging them as much as he thought they were judging him.
They must know; they must know I'm not like them.
They must know about his job; stocking groceries on shelves for hours. They must know about the countless fights with his parents over going to the expensive school; they simply couldn't afford it.
They must know that he didn't belong among them.
The young man sighed, his grip tightening around the books he carried, the rain soaking his hair. The little silver and gold knight's helmet keychain on his backpack swung back and forth with every step.
What was I thinking?
The door to a coffee shop just down the sidewalk swung open, the warm delicious smell of coffee and baked goods swirling out onto the street with the group of girls as they stepped out into the rain. They opened their umbrellas and started down the road, their gazes lingering on something inside the coffee shop. When they were out of sight of the coffee shop window, they burst into nervous giggling and whispers. The young man stared after them, his brow furrowed with curiosity.
He stopped in front of the coffee shop. Inside it looked delightfully warm. Cozy red cushioned armchairs were occupied by students reading or talking quietly with their friends. Art by students on campus hung on the brightly painted walls. On the counter were displays of various baked goods; all freshly baked and mouthwatering.
Shrugging off his sadness and frustration, he decided to treat himself. He managed to push open the door, the warm air welcoming him in out of the rain. He glanced around the shop. The books in his arms were making his muscles ache. A faint acoustic song played; probably it was on some 'coffeeshop mix'. He set his books down on the counter, his eyes landing on a delicious chocolate cake under a decorative glass lid. The girl at the counter took his order. She smiled when he ordered a slice of the cake.
"We'll bring it out to you," she said.
"Thanks," the young man said as she handed him his change. He awkwardly picked his textbooks back up and searched for a seat. He found a pair of empty red armchairs by the window. He set the textbooks down on the table and fell into one of the red armchairs, his eyes on the rainy campus outside.
He sighed.
He knew his mom was going to call that evening and demand to know how his first day went. She would demand to know if it is worth all the money it took to get him there. His grades had done most of the work, but it still wasn't enough.
"Chocolate cake?" a soft voice asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. The young man looked up. He couldn't stop himself from taking a deep breath, his heart jumping.
It was like staring into the sun.
The tall, beautiful golden young man stared down at him, a smile as warm and sweet as the cafe around them on his face. His golden curls glinted in the warm light. His blue eyes stared down at him with a kind of softness he'd never seen before; never even knew existed before. His name tag on his soft beige sweater glinted in the light.
Cameron.
"O-Oh... yeah!" the young man managed to snap himself out of his trance, scrambling to push the textbooks out of the way. Cameron set the plate down on the table, his sweet smile never leaving his face.
"I took that class," the golden boy said, his eyes on the book on top of the young man's stack of books. "It was fine but the teacher is a bit of a hardass."
"Oh yeah?"
"I could help you with it if you wanted," Cameron said.
"You would?"
"I'd be happy to!" he said with a smile. "Oh! I'm Cameron by the way."
"I saw," the young man said, his eyes flickering down to his name tag. The tall boy laughed.
"Oh," Cameron said, his cheeks flushing with a sweet pink hue.
"My friends call me-" the young man stopped himself, thinking about how stupid his nickname was.
This smart, beautiful boy will laugh at me.
Staring up at him, taking in the sweet look in his blue eyes, something told him he wouldn't laugh. "Swagger. I know that's stupid but-"
"I think that's a great name," Cameron said softly. Swagger's heart fluttered. "I got to get back to work. I'll let you study," he said before turning to head back to the counter. Swagger watched him go, his cheeks feeling warm.  He took a deep breath, a smile pulling at his lips. He picked up his fork and cut into the cake. He took a bite, the sweet taste filling his mouth.
He spent the rest of the afternoon there, his eyes flickering up to the tall boy every so often. The cafe got busier but Swagger still looked for him. When it started to get dark, he packed up his things and headed for the door.
"Hey!" he turned to look at the girl at the counter. "This is for you!" In her hand was a white styrofoam container. Swagger's brow furrowed.
"I didn't order anything else."
"I know," she said, a smile on her face. Swagger took the container. On the top of the lid was Swagger's name written in black sharpie.
"Swagger... Sorry I couldn't see you again before I had to go to class. Let me know if you want help with that class!" he read. Cameron had signed it, the O in his name replaced with a heart. Under his name was his phone number.
Swagger opened the container.
Inside was a slice of chocolate cake.
He smiled.
Maybe it won't be so bad here...