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 Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 6:24 pm
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The Cosmos Cup.
Ellis remembered coming with his father when he was a kid and not much about the place had changed since then. There were a few more dings and nicks in the old wood but they were always painted over with fresh, charcoal gray paint. The walls were lined with galaxy murals that were touched up or redone over the years and the though new t-shirts were designed by employees and patrons alike, they still had most of their oldest ones available for purchase if you were willing to wait on the order. The most popular ones hung by the counter in crisp display cases; Ellis had more of them than he could count since he got an employee discount. The wooden menu holders by the door were the originals and the menus, although freshly printed a couple times a year and updated with new drinks, were the same old school, laminated sheets they had always had. The uniforms were still reminiscent of something out of the forties with the women in diner dresses and the men in piped shirts. It was one of the few places in Destiny City that had not changed since his father died and because of that, it was the first job he ever applied for. Being here gave him a sense of familiarity and comfort - it wasn't bad for somewhere he spent a third of his life.
Thankfully, today wasn't that busy. There was some sort of concert in town that likely had most of the denizens preoccupied and he knew that once it let out, they would get a little bubble of patrons. Luckily, he wasn't going to be at work that long and today he had off from his other jobs due to it being a Sunday. He was looking forward to a long afternoon of cuddling Poe and scribbling in his journal.
"Ellis," his shift leader called for his attention and he glanced up from where he was busy wiping down menus, "can you do a floor sweep please?"
His eyes flickered out to the tables and booths that littered the small, cozy shop. They hadn't had that many customers this morning but, if she was asking, it probably meant that no one had bothered to look yet.
"On it DeeDee," he called back, abandoning his stack of half cleaned menus and grabbing a bus bin from the serving station. He settled it on his hip as he saw her disappear to the back in a blur of bright purple hair, then made his way out to start stacking empty porcelain cups and saucers into the plastic bin he was carrying.
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 7:06 pm
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It had admittedly taken Noah longer than he would have cared to admit to find the Cosmos Cup.
A few days had passed since he'd run into - literally - Ellis at the park, and while he had been tempted to call him immediately the next day, Noah had instead waited a little while to give the poor guy a little bit of space, because maybe he had only been polite when he'd given him his number. Maybe he'd just felt bad about the pants and nothing else.
The napkin on which he'd scribbled his name - Ellis Crowley - and his number had the name of the cafe, along with the doodle of the cat, but even Noah, who had a strange knack for directions, still hadn't ever heard of it and had driven past the building twice before he'd realized what he was doing.
Or at least, part of what he was doing, since he really wasn't even sure what he was doing now, other than sitting in a booth in the back of the building with a menu up in front of his face.
Noah had managed to slide in without being noticed, and while he hadn't even been sure whether or not this was a place Ellis frequented at all, or whether it had just been a one off kinda visit and he was just out of luck, he'd had the answer to that question answered already. Ellis had come out of the back with a bin propped against his side, and Noah realized, somewhat belatedly, that he worked here.
All things considered, it was a very fun place, the kind that Noah would have gone to anyway, but that he now found even more interesting for obvious reasons.
Now he just had to look like he hadn't just been sitting in a corner being awkward about things, Noah slowly lowering the menu as Ellis drew nearer, stacking plates and cups into the bin he carried, and then decided to take a chance.
"Hey, nymph," he said lightly.
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 7:16 pm
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At first, Ellis thought he was imagining it. His hand poised where it was half reaching for a cup in the booth next to Noah's and his eyes shot out in every direction except the most obvious one. He set the cup in his bin and frowned, thinking now that he was just hearing that cute guy in his head. He took a step, looked to his right to check the next booth, and nearly dropped the bin.
"I, oh-" his fingers curled tighter around the edge as it slipped from his hip, hoisting it back up as his eyes widened to the size of the saucers he was collecting, "Noah!"
For a wonder, he didn't blush, but a smile did crack across his pale face at the sight of his new friend. He set the bin down on the table top closest to him and leaned a shoulder into the side of the booth that Noah was sitting in, sparing a moment to reach up to the manbun that held his curls up from his shoulders just to make sure it wasn't too much of a mess yet. Not that it mattered, Noah was just here to get coffee, but Ellis didn't want to look too shabby either.
