[Fanfic] Serendipty

[mikunicchi]

Title: Serendipity
Pairing: Matsumiya / Yama (side)
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Teeth rotting fluff, a little scene with dirty talk
Summary: serendipity (noun) the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

Notes: This was my Fishing MJ fic written for nicefinalbeam which I forgot/couldn't post due to the RL and lots of things.
I originally intended to post this together after including the Yama side too but I'll write Yama side as a separate story~




The autumn sky which was dyed with the red lights of the setting sun was calling for a certain melancholy as Nino walked towards the unknown after his not-so-successful blind date set by his friends. Nino sighed defeatedly. It wasn’t like his friends meant to harm. On the contrary, they were only trying to help and even said that he could refuse to attend the date. However, Nino had decided that nothing bad would happen if he just met the guy. You would never know when you can find someone suitable for you after all. At least, that was what he wanted to believe. Yet, there he was, walking in the streets aimlessly, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat, questioning what he was even doing.

After a few disasters named as relationships, Nino was already thinking that he wasn’t capable of having a relationship let alone maintain it for longer than six months. He didn’t know if it was because he was unable to find someone suitable or if it was because he himself was someone who didn’t fit interacting with people. Even though he hadn’t really thought about it until now, after this last date he was slowly thinking that he would never have a steady relationship.

The sun was setting with an incredible speed, which reminded Nino that the time was passing and not waiting for him. He bit his lower lip as he looked around, trying to recognize where he came to. The surroundings weren’t that familiar yet he knew this small and silent backstreet wasn’t that far from the main street. He shrugged. It wasn’t like he would get completely lost in a backstreet at the age of 35. So he just looked around to see if he could actually find a place which could offer him something strong to drink. Apparently, karma was offering him some consolation as he saw a signboard designed with simple lighting. “Bar Lapin…” Nino read the name out loud as his feet started to move towards the place.

Nino walked into the place, not knowing what to expect. He just wanted to drink something to forget his melancholy but when he got into the bar, he couldn’t stop observing it. It was a small place with a few tables and a wide counter. The chairs looked nice and comfortable and the place was welcoming. Various bottles and different kinds of alcohol decorated the wall behind the counter and it looked promising.

“Welcome to Bar Lapin,” The guy standing behind the counter welcomed him with a respectful bow. Nino blinked at how handsome the guy looked. Too bad Nino wasn't in a mood to flirt with anyone at that moment. He acknowledged the greeting with a simple move of his head and went to sit in one of the chairs which were as comfortable as they looked.

“What can I get you?” The bartender asked, seeming professional yet he had a concerned look in his eyes. Nino wasn’t sure why he looked so concerned and he wasn’t in a shape to find it out too.

“Something strong,” Nino answered with a sigh, not really bothered by showing how miserable he sounded or how slouched his shoulders currently were. Really, his appearance was the last thing bothering him at that moment. “Preferably the strongest you got,” he added, hoping that it would make the bartender pity him a bit.

The guy who had thick eyebrows and very broad shoulders looked surprised. “Would you like to talk about it?” he asked gently, surprising Nino.

Maybe he earned something more than just his desired strong drink? Nino frowned. Still, why should he talk about his problems with a complete stranger? “Just get me my drink,” he grumbled not really caring about his possible rudeness.

The bartender continued to look at him with concerned eyes. Nino heaved a sigh. “I am having a bad day,” Nino tried to explain when the bartender didn’t make any move to prepare anything.

“If you tell me about it, sir, I can mix you something,” The bartender replied with a gentle smile adorning his lips.

Nino closed his eyes for a moment. He didn’t want to talk about his problems to a stranger, especially a bartender. He usually preferred to keep his problems to himself and solve them himself. Yet, this guy emitted such an aura that made Nino want to open up. Nino heaved a sigh for the nth time that day. Would there be any harm if he talked about it just a little?

“Sometimes all you need is an opinion from an outsider,” The handsome bartender said as Nino prolonged the silence. Nino looked him in the eye to see if he was mocking him or to see if he had a weird hobby of meddling into other peoples’ business. He couldn’t see anything like that, which surprised Nino. The bartender was looking at him sincerely and Nino would be lying if he said he wasn’t affected. So, he gave in.

“I just got out of a horrible date,” Nino answered surprising even himself. “The other guy, yes, it was a guy,” he added indicating that he wasn’t in any condition to get judged just because he’s gay. “Whatever, he was really persistent about meeting me so I simply agreed but in the end, it didn’t work out,” Nino sighed, remembering how disappointed the guy looked when Nino tried to talk a bit about himself. “And here I am, in need of a strong drink,” Nino didn’t mind how sad he just sounded because, well, he was kind of sad.

The guy looked at Nino with an expression mixed with understanding and something which Nino couldn’t really decipher at that moment. He turned his back to Nino and shuffled around the counter as if he was looking for something. He grumbled something Nino couldn’t understand and after a few minutes, he placed a cup of coffee in front of Nino.

Nino looked at the cup, and then the bartender, and then the cup again. “Um… what is this?”

“Southern Limerick,” The bartender answered.

“Sorry but… I was expecting something like… whiskey?” Nino said, trying to understand why he had been offered a coffee.

The bartender (was he really a bartender?) smiled. “Just taste it,” he said confidently.

Nino frowned as he looked at the cup again. He was really unsure if he should drink it or not. Heaving a sigh again, Nino lifted the cup and took a hesitant sip from the coffee. His eyes widened as the rich taste flowed down from his throat, warming his body from the inside. The warm, creamy and boozy drink made him forget the current situation. “This is delicious…” Nino murmured wonderingly.

The bartender’s smile widened. “Right?” he said, seeming very proud of himself.

Nino took another sip and let the drink calm his nerves. “Still, why coffee?” he asked.

The handsome bartender smiled gently. “You don't need to have a hangover for a guy who clearly doesn't deserve it. And you see, I'm good at making coffee.” Nino snorted but before he could make a snarky comment the handsome bartender added. “Also, you'll be the only person who can get a coffee from me here. So just enjoy it.”

Nino took another sip from the coffee. It was really delicious, Nino had to admit even though he still found it absurd. He shrugged. At least, he wasn’t feeling that bad anymore. Nino chuckled with the sudden realization. “I guess what I needed wasn’t a hangover after all,” Nino said as he looked at the bartender who was still watching him with a smile.

“I’m glad that you realized that too,” The handsome man said, flashing one last smile at Nino before returning to his job.

A few hours went by as Nino continued to sit in that bar, which strangely managed to calm his nerves down. Was it because of the welcoming bartender which Nino was too shy to ask the name of, or was it because of the awesome coffee that the bartender had offered him? Nino didn’t know what the cause was but he couldn’t help but follow the bartender’s movements as he respectfully and professionally attended all the requests of the other guests.

It was nearing 10 pm when Nino wanted to ask for the bill but before he could open his mouth the door opened, revealing another tall and equally handsome man. Did this place just contain a whole bunch of handsome men?

“I’m back! Sorry for making you look after my place MatsuJun!” The tall man, who was slightly taller than the other guy, apparently named MatsuJun, said as he hurriedly took off his coat and made his way to counter.

“Don’t worry about it,” The handsome bartender replied. “I’ll be leaving your counter now.”

“Okay! Thank you for filling in!” The other man smiled. “Sit down for a while, I’ll make something for you.”

“Another time. I have to open my shop tomorrow you know,” MatsuJun waved the other guy off with a smile as he moved out of the counter. “But thank you anyways.”

Nino couldn’t listen more because even though they weren’t really talking in private it still felt like eavesdropping. He quickly asked for his bill and made his way out of the bar. The chilly air hit his face as soon as he stepped out. Nino took a deep breath and could smell the faint scent of rain on the air. It must have rained when he was inside. He stuffed his hands into his coat pockets and looked up to see a piece of the night sky through the clearing in between the buildings.

“Are you okay now?”

Nino jumped with the sudden question. He turned around to see MatsuJun; it was clearly a nickname though it was still better than calling him as the handsome bartender, Nino concluded. “Um… I guess?”

MatsuJun chuckled. “I’m glad then,” he said stuffing his hands to his pocket just like Nino.

Nino bit his lower lip not knowing what to say. “Still, why coffee?” he ended up asking the same question again.

