oneshots 🧷 joshler

love at first sight

Tyler watched the snow fall daintily outside, the small coffee shop he was in enveloping him in warmth. His large, gray sweater helped him with keeping warm, pooling just below his waist. For as long as he could remember, tucking in his sweaters was something he never liked doing. It was just something that he found odd.

The snow took over his mind, so much so that he didn't notice when the shop door dinged, the small flakes too distracting as they landed on the window next to him. Of course, his attention turned when a warm voice said, "Hi."

"O-oh, hello!" Tyler squeaked, looking to the man and doing a double take. The man looked cold, his cheeks holding a hefty rose color to make even him shiver. He had no hat on his head, flakes of snow still residing in his brown curls. With his copper-colored knapsack on his back, Tyler figured that he was artistic in some way. Of course, he could be mistaken, but the paint smears on the man's fingers spoke differently. Most importantly, he looked like he needed... something. Tyler figured he was one of the many people on Earth that would stay awake just to cry for the loss of something important, to desperately try and fill the hole in their heart with tears.

All of that information in under two seconds. Isn't that incredible? Tyler pondered that thought a lot in bed, how you could get so much information from a stranger just from a scan over their body.

"The snow is beautiful, isn't it?" he, the man, spoke softly, looking to where his previous gaze laid. "Winter is one of my favorite seasons."

Tyler watched his sad eyes light up at the snowflakes drifting down, the Christmas music playing in the background and filling in the quiet pauses between their exchange of words.

"It's a distraction for me," Tyler responded, shoving his hands into his apron pockets as a blush rose to his cheeks. "The days get pretty boring when everyone stays home."

The man chuckled. "I decided to venture out, and it seems like a mistake, especially without enough warm things." Tyler giggled, looking back to his eyes, which were now warm with comfort.

"Well.. how can I help you?" he asked, sliding up his worn sleeves of his favorite sweater, which just fell back down his tan arms. "Would you like something to warm you up?"

"That would be lovely," he murmured, looking up at the menu and ordering his drink. Tyler smiled and told him his total, then watched him as he walked to a seat after he paid. The way he walked was elegant, he thought as he made his drink, the way that his coat wrapped comfortably around his frame just adding to his vibe. Tyler wondered what it would feel like on the inside as he delivered the drink to the man.

"Thank you," he murmured, flashing a genuine smile to him. Tyler blushed lightly, the man's hair now a bit damp with the melted snow. The man picked up his mug as he walked away, and Tyler went back to staring at the snow, thinking about him, with his painted fingers and his brown curls, his sad eyes and the hole in his heart.

By the time he left, Tyler's heart ached for the man, and he was almost desperate to know more about him. He waved goodbye to him, which he returned, and he went over to clean up his spot.

Sitting there, under the mug, was a small piece of paper, torn out of what he could only guess as a sketchbook, of him looking out the window. A spark shot through his heart as he picked it up, studying it before realized there were words on the back. Quickly, he flipped it over and read the message that this mysterious man had written to him.

i still don't know your name, but i'd love to. i'll be back tomorrow for you. here's your tip, but i'll bring something more tomorrow, promise. the drink was fantastic, by the way. thanks for the warmth.
-joshua