"Are you stalking me?" he accused playfully, even going so far as to cross his arms over his chest. Of course, that was the moment he realized that Noah's hands had a menu and that he actually had no idea how long he'd been sitting here at all. Maybe he didn't even know Ellis worked here, maybe he had been waiting all this time for coffee and no one had bothered to come get his order..
"I'm sorry, have you.. been waiting a long time? Can I get you something to drink?
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 7:36 pm
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Noah wasn't sure what kind of reaction he'd get, whether it would be one of annoyance or uncertainty or panic; but the one he did get made some of his own uncertainty ease, because it was't a rejection, and that was what Noah had been the most afraid of.
Or at least, the most wary of, because he knew perfectly well that his habit of shamelessly flirting tended to get him in trouble sometimes, but Ellis was kind and sweet and pleasant, and Noah didn't want to make him feel awkward, even if he suffered from Eternal Foot in Mouth Syndrome.
"Hi," said Noah, grinning over at him as Ellis came over, leaning against the booth. They were both around the same height, but sitting down made Noah feel a bit shorter, not that it mattered. He fiddled with the menu in front of him without really noticing what he was doing, smoothing fingers across the plastic surface.
The question made his grin widen, although there was a sheepish edge to it. "No," said Noah, and then, "Well, okay, not stalking, but I did come here to see you. I wasn't sure if you even would be here, or whatever, I didn't know you worked here, but I'm glad you did. Uh, do. Do work here. 'cause it means I didn't come here in vain."
He gave Ellis a crooked smile, then blinked. "Oh, no, I just got here a few minutes ago," said Noah, which was true, depending on the definition of few. "But if you're getting drinks, I'll take the Cosmo Special, that looks pretty good."
He was determined not to make this totally awkward, except he probably had already.
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 7:49 pm
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The rambling put Ellis at ease and with each backtracked word, his smile grew and grew, until at last he was laughing honest at the babbling, handsome boy sitting alone in the booth. It had been a long time since someone had come to see him just to say hi - how long, he wondered? His heart thud gently beneath his sternum and a very faint but real blush tinged his cheeks.
"Well, I'm glad you came to visit, it doesn't happen very often." He grabbed the bin from where he had deposited it and cast Noah a glance over his shoulder. "I'll be right back, okay?"
Wanting to waste as little time as possible, he dropped the bin in the dish, washed his hands, and went to mix the drink Noah had asked for - it was a colorful thing, a mix of colors, but flavored and sweet. Then, because he knew there was no one else sitting on the floor and DeeDee wouldn't mind, he made a simple latte that wouldn't give him a sugar crash before he was done with his opening shift and went back out to meet Noah.
"Here, I made it myself," the smile on his face said he was proud even if he had made it a thousand times before. Then he slid into the booth opposite of him and wrapped his slender fingers around the base of his own warm cup. He took a sip, then cursed himself as he realized it was way too hot, ow. After a moment of awkwardly pressing his tongue between his lips in an attempt to stave off the worst of the burning feeling without drawing too much attention, he recovered enough to smile awkwardly at him.
"So why did you come to visit? Not that I'm, uh, saying you shouldn't have but I'm..." he trailed off and shook his head, causing one long, curly lock to fall loose and lay against his cheek. He pushed it back behind his ear and cleared his throat. "Sorry, I just mean, you probably have better things to do than check out a coffee shop on the chance I might be here."
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 8:05 pm
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There was that smile again, growing wider and wider. And the laughter too, as though Ellis couldn't help himself, and that was damned cute, if Noah did say so himself, watching as Ellis' shoulders shook, eyes bright with amusement. They were a really nice bright blue.
"It doesn't? That's surprising," said Noah, eyebrows raising. He was pretty dang sure that someone that looked like Ellis must have scores of people pushing in to talk to him. There had to be no way a guy like that was even single, which was a thought that Noah was deliberately not listening to inside of his head.
He didn't follow Ellis to the counter, but he did peer a little over the top of his booth to see what he was doing, watching him move around to grab the ingredients. He heard the whirring of a machine, the click of a spoon against a glass, and then Ellis was coming back, two drinks in hand.
The pride in his voice was endearing. Noah reached out for his drink, feeling a strange sense of welling satisfaction as Ellis sat opposite him, which was a surprise only because he had expected to just be handed the drink and nothing more. But Ellis had a drink too, and he was sitting down, so he must be allowed to do this - and he must want to do this, which was a good thing.
"It looks great," Noah declared, and took a sip, giving a nod after, lashes fluttering a little. "And it tastes great too. This is awesome."