“Because I’m good at making coffee?” MatsuJun offered with a mischievous grin. “Also, I’m not a bartender but a barista actually,” he added, seeming a bit shy about it.

Nino blinked with confusion. “Then why are you here?”

“Aiba-kun, I mean the original bartender, is one of my close friends and he had something to take care of tonight so I just helped him for a couple of hours,” MatsuJun shrugged.

Nino chuckled. This MatsuJun guy was interesting. “So you have your own place?” Nino probed further, suddenly very interested in this guy.

MatsuJun shuffled through his coat and pulled out a card from his wallet. “Here you go,” he said handing the card to Nino.

“Life?” Nino read the name out loud and eyed the guy in front of him. “You work in a coffee shop?” Nino turned the card over only to see an address, telephone number, and a name. Nino read the name carefully: Matsumoto Jun. His nickname finally made sense for Nino.

Jun just smiled and nodded. “If you ever come around, just drop by,” he said calmly. “Well then, have a good night,” he added and started to walk to the opposite direction of Nino.

Nino looked after him for a while as the-handsome-bartender-whose-name-was-Matsumoto-Jun walked away. When he could no longer to be seen, Nino looked at the card again. He looked at the address, surprised to see that it was pretty close to his office.

The Southern Limerick that he offered to Nino was really delicious, he thought. Well… he could just drop by for another cup of coffee, he reasoned. Just for coffee. Nothing more, nothing less.

***

However, small events tend to be forgotten and just like that Nino had completely forgotten about that event. The card was still inside one of the pockets of the jacket he had worn that night, yet it soon became just one of many other things crowding his pockets.

The daily life of Nino continued as simple as it always had. He continued to work his usual hours, he continued to eat the same things that he bought from the convenience store near his apartment, he continued to play games until the late night and he continued to live off his usual lack of sleep.

It wasn’t like he could do much about it. Or it wasn’t like he wanted to do something about it. In his opinion, normal was always better than having bad things and making changes in his life meant breaking his normal life. Nino felt like a coward from time to time, but then, he decided that he was just too lazy to deal with all those consequences. Yes, living his normal life was definitely better than living in chaos.

However, a certain event made him question this decision of his.

“Do you want to go drinking tonight, Sho-chan?” Nino asked his best friend. It was already half past four in the evening, they would be leaving work in an hour. At least, Nino hoped so. The members of the Project Development Department usually worked overtime thanks to the many deadlines. Also, his beloved friend tended to work overtime more often than not even on those rare days when they could leave work on time.

Nino watched his friend check the time, then the calendar in front of him. He seemed bothered. There weren’t any urgent projects that they had to finish soon as far as Nino knew but he still patiently waited for his friend to talk.

“Um… I can’t really make it today, sorry Nino!” Sho apologized.

“Oh, well, it’s okay I guess? You have to work?”

“It’s not that but…” Sho scratched his nape as if he wasn’t sure whether to say the rest or not. “I will be going fishing tomorrow so I need to wake up early,” he added, seeming slightly bashful.

“Fishing?” Nino asked shocked. “Since when are you into fishing? I mean… you! Out of all people!”

Sho avoided Nino’s eyes as he focused to the screen of his computer. “Well… I might have met someone…” he murmured with rosy cheeks.

Nino blinked with surprise before registering the information that he had just been given. “And this someone is into fishing?” Nino asked.

Sho nodded.

“Oh my God!” Nino exclaimed with wide eyes. “Our workaholic Sakurai Sho finally has a boyfriend!”

“Shh!” Sho hushed Nino with an embarrassed look on his face which was really entertaining for Nino. He liked teasing his friends, very much indeed. “We’re not dating yet…” he added.

“Oh, then you’ll ask him out tomorrow?” Nino smiled mischievously. “Way to go, Sakurai!”

Sho was having a hard time trying not to facepalm when finally their section chief, Takizawa Hideaki interrupted their chat.

That evening, after exchanging their good-byes, Nino decided to return home since drinking alone didn’t appeal to him at all. It was nearing six o’clock which was pretty early for him to rush home. Returning home didn't really appeal much either if he had to be honest. This led him to walk more slowly and taking a different path than the one he usually used.

He turned left, leaving the main street which was overflowing with people and a certain speed that you could only experience in big cities like Tokyo. Nino inhaled a relieved, yet tired breath as he walked deeper into the comparatively silent street. The street was narrow, yet not claustrophobic. There weren’t a lot of people and Nino decided to walk down, slightly curious about where it would lead him.

He took out his earphones and played some random song which happened to be on his shuffle. The sound created a nice background as Nino continued to walk, observing the street. The people started to lessen and the day was starting to leave its place to the night when a sudden downpour began filling the gutters and drains, drenching Nino too. A few people who were in the street just like Nino started to search for a shelter.

Nino shielded his head under his jacket and started to run in order to find somewhere, ending up in front of a coffee shop which seemed closed. At least that was what the door sign said. Well, he could still see the light coming out and he could see someone who was probably cleaning the shop but he hesitated over whether to go in or not. However, he decided to go in when he shivered because of the cold and his drenched clothes.

He opened the door which was not locked to his pure delight, and a bell chimed announcing his arrival to whoever was in the shop as he walked in.

“I am sorry but we’re already closed…” a voice said politely but as soon as Nino looked up, letting their eyes meet, the owner of the voice sounded surprised. “Oh!”

“Oh…” Nino managed to utter. “You’re… The bartender from that time?” he asked while trying his best to remember the handsome guy’s name. What was it again? Matsu… MatsuJun? Oh! Right! Matsumoto Jun! A fashionable name to match with that gorgeous face.

The handsome bartender, who Nino had nearly forgotten about, chuckled. “Well, I am actually a barista,” he answered.

Nino scratched behind his head, not sure of what to say. “I… know you’re closed,” he said for the sake of saying something. “But I kind of got caught in the rain.”

“I can see that,” the handsome bartender replied, this time walking towards Nino. “Well, since you’re here already, why don’t you sit and wait for the rain to ease up?” he offered with a flawless smile adorning his face. Nino tried not to be fascinated by it as he contented himself with a nod.

“But before that, you should get rid of those wet clothes,” the bartender said calmly. “I have some spare clothes back here, come on.”

Nino frowned. “I don’t even know you,” he retorted.

“So you want to catch a cold, instead of accepting some dry clothes from a man who only has good intentions?” The handsome guy shot back with an arched eyebrow while crossing his muscular arms in front of his chest.

“I’m fine-” Nino started but his sentence was cut by a sneeze.

“See?” Jun said knowingly.

Nino felt his ears getting hot, as he tried to look away. This guy was weird, in a way which attracted Nino’s interest. “If you insist then…”

Jun shot a bright smile over to Nino and he led him into a small room which had a small table, two chairs, and four lockers. Jun walked towards one and opened the unlocked door. He took out a t-shirt which was absolutely too big for Nino, a black hoodie and a towel. He placed them onto the table and smiled. “Help yourself, I’ll be at the front.”

Nino looked after Jun for a moment before he shook his head in order to stop his thoughts from elaborating. At this rate he would really catch a cold, he thought, before dumping his wet jacket and shirt to wear the t-shirt and parka. As expected, they were too big for Nino. He had to pull the arms of the parka a bit to release his hands. Both the t-shirt and parka smelled good. It was really nice, a fresh scent which reminded Nino of summer nights that weren't too hot. Probably his cologne, Nino thought absentmindedly. Apparently, the guy didn’t have trousers to offer so Nino tried to bear with his wet trousers. At least, he was partly dry now, he thought while trying to rub the water out of his hair with the towel.

It didn’t take him long to return to the shop. Jun was now watching the rain out of the big windows in front of the tall counter which had tall chairs.

“Um, thank you for the clothes,” Nino said, trying to draw Jun’s attention to himself.

Jun looked at him with a surprised expression on his face, yet Nino could recognize the hint of a smile dancing on the man’s full and beautifully shaped lips. “It suits you well,” Jun said, not even trying to hide that weirdly gratifying smile.

Nino tried his hardest not to blush yet he could feel the hotness rushing through his ears. He was just hoping that his damp hair was keeping the redness out of the way. “It’s not funny,” he commented in a way which he was hoping was calm.