His gaze flickered over to Ellis, who had clearly burned his tongue, or his mouth, on his own drink, then back up to his eyes again. He looked a little different with his hair up in a messy bun; less wood nymph and more...Noah wasn't entirely sure, but it wasn't bad. Even as he watched, a curl had fallen free of the bun, brushing over his face.
"Oh," said Noah, "Uh. I mean, I thought it'd be cool to see you again. I mean, calling's one thing, but I figured it'd be nice to actually talk face to face."
His grin widened a little helplessly.
"Plus, you know. You're nice to look at."
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 10:32 am
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"I'm glad you like it," even though it was a recipe the company had been making for years, he liked to think that not everyone made it the same or as well. It pulled a pleased smile across his lips and for a moment, he forgot how scorched the tip of his tongue felt.
Idly, knowing he couldn't drink his latte yet without burning off his taste buds, he twisted the cup on the table top in circles over and over and over. His slim, nimble fingers gripped and turned, gripped and turned, as he watched Noah's animated face across from him.
"No, I really appreciate it, it's really nice to get some company," he began, then choked on his words at, again, the other boy layered him with a compliment he hadn't been prepared for. The gentle blush flared and he looked down, trying not to show Noah how wide-eyed he was. He couldn't stop the sheepish smile, though, and had to bring the back of his hand up to cover his lips.
"I, um, thank you?" he dropped his hand and cleared his throat in an attempt to regain some semblance of resolve but when he looked back up at the boy's alluring, emerald eyes there was no way to hide the jitters he had sparked within him. His heart was aflutter and he was feeling shier than usual. It was unlike him.
"You're a terrible flirt," he said at last, low and hesitant but with that smile still in place. Then, as if he realized what he had said, he shook his head a little and tried to amend it - "I mean, not bad just.. you do it.. a lot and I'm just.."
His words died as he simply laughed, awkward and unsure of what he was even trying to say anymore but he was still sitting there and smiling, even if his face was red again.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:29 am
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His gaze kept dipping, moving from Ellis' face down to his hands, which were long and slender and rather nice, moving the cup around. Noah bit back another smile and then flicked his gaze back up, watching the compliment sink into him - and that was kind of entertaining to watch. Noah was under the impression that either Ellis didn't get complimented much (which really was a shame), or he just was awkward at accepting them, or maybe both.
Maybe he just didn't like them and didn't know how to say it. Also a possibility.
"You're welcome," said Noah distinctly, giving a bob of his head, and took another sip of his drink to hide the fact that he was feeling pretty damn proud of himself, even if it was something as silly as a compliment. The drink warmed him, made him pleased, but it took a moment for what Ellis to say to actually hit home.
Noah opened his mouth to say he wasn't sure if that meant he was a bad flirt, which he'd been about to rebuttal with hopefully something witty about how he could change that, but then it became clear what the actual comment was about. Noah pressed his lips together, a mixture of pleasure and amusement in his eyes, in spite of all attempts at keeping them at bay.
"I mean, yeah," he said, because denying it would be a lie. His grin widened just a little. "I flirt a lot. With, you know. People who are worth flirting with."
There was a small pause, and then he added, "Does it make you uncomfortable? I can stop if it does. It'd be kind of a shame, but I don't want to make you feel, uh, bad or anything."
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 12:07 pm
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"No, no, you can keep doing it.." he blurted, quickly. Great, now he sounded conceited. Ellis sighed around a nervous smile and cast an accusing glance across the table at Noah but it lacked any heat or anger. Even for all the nervousness he created, he had to admit that the other boy was an extremely uplifting person to be around. Ellis just hadn't had that in a really, really long time and next to the little bit of socialization he did get, it was so different.
But different wasn't bad. He drew in a deep breath and held it for a second, then exhaled, counting the seconds between. When he managed to speak next, he wasn't quite so much a ridiculous bundle of nerves.
"I meant to say that it doesn't make me uncomfortable, I'm just not really used to it, I guess? And life has been kind of weird for me lately. I work a lot and I'm usually not very good at realizing people are flirting with me because I'm just. Bad at it." Except that Noah was painfully, terribly obvious about it - how could he not realize it? He leaned forward and rested his chin on his hand as he considered him, "Plus I'm kind of just an anxious person that thinks too much."
He thought Noah was cute, and nice, and even if other people had given him reasons to be nervous about their intentions, he didn't know enough about this bubbly, playful boy to think he had any ill intentions at all. Who else would have tracked down the coffee shop he worked at on the chance that he might be there? Just thinking about that made Ellis smile as he watched him across the table.
"But you're cute, and nice, so I guess I just mean that I'm sorry if I seem really weird all the time."
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 12:43 pm
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Well, at least the response was immediate, something that made Noah stupidly pleased, because if he was told he could keep flirting, he was going to keep on flirting. Ellis was well worth flirting with, after all, especially if he kept giving Noah those smiles that seemed to make his blue eyes even brighter.
He rested an elbow on the table (bad manners, said all of his upbringing, which he ignored), resting his head against his hand, watching Ellis from across the table as Ellis himself propped his chin up in his hand. It was probably not surprising that Ellis wasn't used to the flirting, but it still didn't quite make sense; Noah wanted to ask him if he'd looked in a mirror recently, but refrained, because how could people not look at someone like him and not want to flirt a little?
Or a lot, in Noah's case, but, well, he was Noah.
"Well, okay," he said, "Since you said you're not good at realizing it - "
A grin flickered over his face. "I'm flirting with you. If that helps clarify things at all. I'm definitely flirting with you. Part habit, and part...you're worth flirting with."
He liked that he'd been called cute. Noah felt the pleasure bubbling up inside of him, the grin widening, a pleased look taking over his face. He didn't know much about Ellis, not yet, but their slow conversations and the way that Ellis blushed and the uncertain smiles that kept touching his lips all made Noah want to learn more. And considering how he was a person that tended to just flirt and do nothing more because that was his nature, well...this was different.
"You don't seem weird," Noah said decisively. "Not at all. And I don't think it's a bad thing that you think too much, just for the record. I sometimes think too little, or so I'm told, so doesn't that make for a nice balance between the two? Together we make one fully thinking person."
He grinned across the table at Ellis so that he could see the playfulness in his face and then sat up straighter.
"So, uh, on the topic of - uh, everything - " Noah said, fingers sliding against the side of his cup, tapping absentmindedly on it. "Do you want to hang out with me sometime? I know you're in the middle of work right now, but do you wanna do something sometime...uh, together? With me? Like...go to a movie or something? Or just hang out or whatever."
It wasn't exactly smooth, but it was there, at least.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 2:35 pm
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As he sat there with his chin in his hand, staring shyly across the table at Noah, the words he spoke filled him with a fluttering sensation that battered at the inside of his ribs and rose through his sternum. He felt warm and content, and that had nothing to do with the coffee (considering he'd barely even had any). Good things in his life sometimes felt unreal these days but he was not a pessimist; Ellis believed in the good of the world and if Noah wanted to spend time with the strange boy who got things tangled in his hair and made colorful coffee then, so be it. He wasn't going to balk at this chance.
"Okay," he laughed, and let his eyes drop to his coffee, then brought it hesitantly up to his lips - it was better this time and he took a long sip of it to distract himself from what Noah had said. Definitely flirting. He didn't think he could possibly smile any wider but he set his cup down and let his gaze flicker back to the tanned boy, staring at him beneath a ring of bright lashes. "I guess I'll think more for you if you promise to help me think a little bit less."
"Well, uh," great, he was stuttering again as his cheeks grew a little more heated, "I'm actually going to be done soon and I don't.. work at the bar tonight so if you wanted to wait just a little while we could.. maybe do something."
His eyes dropped shyly to the top of his coffee lid as his thumb traced the plastic lip, feeling the indent of the mouth and the heat that radiated from inside of it.
"Or, if you're busy after this, I guess my next day off is.." his mouth pursed as he thought about the date and day, ".. Thursday? I think."
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 3:02 pm
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He was starting to fall prey to those smiles, sweet and shy and uncertain at times. It was easy enough to find Ellis pleasing to look at, with his red hair and his blue eyes and his gentle personality, but the smiles were enough to make him even more interesting than he already was.
Noah was probably fawning a little. He was definitely preening a little inwardly, because there was something satisfying about having the ability to make someone as flustered as he had, even if Ellis was the type of person to be more prone towards getting flustered as it was. Not quite arrogance, but a neat sense of pleasure at the fact that he was the one causing this.