Jun chuckled and walked past Nino towards the counter. “What would you like to drink, sir?” he asked suddenly.

Nino arched an eyebrow. “Wow, you suddenly transformed into a barista,” Nino mocked, glad that he found his ability to throw snarky comments again.

Jun chuckled again. Nino tried not to be distracted by the sound of that infectious sound. “I am a barista, you know,” Jun said, tying his black apron around his waist, causing Nino’s eyes to focus on that part of his body. Nino wanted to kick himself more than anything but it wasn’t his fault that this barista was sinfully handsome. He gulped, trying his best to focus on being the witty Ninomiya Kazunari for now.

“A barista, who's also a bartender? And a bartender who offers coffee in a bar?” He said with a sarcastic voice.

This time, Jun let out a loud laugh. “When you put things like that, it honestly sounds weird.” His acceptance made Nino nod with satisfaction and sit down at the closest table.

“Well then, dear barista, show me your real skills with coffee,” Nino challenged, a smirk dancing on his lips.

Jun raised one of his thick eyebrows, completing the perfect balance on his face. “As you wish, sir,” he smiled. Then, he reached out for a cup and paused for a moment. “What shall I write on your cup, sir?” he asked, with a serious expression on his face.

“This is not Starbucks, right?” Nino mocked his lame attempt to learn Nino’s name.

Jun shrugged but the smile is still on his lips.

“Ninomiya,” Nino said while crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Ninomiya Kazunari if you need my full name,” he added.

Jun nodded, but he didn't write anything to the cup, he simply started to brew a coffee with a serious expression on his face. Until now, Nino didn’t even have any interest towards the varieties of coffee. He was mostly living off from canned coffees which he got from vending machines and those easy-to-prepare coffees. But now, he was watching someone who apparently loved making coffee. It was interesting to see, and most definitely he had to give some credits to the handsome barista. Well, who wouldn’t want to watch a handsome guy, brewing coffee with that serious expression on his face? Somehow at that moment, Nino was sure that this shop had many regular guests, with the majority being females.

A few moments later Jun left his place, bringing a cup of coffee to Nino. He looked at Jun with a questioning look. “Cappuccino,” Jun explained as he placed the cup in front of Nino.

Nino hummed with appreciation when he saw the delicately created latte art. “I’m surprised,” he said as he eyed Jun. “Apparently you really are a barista.”

Jun rolled his eyes. “You still doubted me?”

“Can you blame me?” He batted an eyelash before taking a careful sip from the coffee. “It’s delicious!” Nino said approvingly.

Jun exhaled a relieved breath, making Nino laugh. “Were you honestly anxious about it?” he joked, not really expecting a serious answer.

“Of course,” Jun answered seriously. “I want all of my customers to leave this place satisfied.”

Nino let out an amused laugh. “You’re an interesting person,” he said. He also didn’t miss how Jun looked away shyly.

Jun wasn’t just strikingly handsome but he was also very cute Nino mused, very satisfied with this new discovery. At that moment, Nino decided to make a change in his life which would be to finally start drinking quality coffee. Of course, this totally had nothing to do with the handsome and cute barista. At least, he tried to convince himself so.

***

Nino went to Life again two days after that rainy day in order to return the clothes that he borrowed from Jun.

It was still somewhat early in the morning and the narrow street was empty as Nino walked towards the small coffee shop. The peace that covered the street was so deceiving, Nino almost wouldn’t have known this small street was a part of Tokyo, so unlike the crowded Shibuya.

As he got closer to the café he could see a few people carrying take-outs which shouldn’t have been surprising to him. The café was somehow out of the way yet the quality of the coffee was obvious, even for Nino. He continued to walk towards the café, holding the bag which contained the cleaned clothes.

The café was crowded. At least, it was more crowded than the last time that Nino had been there. Nino waited patiently in the line in order to have a few words with Jun and he was rewarded by a beautiful smile when Jun recognized him.

“Good morning,” Nino said with a confident smile on his face.

“It’s nice to see you again,” Jun said with that beautiful smile still adorning his face. “What would you like?”

“Hmm…” Nino looked at the menu that was sitting on the counter. “Black, please?”

“That’s a really easy request,” Jun mocked.

“Well, that’s the cheapest you got,” Nino remarked.

Jun chuckled as he moved behind the counter to prepare Nino’s order. “So you like cheap things?” he assumed without looking at Nino.

Nino hummed approvingly. “Cheap things are my favorite. So tell me, do you have a happy hour or something?”

Jun let out a hearty laugh which caused Nino’s smile to widen. “I’m sorry, we don’t have a happy hour,” he answered.

“Then maybe you should give me some coupons so that I can do my best for a free coffee,” Nino said thoughtfully.

Jun was trying his best to look serious when he placed Nino’s order in front of him. “I’ll consider your suggestions,” he said.

Nino laughed. “You’d better be,” he said as he paid for his coffee. “Oh, and here’s your clothes,” Nino placed the bag to the counter. “Thank you for everything,” he said, bowing a little.

“Anytime,” Jun said as he took the bag behind the counter.

“Well then,” Nino said, as he took his coffee and left his place to the next person on the line.

Nino was about to leave when he heard Jun calling after him. “You should come again,” he was smiling when Nino turned around to face him. “To see if you can really get a coupon card, of course.”

Nino let out a hearty laugh before nodding. If there was anything that could make him come back to that café it (of course, aside from the handsome barista) would be for the promise of free coffee.

***

And so Nino went there again. And again. And again. Almost every morning and some evenings. It wasn’t like he had suddenly become addicted to coffee, but he seriously enjoyed the company of the handsome bartender.

Most mornings Nino would line up just like the other customers and wait for his turn to talk to Jun. That morning also wasn’t an exception.

“Black, right?” Jun asked before Nino could say anything.

Nino smirked. “You know me well,” he joked as he waited for Jun to prepare his coffee.

“You’re hurting my pride as a barista,” Jun mocked as he placed Nino’s coffee in front of him and waited for him to pay.

“I like black,” Nino shrugged.

“You like cheap,” Jun shot back.

“And this place doesn’t even have coupons,” Nino said pretending to be disappointed. “This is my fifteenth coffee, I should be able to claim my prize.”

Jun chuckled. “Well, we don’t have that kind of system here.”

“Too bad,” Nino said as he placed a banknote to the counter. Jun took it and placed the change onto the counter again for Nino to take them.

“Have a nice day,” Jun said finally as Nino left the line.

“Thanks,” Nino said with a smile. He would surely have a nice day thanks to the delicious coffee accompanied by the handsome guy.

***

Sometimes Nino would go to the café after having a stressful day at work. Those evening visits were rarer than his morning visits because usually by the time Nino had left work, Jun’s café would be closed. As a member of the Project Development Department, Nino was always being chased by deadlines causing him to leave work late more often than not.

Always being chased by deadlines, those rare evening visits were more precious than any other visits. The café would be less crowded than in the mornings and thanks to that he would be able to have more than just a small chat with Jun. The small conversations would then turn into something deeper and Nino would be very pleased by that. It didn’t take Nino too long to notice that he liked talking to Jun. He managed to find out that the latter was slightly younger than Nino and that he had had this café for nearly nine years already.

However, there were also things which didn’t please Nino, to his surprise.

It was Aiba Masaki, whom he discovered later. It wasn’t that Nino didn’t like the latter. It was the opposite. From what he has seen, Aiba Masaki was one of the most loveable people he had ever seen. He was bright, he had the warmest smile Nino could ever see and he was really friendly even towards the usually grumpy Nino.

Aiba Masaki would always be there whenever Nino would visit the café in the evenings. Of course, this evening wasn’t an exception either and Nino wasn’t surprised to find the cheerful guy standing next to Jun behind the counter.

“Oh! Nino-chan!” Aiba greeted him with his usual dazzling smile. Nino felt like squinting his eyes after seeing that smile. “Long time no see! Busy as always?”

“You can't even imagine,” Nino answered. “I still couldn't pass the Dungeon no. 172 because of work,” he complained.

“Wow, you must have been really busy then,” Aiba said jokingly as he leaned onto the counter comfortably.

It wasn’t an unusual sight. He would either be standing beside the counter, chatting with Jun or sitting at a table close by and chatting with him. Of course, there was nothing wrong with this. Nino already knew that they were friends. The thing that bothered Nino was the possibility of them being something more than just friends.