He was still watching Ellis across the table, unable to keep the smile from his face. "I promise," said Noah, giving a mock salute, tone playful and light. "I'll distract you from your thinky thoughts."
That possibly could have been taken several ways. Instead, Noah said immediately, "I'm not busy tonight," - probably a little too fast and a little too eager, but hey, he wasn't doing anything except probably sitting in his apartment playing video games in his boxer shorts.
"I'm free," he said, with a little more effort at not sounding unreasonably eager. "I, uh, I can wait here if you want, while you finish up. And if you don't mind me watching you work," Noah added, an impish expression on his face, eyes sparkling.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 4:11 pm
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The blurted, quick response made Ellis laugh under his breath. His bright eyes shot back up to meet Noah's instantly and his smile, though shy, seemed to portray just how pleased he was at suddenly having plans with him. The day had not started so kindly, even if it had already been getting better, and his heart was singing at the idea of spending time with someone as charming and playful as this (even if he still wasn't totally sure why there was so much interest in him).
"Okay, good. I don't.. mind you sitting here, I don't have much to do and maybe if I get started now I can be done pretty close to my shift end." He glanced at the watch across his slender wrist: 11:02. "I'm off in exactly 28 minutes. So, umm, I'll be back, okay?"
He tapped his fingers hesitantly on the table top before he slid out of it and did one last glance around the room to make sure no one else had slipped in while he was distracted.
In roughly 37 minutes, he was back. He had traded his uniform for a pair of skinnies with high top sneakers and an oversized navy sweatshirt. His hair was still in a bun, due to the knowledge that it probably smelled distinctly like coffee, but he had at least redone it so it looked.. tamer. Mostly. He paused a few feet away from the booth he had left Noah in and wrapped his hands around the shoulder bag that was draped across his torso.
Right. No more awkward. This was not awkward. He kept telling himself, over and over, until he finally managed to stop next to the tabletop. He flashed a nervous smile but at least he had made it.
"Hey, uhm, are you ready?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 7:00 pm
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"I'll just make myself comfortable then," Noah said with a grin as Ellis slid out of the booth. "Twenty-eight minutes and - go!"
He was still grinning a few minutes later, content to watch Ellis move around the place to finish up his shift. The guy was, of course, well worth watching; Noah hoped he wasn't making him self conscious, because that would have no been cool, but he couldn't help himself. He was just so...endearing. Among other things.
He was trying not to overreact. Maybe Ellis thought this was just a hang out sort of thing. Maybe it wasn't what Noah was hoping it would be which was...a date. A sort of impromptu date, one that he hadn't planned that far ahead on, other than just seeing if Ellis was interested, but a date anyway. His mind kept leaping to possibilities and then, stubbornly, Noah pushed them away because the last thing he wanted was for his enthusiasm to overwhelm Ellis. This was the first time in a long time Noah had been interested in someone who might possibly be interested in him back.
Maybe. Possibly he was just imagining it all.
Noah was reclined back in the seat when Ellis finally came out, his feet propped up on the seat across from him. He hastily took them down at the other's approach, pushing himself to his feet, gaze sweeping over the new outfit, the slightly more smooth hair, which still drew his eyes regardless, red curls neatly pulled back.
"Ready," said Noah, grinning. "You look nice. Let's get out of here, yeah?" he added, with a nod at the front door, and then he was leading the way, moving to open it for Ellis. "After you."
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2019 5:47 pm
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You look nice.
Sometimes Noah talked so quickly that it was hard for Ellis to grasp at the fluttering shifts in his conversation but he had not missed the one small compliment. It made him smile and drop his eyes as he followed the slightly-taller boy to the front door, glancing up only as he opened it and spoke again.
In truth, Ellis rarely felt that he put much effort into looking nice; his clothes were never fancy or new. He did not have the slick style of other people his age or the luxury of buying something purely for the look. Most of his clothing, though well loved and cared for, were old pieces - either because he'd had them forever or because he had picked them up at a second hand store that sold them for cheap. He was never ashamed but, sometimes, he did feel a little lackluster next to the fashionistas of his generation. So, really, it just felt nice to know he didn't look like a total ragamuffin in Noah's eyes. Even more so that he thought he looked nice.
"Sooo," he drew the words out as he stepped outside and turned on his heel, flashing a bright and cheery smile at him as the door shut behind them. "I'm not working and you don't have to spend fifteen minutes pulling a small tree out of my hair today. What do you wanna do?"
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