Certainly, Jun was a charming human being and he was enchanting Nino slowly but surely, and if it wasn’t for the fact that it appeared as though Jun was taken, Nino would definitely fall for him. Of course, that wasn’t a possibility seeing as how Aiba Masaki was clinging to Jun behind the counter currently while Nino waited patiently for his coffee.

Nino averted his gaze, focusing on the banknote that he had prepared to pay for the coffee. There was something between Jun and Aiba that made him want to look away. Nino never enjoyed watching couples, he thought.

Soon Jun placed his coffee on the counter. “You’re unusually silent today,” Jun noted gently.

Nino hummed. “I’m tired,” he said, which wasn’t a lie.

“Another deadline?” Jun asked.

Nino nodded as he placed the banknote to the counter for Jun to take. He took the money and opened the cash register while Nino took a sip from his coffee.

“Here’s your change,” Jun said as he placed the coins in front of Nino.

“Thanks,” Nino said, collecting the coins from the counter and placing them into his wallet. Nino looked up when Aiba cleared his throat loudly. He poked Jun’s side and Jun murmured a muted, “I know.”

Then Jun cleared his throat too. “I was wondering something,” Jun continued as Nino looked at him curiously. “Are… if you’re free tonight?”

Nino blinked a few times. “What for?”

“I would like to discuss this coupon idea with you,” Jun answered as if he had rehearsed the sentence a few times.

“Oh… well, I’m free but I didn’t think you were actually planning to do something like that,” Nino said, too surprised to make a smart comment.

“For future reference, you see,” Jun smiled.

If you asked Nino, he would say he was being faced with the lamest excuse he had ever seen in his whole life. But he played along anyway.

“Finally decided to make a campaign?” Nino asked with a smirk.

“Something like that,” Jun said with a shy smile. God, Nino surely wasn't addicted to coffee but he was surely becoming addicted to the various smiles that Matsumoto Jun offered him.

“Well, I’ll be taking my leave then,” Aiba cut in before Nino could say anything. “See you tomorrow Jun-pon, and hope to see you soon too Nino-chan!” he said cheerfully as left the café quickly.

Nino blinked with surprise to how Aiba left so suddenly, but he didn’t say anything when Jun led him to a table and went to change the open sign as closed. “Can you wait a bit?” Jun asked as he went behind the counter quickly.

Nino nodded hesitantly. He had no idea what Jun was planning but he surely wasn't expecting to be served another Southern Limerick by Jun.

Nino looked at the coffee, then the barista, and then the coffee again. “What is this for?” he asked confused and somehow disappointed.

“Last time when I served you a Southern Limerick, I didn't have proper coffee to prepare it,” Jun answered as he untied his black apron with his skillful and delicate fingers. “So I thought I could prepare some for you since you seemed to like it last time,” he continued as he went back to the counter to leave his apron.

Nino rolled his eyes. “Are you picking a fight or what?” he grumbled, but while still sipping the coffee thankfully. To his pure delight, this one definitely tasted better than the one from before.

“I had to give my favorite jacket to Aiba for the whiskey but I'm satisfied with the results,” Jun said ignoring Nino's question as he sat down to the other chair.

Nino didn't say anything as he just watched Jun carefully.

“So what do you think?” Jun asked seriously.

“It's not like I'm some kind of drink expert but this is better than the previous one,” Nino answered trying his best to give Jun the serious opinion that he was seeking. Jun smiled. Nino could see the sparkles that shone behind his eyes which made Nino chuckle. “You really like your job, don't you?”

Jun nodded. “Having my own place was my dream, you see,” he answered.

Nino hummed. “I always wanted to ask this but… Are you also a bartender?”

“I am not,” Jun answered. “I just know how to make some easy cocktails, that's all. I had a part-time job in a bar when I was young. That's also how I met Aiba,” Jun continued calmly.

“Is that so…” Nino murmured.

A silence fell between them. Somehow, Nino had no idea what to talk what, which was pretty unusual.

“So what about you?” Jun suddenly asked, surprising Nino.

“What about me?” Nino asked in confusion.

“I just thought I could make you talk about yourself a little,” Jun said as he leaned onto the table. “I don't know anything about you aside from you like playing games and you like cheap things.”

“That's because I don't have anything interesting in my life unlike you,” Nino answered with a shrug.

“Why don't you let me decide that?” Jun asked surprising Nino yet again.

Nino hesitated.

“You know, it's not like it will be the same because one stupid guy hurt you,” Jun said softly when Nino didn't say anything.

Nino blinked a few times. “Wait, a moment…” he started as he tried to understand what Jun was trying to say. “Why do you even want to know about me?”

“Of course, to plan a good date for us,” Jun answered seriously.

“Wait, what?” Nino asked dumbly.

Jun looked deep into Nino's eyes. “Is it seriously that hard for you to believe me? That I actually like you?” he asked confusing Nino more and more. But Nino couldn't believe that Jun might be mocking him because of how sincerely he was looking into Nino's eyes. Still, that didn't reassure his doubts.

“What about Aiba-san?” Nino asked quickly.

Jun blinked with surprise. “What about him?”

“I mean… Aren't you guys together?” Nino asked hesitantly, almost inaudibly.

Jun frowned. “Aiba is my friend, and he has a girlfriend. And he was helping me with how to ask you out. I feel like I’ve failed on that a bit though…”

“Oh…” Nino's eyes fell onto the table between them. “Are you seriously serious?”

“I am,” Jun reassured him. “Just tell me about yourself a bit Nino. I really want to get to know you better.”

A few moments of silence fell between them. Nino was sure that his Southern Limerick had gone cold as he thought about everything. What a pity for such a delicious drink but he realized that he could ask from Jun to make it anytime. “I… like playing games…” Nino found himself talking without realizing what he was doing. Jun smiled at Nino, indicating for him to continue. “I like music too,” he continued.

“What do you do on your days off?” Jun asked, seeming very interested.

“Well… You see… I play games on my days off,” Nino answered slightly scared of his answer because this was the moment when most people stopped being interested in him.

“Oh,” Jun said calmly. “You don't like going out on weekends?” he asked.

“I… Don’t really go out,” Nino murmured almost inaudibly.

Jun hummed. “So we'll have a lot of home dates I guess. Fine by me.”

“Seriously?” Nino asked still not able to believe what Jun was saying.

“I am,” Jun answered with a serious nod. Then he inhaled, suddenly seeming nervous, “Ninomiya-san,” he started. “Would you like to go out with me?”

Nino looked at him with widened eyes. Is he serious? He thought as he tried to understand if Jun really meant what he just said because Nino seriously wasn’t interested in another heartbreak even if it would have been caused by this extremely handsome guy.

But there he was, looking directly into Nino’s eyes as if trying to make him believe his words. He seemed sincere, and Nino wanted him to be sincere more than anything at that moment.

“I am not what you think,” Nino found himself speaking without even realizing what he was saying. “I am more of an indoor type than you can actually imagine.”

Jun hummed. “I can’t see why that should be the reason why we can’t try.”

“I prefer not trying things that I know will fail, you know,” Nino said with a sigh. A few moments of silence fell between them before Nino spoke again. “But I would really like to try this one.”

Jun smiled brightly. And this one was the best smile that Jun offered to Nino so far.

***

The next time Nino visited the café it was around closing time and he had a date with J. Nino was… well, too shy to call him by his given name so he ended up making up a new nickname for the time being instead. Though that was also embarrassing somehow and Nino had no idea what to do.

When he opened the door of Life that evening, Nino was no longer a normal regular customer and that awareness made his insides tingle with excitement. As he opened the door, the bell chimed casually announcing Nino's arrival. Jun looked up with a bright smile but before either could say anything, Nino found himself captured by the strong arms of Aiba.

“Nino-chan! I heard you have a date! I’m so happy for both of you!” Aiba almost screamed into Nino’s ear.

Before Nino could say or do anything to save himself from Aiba’s strong arms he heard Aiba’s pained voice. “Ouch!” Aiba was rubbing his head. Jun must have smacked him, Nino concluded.

“Stop launching yourself on to people’s boyfriends!” Jun said seriously. Nino couldn’t help but blush because of that claim. Jun scooted over Nino with a sweet smile adorning his face.

“Hey,” Jun said.

“Hey,” Nino replied shyly.

“Oh my God! You two are adorable!!” Aiba exclaimed excitedly.

“Shut up! You’re embarrassing Nino!” Jun said as he put his arms around Nino protectively.

“I bet you’re not helping at all too,” Aiba said mockingly pointing towards Nino’s face which currently looked like a tomato.

“I hate both of you,” Nino grumbled.

Aiba let out a hearty laugh. “We all know you don’t. But I’ll let you get away with it for now because you’re adorable,” Aiba chuckled again.

“Aiba-kun, don’t you have a bar to open?” Jun said politely.

“You’re right! I will be leaving then! Have fun, guys!” Aiba said cheerfully before leaving the shop.

Finally, they were alone.

“How was your day?” Jun asked, clearly trying to make Nino comfortable around himself.

“It was busy, but okay,” Nino answered. “How was yours?”

“Busy but okay,” Jun answered with a bright smile. “You look really good by the way.”

Nino smiled shyly. “Thanks,” he murmured. He was dressed a bit differently from the usual suits that he wore for work. A grey shirt which had the first two buttons unbuttoned, black trousers and a black jacket over it. It was nothing fancy since Nino had no interest in clothes but it was casual enough for them to have a date.

A few moments of silence fell between them. Nino could feel how Jun was also anxious about this whole thing. Probably because of Nino.

“I passed the 200th Dungeon,” Nino said for the sake of saying something.

“That’s awesome!” Jun said.

Nino chuckled. “You don’t like gaming at all do you,” he said with a smile.

“That’s not true,” Jun protested. “I used to play Mario a lot.”

“Now?” Nino asked curiously.

Jun scratched his nape. “My console broke and I got busy… But I would like to play with you someday,” he said sincerely.

Nino’s heart felt like swelling with the gesture. “Thank you,” Nino murmured shyly.

“I’m serious, by the way, in case you’re thinking that I’m just being kind because I want to sleep with you,” Jun said seriously.

“So you want to sleep with me?” Nino said smugly.

It was now Jun’s turn to blush. “Well, I can’t deny that I’m terribly attracted to you,” he murmured. “But not today. I want to do this right.”

Nino let out a hearty laugh. “Who says what’s right?” Nino asked with a smirk.

Jun sighed. “I have such a naughty boyfriend,” he said half-jokingly. “Let me be a gentleman for now.”

“Gentle J,” Nino joked. “So what have you planned for us?”

Jun beamed a smile. “First we will have dinner.”

“Let me guess, a fancy restaurant?”

“Wrong,” Jun said with a chuckle. “Since you said you like hamburgers, I searched for a nice place that you can enjoy.”

“Really?” Nino beamed.

“Really,” Jun answered with a bright smile. “Let me go and change so we can go?”

“Of course,” Nino said, trying to hide his excitement. This would be the first time that he would see Jun without his usual white shirt and black apron. Not that he didn’t like the barista outfit, but, well, he had to confess that he had fantasized about how Jun would look like in casual clothes a couple of times already.

Nino tried to stay calm and unassuming as Jun went to the back room to change. He busied himself with his phone for a while. It didn’t take Jun long to return.

“I’m ready,” Nino looked up when Jun announced his return.

“Wow,” Nino gasped. He was wearing a nice grey v-neck t-shirt and a black jacket over black skinny jeans. Silver bracelets, a fashionable hat, and a navy scarf were eye-catching. Simple but stunning. If he thought Jun looked really hot in his usual work outfit, he had no idea which adjective to use in order to describe this.

“I assume you like what you see,” Jun said smugly.

“Very much,” Nino agreed not really seeing a reason to deny it.

Jun blushed nicely and Nino really liked that. “You’re too honest,” he murmured.

“I like it when you blush,” Nino said teasingly.

“Shut up,” Jun said as he tried his best not to fall into Nino’s teasing.

Nino laughed. He was falling fast and deep for this gorgeous guy.

***

It had been a long while since Nino had a nice date with someone, so things from Nino’s side were progressing rather awesomely. Jun was a real gentleman and Nino was amazed by how careful he was of everything.

The dinner was absolutely delicious. Nino had no idea how he did but Jun managed to find a hamburger place exactly to Nino’s liking. They ate the hamburgers, drank beer and talked endlessly until it was really late. Nino didn’t even notice time had passed that quickly until Jun noted it.

Even though Nino had assured him that he could go home alone, “Let me be the gentle boyfriend until the end,” Jun had insisted and Nino had no reason to refuse. He really wanted some more time with Jun.

During the taxi ride, Nino felt Jun’s large hands and delicate fingers wrapping around his own hand. His heartbeat accelerated as he hesitantly intertwined their fingers. He looked at Jun, only to see that he was also looking at him. Nino blushed, hoping that the darkness inside the taxi would hide his face when Jun smiled warmly.

Nino’s hand was wrapped by Jun’s hands for the rest of the drive and Nino had no reason to complain.

***

“It was a really nice date,” Nino said when they stood in front of Nino’s apartment complex. The taxi was waiting for them to bid their farewell.

“Does this mean that I earned another chance?” Jun asked trying to seem calm and collected yet Nino could feel the nervousness emanating out of him.

“You totally did,” Nino reassured Jun, squeezing his hand to show that he was serious. Jun smiled. “So will you kiss me good-bye now?” Nino asked.

Jun chuckled and bowed a bit to plant a soft kiss to Nino’s cheek. “Good night, Kazu,” Jun said before backing.

Nino felt his cheeks burning from the kiss and from what Jun had called him, yet he still managed to let out a sarcastic comment. “Well, that wasn’t the kiss that I was expecting but I am content with it,” which made Jun laugh out loud.

“Let’s keep that for another date,” Jun promised. “See you soon,” Jun said finally as he got into the taxi and left.

That night Nino felt so blessed.

***

Jun didn’t say where they were going when he took Nino into a vintage music store on their third date, saying that the owner was his good friend.

Nino would be lying if he said that he wasn't surprised when they got into the massive store. His eyes widened as he looked at the crowded shelves, and then he saw the black grand piano at the back of the store.

With old records lined up together and the soft jazz melody that was playing in the background, the whole place looked literally magical.

“I’ll take that as you like it,” Jun said softly.

“You kidding me? This place is awesome, I love it!” Nino spoke in awe.

Jun's smile widened as he saw the almost childish sparkles in Nino's eyes. “I’m glad you do,” he said.

“Welcome!” A cheerful man approached as they took a few steps into the shop.

“Oh, Toma!” Jun greeted the taller man before turning to Nino to introduce him. “Toma is my friend since high school. He’s the owner of this place,” he explained.

“Nice to meet you!” Toma said with a dazzling smile on his face. Apparently, all of Jun’s friends were handsome, Nino concluded.

“Nice to meet you too,” Nino replied with a slight bow and a nice smile on his lips. Then the conversation between the two friends turned into something else. He didn’t complain though, he was content with observing the shop. Especially the grand piano which looked really appealing…

“Nino?” Jun called his attention. “I will take a look at the records that I ordered last month,” he said gesturing towards the back of the shop. “It won’t take me too long though.”

Nino smiled. “Go ahead,” he told Jun.

“Take a look around,” Toma cut in. “Jun-kun’s friend is my friend,” he added with a bright smile.

“Oh, thank you!” Nino surely wouldn’t ignore that offer. He started to look through the shelves as they left towards the counter standing at the back of the shop. The shelves were lined up neatly, and there were a few preview booths with headphones. Nino could hear some talking from the counter but he wasn’t listening. His fingers were touching the back of the CDs lightly and as he walked, the CDs got older.

A few shelves after, Nino couldn’t contain his smile anymore. This place was awesome, he thought, as he walked towards the grand piano which was standing majestically under a spotlight. He took in the sight of it for a moment. The polished black surface of the piano looked so flawless while the black and white tiles looked so inviting. He would like a piano like that very much. However, with the reality of living in a small apartment, it was, of course, impossible. Nino shrugged. Maybe one day, he thought, before moving away from the piano and inspecting the other wall covered with shelves.

“Sorry to make you wait,” Jun came back after a few minutes and Nino heard a faint chiming sound coming from the front door. When Nino looked at Jun with a questioning expression, he chuckled. “I borrowed the place for an hour,” he said.

Nino frowned. “Why?”

Jun pointed the grand piano excitedly. “You said you know how to play on our first date,” he answered.

Nino blinked with surprise. “Well, it was a long time ago,” he said with a shy chuckle.

Jun put his hands to Nino’s shoulder and turned him towards the piano. “Try it,” he said as he pushed him lightly. “I had Toma tune it.”

Nino laughed. “Don’t tell me you bribed him too,” he mocked.

“Should I really answer that question?” Jun answered not even trying to hide his grin.

“You’re unbelievable,” Nino giggled as he sat down in front of the keys. “Though I seriously don’t remember much,” he murmured as he started to play a random melody.

A nice, clean sound started to fill the shop when Jun sat next to him. Nino scooted to give him more space. A smile adorned his lips unconsciously as his fingers half-clumsily moved along the keys. He murmured a few incoherent words whenever his fingers hit the wrong note but he kept going nevertheless.

“That was amazing,” Jun said when the shop became silent again.

Nino let out a hearty laugh. “I wouldn’t call that amazing but, anyways, thank you,” he said.

Jun giggled, but before he could say anything they heard the clinking sounds of raindrops as they hit the shop windows. Both of them turned to look out as the rain suddenly turned into a downpour.

A few minutes of silence passed, filled by the sound of rain.

“It’s literally when it rains, it pours,” Nino giggled.

“Hey!” Jun punched his shoulder lightly.

“In a good meaning of course,” Nino said between his laughter.

Jun threw a side glance to Nino but then he was laughing too. “Thankfully, we’re both dry this time,” Jun said when he stopped laughing.

“You were just lucky at that time because I was drenched,” Nino said with a smug grin.

“I was,” Jun confirmed calmly. “I am still thankful this autumn for being this rainy,” he added with a chuckle.

Nino felt his cheeks getting hot as he looked away. They both stayed silent until he leaned closer to Jun. Noises were mostly muted by the glass windows yet both of them could still hear the crowds outside.

“This autumn is really rainy, isn’t it,” Nino murmured mostly to himself.

Jun wrapped his arms around Nino. “Yeah,” he said softly.

Nino turned his face to look deeply into Jun’s bright and warm brown eyes. Nino came to like those eyes very much. Those eyes saw too many things at their first encounter and those eyes always watched Nino closely. It was scary at first but he got used to it pretty quickly, even surprising himself. Now, Nino could read those eyes too because he noticed Jun’s eyes tended to speak for him a lot of times. It was somehow easy to read those eyes and now they were focused on Nino’s lips. Nino smirked, Jun was too obvious to read.

Nino leaned forward, capturing Jun’s lips with his own. He sighed at the first contact as Jun’s hands quickly found their places between Nino’s hips, pulling him closer. Nino let him because how could he not?

The first hesitant touch turned into something more quickly as Jun answered Nino’s kiss eagerly. Nino parted his lips, giving Jun the permission he needed even before Jun could ask. Certainly, neither of them were complaining despite the possibility that Nino may have surprised Jun with his actions. Nino played with the hairs on Jun’s nape as he let Jun do the most work in the kiss. Jun’s lips were full, talented and Nino decided that he liked the whole thing already. He would like to kiss Jun in the near future preferably.

They eventually had to part due to the need for oxygen but Nino stayed inside Jun’s strong and warm hug, their foreheads touching as they breathed heavily.

“That was… amazing,” Jun murmured, shyly and out of breath just like Nino.

“It was,” Nino answered.

“Can I have more?” Jun asked.

Nino only nodded. The kiss on that third date made Nino feel like he was flying to the stars.

***

After countless dates and thoughtful gestures by Jun, Nino finally decided to be the one who initiated a date with Jun as he invited him to his house for a casual Sunday home date. Nino cleaned his house, put his gaming equipment neatly their places, and changed his sheets just in case even though Jun hadn't made any move towards him yet. Nino would be lying if he said he didn't want Jun to make a move but he was too shy to initiate anything. Still, nothing bad has ever come up from being careful, Nino thought. He even did some grocery shopping in order to cook something together with Jun for lunch or dinner.

Nino woke up early on Sunday morning because he was really nervous about opening his house up to Jun. Being with Jun was reassuring and it was really nice, but sometimes Nino felt like Jun was out of his league. Seriously, he had no idea why Jun was so into him but for now, Nino decided to not question it.

The bell rang making Nino jump with surprise. He rushed to the door and opened it with a nervous smile only to find Jun there, perfect as always. He was wearing fashionable black trousers which wrapped around his legs nicely, a nice jacket and he had a purple scarf around his neck. He looked so damn fine with that outfit.

“Hi,” Jun greeted him with a warm smile.

Nino cleared his throat. “Welcome,” he said as he moved from the door to let him pass.

“I brought some wine for us,” Jun said as he walked in.

Nino closed the door. “You bribed Aiba again?” he asked with an amused chuckle.

“Not this time,” Jun laughed and handed the wine to Nino. “At this rate, he will take over my whole wardrobe.”

“You have a lot of clothes,” Nino chuckled.

“I don’t want to hear that. Especially from you, who has no interest in clothes,” Jun protested while he handed his jacket to Nino revealing the nice shirt and vest he was wearing underneath.

Nino laughed. “So you don’t like my fashion sense?”

“I didn’t say that,” Jun said, stopping Nino and wrapping his arms around his waist. He pressed Nino to his chest and nuzzled his face to the crook of Nino's neck. “I love you.”

“Really?”

“Very much, indeed.”

They stayed like that for a while before Nino spoke. “Hungry?”

“A bit… Wait, will you cook for me?” Jun asked, excited with the thought.

“I can, or we can. Let’s go to the kitchen,” Nino said with a smile as he dragged Jun into the kitchen.

They decided to cook together, which was very enjoyable. Jun opened the wine for them to drink while cooking. Jun talked about himself and Nino talked about himself. It was rather silly yet it made Nino relax.

They had dinner together where some more silly talk took place and after cleaning the dishes, Jun accompanied Nino to his living room where a massive amount of games have lined the shelves.

“This is very impressive,” Jun said, his voice clearly showing his amazement. “Oh my! I haven’t seen this game in forever!” he exclaimed as he pointed out an old one.

“Oh, Super Mario Bros,” Nino said with a chuckle.

“I used to play it a lot,” Jun said nostalgically. “It’s a shame that my console broke down.”

“Wanna play?” Nino asked, trying not to boost up his hopes.

“You have the console?” Jun asked curiously.

“I kind of do… though it’s probably at my parents’ house,” Nino shrugged. “But we still have Mario Kart to play,” Nino pointed his other consoles.

“I haven’t played it but let’s try it,” Jun said excitedly.

Nino laughed. “I won’t go easy on you!”

***

“I DID IT!” Jun yelled after a few hours of battling on Mario Kart with Nino.

“How can this even happen?!” Nino threw his controller aside. “It was definitely that Birdo! I would have won if it wasn’t for that lightning!”

“Birdo-san, what a good person,” Jun said merrily.

“I demand revenge!” Nino announced, taking up his controller once again.

“Not gonna happen!” Jun said as he snatched Nino’s controller and held it high.

“Hey!” Nino launched himself onto Jun as tried to take his controller back. “Give that back!” He said but it was useless since the controller was literally out of his reach thanks to Jun’s height. That still didn’t stop Nino from trying though.

Afterward, Nino would laugh at the events that took place a few seconds later because it seriously looked like they were a part of a cheesy romantic comedy. However, it happened anyway. Nino felt himself losing his balance and before he could say anything, he fell onto Jun.

Nino blinked, out of breath both because of the exertion and the sudden closeness. Jun’s arms were circled around Nino to protect him and Nino was so close to him. Like… really close!

“You okay?” Jun whispered. Nino could perfectly feel how affected he was.

Nino nodded. He should probably say that he’s sorry. Or he should move aside. But at that moment he couldn’t do anything, but look at the perfectly shaped lips of Jun that he had only managed to taste a few times.

Nino moved up to capture Jun’s lips. At first, softly, as if asking for permission and he didn’t have to wait for long to get it. Jun welcomed Nino’s lips with his own well-shaped and skillful lips. Jun loosened his embrace around Nino to allow him to move up and claim Jun just as he liked.

Nino felt so blessed.

Jun wasn’t rushing anything. He was giving Nino all the time he needed in order to take this relationship further and Nino felt his heart swelling with this act. Never once in all of his somewhat successful relationships had Nino ever felt this valued.

So he kissed Jun with all the feeling that he felt for him. It didn’t take long for the kiss to become hotter and messier. Their tongues danced feverishly as they discovered the limits of their breaths.

They parted only for a second for them to fill their lungs with oxygen and for Jun to sit upright to hold Nino in his lap. Their lips crushed together again, both seeking to the continuation of the kiss. Nino lost all hesitations he felt at that moment as he placed a hand to Jun’s nape and held him firmly there for the kiss. Jun’s hands were stroking up Nino’s waist.

They parted again, out of breath.

“We should stop,” Jun whispered between the ragged breaths.

“Why?” Nino asked panting.

“Because, otherwise I won’t be able to stop,” Jun said as he pressed his lower half to Nino.

Nino gasped. Jun was so hard already. Not that he himself was in a better condition. He weighed his emotions for a moment. Did he want this? Was he really ready for this? The answers were a heartfelt yes. Nino was ready for Jun; he was ready for anything that Jun could give him. “Then don’t,” Nino managed to whisper before crushing their lips together one more time.

Jun moaned into their kiss as his hands stopped playing safe and moved under Nino’s shirt to stroke his creamy skin. Nino shivered with the contact, it was such a pleasant thing to feel Jun’s long fingers on his skin. He wondered if Jun was as talented in other things as he was in kissing. His lips were sucking every breath out of Nino’s lungs much to his pleasure as Nino completely abandoned himself to the mercy of Jun’s lips.

However, as gentle as ever, Jun soon moved his lips to Nino’s neck the moment he sensed Nino’s need for oxygen. Jun’s lips ghosted over around Nino’s neck to the back of his ears, planting butterfly kisses all the way as Nino panted for breath.

“Do you really want this?” Jun asked, in need for some confirmation.

“I do,” Nino reassured him, his fingers finding the first few buttons of Jun’s shirt to unbutton them. His heart was beating so loud that he was sure Jun could hear it.

Jun wrapped his arms around Nino’s waist once more, pulling him closer to his body. “Then lead me to your bedroom,” he suggested with a soft voice.

Nino hurriedly stood up, excited for everything as he pulled Jun with him towards his bedroom.

They stumbled to Nino’s bed which he had changed with clean sheets that morning. Nino gave himself internal thumbs up for thinking beforehand before losing himself in the sweet kisses that Jun started to shower him with. His lips were leaving a slightly feverish trace on Nino’s skin. Soon, Nino got rid of his own t-shirt with Jun’s help and he lay on his bed half naked. Jun watched him with this weird shine in his eyes which made Nino blush. Then he lowered to kiss Nino passionately. Nino answered the kiss wholeheartedly.

“You’re so beautiful,” Jun whispered when they parted.

“Shut up,” Nino nudged Jun’s chest, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Jun chuckled, burying his face to the crook of Nino’s neck for a moment. “How do you want it?” Jun asked only a few seconds later.

Nino’s eyes widened with the question. Did he really…? “Eh?”

Jun only tightened his arms around Nino just to reassure him. Nino felt his heart swelling with the gesture. He was seriously amazed by the extent of Jun’s thoughtfulness. He was certainly making Nino live a relationship filled with firsts.

Nino made Jun look at him, before giving him a kiss full of love. “For today, I want you to make me yours,” Nino said and smirked, “we can discuss the later ones after.”

Jun chuckled. “You’re amazing,” he murmured before kissing him again.

“I’m often told that,” Nino said smugly. “Now, I want you to get naked too. It’s kind of awkward when I’m the only one.”

Jun smiled as he started to unbutton the remaining buttons of his shirt, slowly. Nino huffed.

“You’re too slow!” he protested, his hands joining Jun’s at a faster pace.

“I was trying to put up a show here,” Jun pouted and let Nino open the buttons.

“Screw the show,” Nino grumbled before pulling Jun towards himself for another kiss. Their kiss was getting messier by every passing second as Jun’s tongue invited Nino’s own to a feverish dance.

Jun’s shirt was dumped on the floor now and Nino couldn’t stop himself from caressing his well-built body. His hands moved from Jun’s biceps to his abdominal muscles, not forgetting to brush his nipples along the way. Jun’s breath hitched with Nino’s touch and Nino smirked into the kiss.

“Stop teasing,” Jun whispered.

“Why?” Nino asked playfully while his hands moved to Jun’s back and squeezed his ass without hesitation.

Jun muffled a moan as Nino’s hand continued to stroke Jun’s well-shaped ass. “You’re such a brat…” Jun said finally. “Where did you hide the lube and condoms?”

Nino flashed a smile. “Third drawer,” he said.

“Third?”

“That’s the biggest one,” Nino said mischievously.

Jun arched an eyebrow but moved to open the third drawer. “Oh,” he exclaimed, kind of making Nino laugh. “I can clearly see that you’re using all the space,” Jun commented. “This is the first time that I had seen this many toys together aside from an erotic shop.”

Nino cackled. “Well, they’re all for scientific purposes.”

“I am very interested to discover more about how to put all these to use,” Jun said seriously.

“Negotiable,” Nino nodded. “But for now, get back here and satisfy me,” he demanded. Still being confined by his jeans was becoming painful.

Jun shot him a promising smile.

“I want to know if you’re as talented with this as you are at making coffee,” Nino challenged.

“Oh, believe me, I am,” Jun assured him.

And he wasn’t lying.

***

Christmas was nearing, and Nino was giddy about everything. Working in the Project Development Department was taking its toll on him. He collapsed onto the closest table while Jun made a coffee for him.

“I’m gonna die,” Nino whined. “They are sucking my life away, J.”

Jun patted Nino’s head when he came back with his coffee. “You seem tired,” he commented drawing his chair next to Nino and sitting by his side.

“Tired? I’m surprised that I’m not in the zombie category yet,” Nino grumbled.

Jun chuckled at that. “Stop whining, we both know you love your job.”

“I do but…” Nino whined again. “I am in serious need of a holiday!”

“Then how about if I invite you somewhere?” Jun asked suddenly.

Nino hummed. “If I can bring my DS, why not?”

Jun rolled his eyes. “You bring that everywhere,” he said calmly. “Well, that’s okay though. I will bring some books too and we can chill out together? What do you think?”

“I’m in!” Nino answered with a smile.

Jun smiled softly. “I will arrange something then,” Jun promised.

***

The arrangement happened to be a nice weekend trip to Tateyama, Chiba. Jun found a nice place, near the beach for them. Nino didn’t really like the sea but since Jun was excited about the whole thing, he let it be.

They planned to stay for Friday and Saturday night and return on Sunday evening which was already a nice escape for both of them. The beach at Tateyama was pretty much deserted at this time of year, as was the small guest house they would be staying in. That’s why he was seriously surprised when he ran into Sho.

“Oh! Nino!!” His friend exclaimed happily when he saw Nino.

“What are you doing here?” Nino asked, shocked to see his friend there, chilling out with another man who looked like he just woke up.

“Same as you,” Sho answered cheerfully. “A weekend trip.”

“I can… see that,” Nino replied still a bit confused.

“Oh, by the way,” Sho said suddenly as if finally remembering to introduce the person right next to him. “This is Ohno Satoshi. My… friend,” he said after a restless pause. Then he turned to the sleepy looking man, whose name was Ohno. “And this is Nino, my colleague.”

“Nice to meet you,” Nino said, with a bow then pointed Jun. “And this is Jun, my boyfriend,” he said bluntly making Sho cough nervously. While Jun was introducing himself and making a small conversation with Ohno, Nino looked at Sho with an annoying smirk on his face; So no progress at all? He asked with his eyes. Sho looked away and that was Nino’s answer.

Poor guy, Nino thought.

***

“Your friends,” Jun started when they went back to their room after a few hours of chatting and drinking with Ohno and Sho. “They seem nice.”

Nino chuckled. “Sho is a nice guy,” he confirmed.

“But it looks like he hit a hard rock,” Jun chuckled. “Ohno-san seems hard to get.”

“Believe me, Sho-chan can be really persistent when he wants it,” Nino giggled. “I bet he will do something tonight, I know those eyes.”

“Ooh,” Jun said. “Then maybe we should take a walk for a few hours,” he suggested. “You know, to give them some space,” he said emphasizing the space.

Nino arched an eyebrow. “It’s late,” he said. “We could just sleep and pretend not to know anything.”

“Come on!” Jun said tugging Nino’s arm determinedly. “I even prepared some wine and blankets for us!”

Nino sighed but let Jun drag him to the beach nevertheless.

***

“Can you tell me one more time, why are we at the beach again?” Nino whined as the cold bit his skin. He shivered tightening his jacket and burying his face into his scarf.

Jun rolled his eyes as he started a fire. “People call this romantic,” he said as he spread one of the blankets to the ground and dragged Nino to sit down with him.

“It’s cold,” Nino whined as he snuggled closer to Jun, letting him wrap both of them with another blanket.

“It’s romantic,” Jun protested.

The fire was warming their cold skin while they sat there silently for a while. The sound of the fire and the waves mixed together, creating a nice harmony around them.

That moment, Nino thought of something which he hadn’t ask Jun yet. “Hey, J,” he started. “Why did you decide to become a barista and open up your own place?” he asked, his curiosity finally making itself known.

It was such a mystery that he didn’t ask about it until now. Nino knew to open his own place was Jun’s dream, but he had no idea why that was his dream at all.

Jun hummed thoughtfully. “I was twenty when I decided that I wanted to open up my own place,” Jun started, his eyes focused on the fire. “I had no idea what to do with my life then and I was living off part-time jobs. It was then that I met someone, and he praised my coffee even though it was very amateur and I’m pretty sure it was not good,” Jun smiled nostalgically. “Yet he praised it and I thought I could be happy with doing this kind of job. That’s how I decided to open my own place.”

Nino gulped. He didn’t know if he wanted to know more about this story, but he still asked anyway, “And you opened Life? Are you still in touch with that person?” he was slightly hoping that Jun hadn’t seen that person again. That person knew some part of Jun which Nino didn't. He was the reason why Jun opened up his place and Nino didn't think he could win against someone like that.

“I haven’t,” Jun said. “Recently he happened to come to Life and he praised my coffee again. Although he definitely doesn’t remember me,” Jun chuckled. “But it’s okay. It means that he genuinely liked my coffee.”

“Don't you… want to talk to him?” Nino asked hesitantly. The possibility that Jun could like someone else was suddenly wracking his nerves.

“What do you mean?”

“I don't know, like you could remind him about what happened back then and such,” Nino had no idea why he was encouraging Jun when he hated the thought of it. He started to tremble slightly, which he was trying to blame on the cold.

“Do you think he would want to know?” Jun asked.

“I… don’t know, honestly. But he may be happy to know that he was the reason for you to open up the cafe,” Nino said, trying his best to sound normal.

Jun chuckled. “Well, it was a coincidence you know. That person and me. But it felt like fate.”

It felt like a blade was piercing Nino’s heart. “So why don’t you talk to him?” he asked, his voice about to crack.

Jun looked at him confused. “I didn't say that I haven't talked to him.”

Nino gulped. “Is that so…” he murmured almost inaudible.

“I just haven't told him about our first encounter because he is really persistent about not remembering me,” Jun continued to observe the fire with unfocused eyes. He was deep in his thoughts. Nino knew that expression well. “He is really charming though, even when he is clueless. He's very adorable and I think he is a really nice guy,” Jun chuckled. Every word that was leaving Jun's lips was breaking Nino's heart on a level that he could never imagine. He was dating someone who was clearly in love with someone else. It was obvious. Jun's voice, the smile that adorned his face and the choices of words that he used… everything showed how much he was actually thinking about this other person.

“Why don't you date him then?” Nino asked finally turning his face to Jun. Nino was taken aback by his own words. His eyes blurred by tears.

Jun too turned his face to look Nino in the eye. “In fact, I am dating him,” he said.

“What?” Nino asked weakly.

“It was you, Kazu,” Jun said, his tone bearing no humor. Then he chuckled. “You seriously don't remember anything.”

Nino blinked dumbly.

“Well, I guess I can't blame you for that,” Jun continued. “It has been 15 years. It's normal that you forgot.”

“Wait,” Nino cut him. “I’m not following this story.”

Jun inhaled deeply and turned Nino towards him to face him. “This will sound like a cheesy romance movie scenario but I will tell you anyways,” Jun started softly. “When was the first time you drank a Southern Limerick?” Jun asked calmly.

“I don't really remember…” Nino murmured.

“I thought so,” Jun said before continuing with his story. “When we were both twenty, you came into the coffee shop that I was working at as a part-timer,” Jun chuckled. “I was the only one who happened to be there at that moment because I was cleaning up the place when you came. I was just a waiter who had no idea how to be a barista and I only did some mixing for myself but you had these really dark clouds under your eyes and you seriously looked like you were in need of coffee so I ended up sharing mine with you. The drink that I shared with you happened to be a Southern Limerick.”

As Jun continued the story, Nino vaguely started to remember that day.

“We talked for at least two hours. You praised my coffee even though I am sure it wasn't even delicious before you stormed out of the shop,” Jun continued with a soft smile on his lips. “You never came back, and I eventually left that part-time job. I didn't know who you were and what your name was so I thought it would be impossible to ever see you again,” Jun paused for a moment to look at Nino's face. “But I did. It was a pure coincidence again, and even though a lot of time has passed I somehow managed to recognize you when you walked into Lapin that night.”

“You gave me coffee because of…?” Nino asked dumbly.

Jun smiled as he caressed Nino's cheek lovingly. “That and you definitely don't need a hangover for someone who doesn't deserve it.” He leaned forward to plant a short kiss to Nino's lips. “But apparently I wasn’t able to leave a good impression on you that night because you never come to Life, even though I gave you a card.”

“You could have said something…” Nino mumbled.

“But we met again,” Jun said with a bright smile on his face. “And this time I managed to make you come again and again. Don't you think it was the fate too?”

Nino inhaled a shaky breath. “You seriously scared me for a moment, you know,” he said. “I thought you were in love with someone else… And I can't compete with someone whom you felt was your fate,” he added weakly.

Jun wrapped his arms around Nino's waist and pulled him closer. “Kazu, I love you,” he said sincerely and Nino let himself melt into Jun's arms.

“Don't do that to me again,” Nino said burying his face into Jun's chest.

Jun chuckled. “I love you, Kazu.”

“I love you Jun,” Nino said truthfully. “I can't believe that I didn’t remember you,” he grumbled a bit angry to himself.

Jun let him go for a moment just enough to look at him in the eye. “It can't be helped. You seemed like you had a lot of things going on in your life at that time.”

“I did, but how can someone forget someone this handsome and how can you remember me so well?” Nino asked with a pout.

Jun reached out and pulled Nino into his arms again. “You left such an impression, there was no way I could forget you.”

Nino hummed as he settled into Jun's arms.

“Stop thinking,” Jun said as he planted a kiss on the top of Nino's head. “I'm pretty content with the way things are now. So many coincidences brought us together,” Jun murmured.

They stayed silent for a while, savoring only the warmth of each other. Nino placed his head onto Jun's chest and listened to Jun's heartbeat. The calm and strong beat was reassuring every single doubt Nino had had until now. It really felt like a miracle happened to them. Meeting coincidentally three times really felt like fate.

“Are you cold?” Jun asked after a few minutes.

Nino shook his head negatively. “Stay with me like this,” Nino murmured as he tightened his arms around Jun.

If Jun was surprised by the sudden gesture of affection, he didn’t say anything. “I will,” Jun said softly. “I have been wanting to do that for a long time already.”

They stayed like that for a while, before Nino whispered softly. “Merry Christmas, Jun.”

Jun kissed the top of Nino’s head. “Merry Christmas, Nino.”

***

On Sunday, Nino and Jun parted with the promise of meeting tomorrow.

He was content with everything when he watched Jun leaving with his car because Nino was sure that tomorrow would bear other promises for many more tomorrows.