Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was like every other winter morning. Snowflakes fluttered in the air while the sun was still rising. The cold and dark atmosphere felt more than comforting. It had a sense of nostalgia that made you reminisce on the past. It made you feel warm in the heart, even if you physically felt otherwise. This cold time of year was a common time for new relationships to arise and would soon be proven true.

“A macchiato for Kunigami!” Chigiri exclaimed, holding a warm cup of coffee in his hand. During this cold weather, people needed things to heat them up! For everyone in this room, that was coffee.

“Thanks!” A ginger boy says to Chigiri before taking his cup and heading off. The boy that took the cup was a familiar face to Chigiri. The boy–Kunigami–would often get coffee at the shop Chigiri worked at. Everyday, he’d be one of the first people at the shop to order, always getting a macchiato.

Hyoma Chigiri is the barista that just served Kunigami. He’s a 21 year old college student attending Louisiana Central College. To help support himself, he works at his local coffee shop every morning shift. It’s a tiring job with waking up early every morning, but with the way his school schedule has been set up, Chigiri has no choice but to work morning shifts.

On the other hand, Rensuke Kunigami is a 21 year old college student that attends Saints University. He is a regular at the coffee shop that Chigiri works at, always ordering the same macchiato every morning.

Kunigami has been secretly admiring Chigiri from afar after first coming to the coffee shop, just a couple months ago. Kunigami ran out of instant coffee and couldn’t get any from the store. That left him with the only option of going to his local coffee shop for his coffee. He didn’t know that day would change his life forever.

When he first stepped in the shop and saw Chigiri’s face, he knew then that he would get coffee every morning. He had bright red hair that complimented his pale complexion. He had his hair braided on one side while the other side was let down. He was gorgeous to say the least. Not to mention the way he’d say Kunigami’s name when yelling out his order.

Kunigami was infatuated with this boy. He wanted to become friends with him so bad, yet he had no way of starting a conversation. He’d just have to keep admiring from afar. He couldn’t risk embarrassing himself.

~

It was a new morning, which meant a new coffee. Today Kunigami woke up extremely groggy after sleeping late last night. He was debating staying in bed till he remembered that he would see Chigiri again today. That was all the motivation he needed to get out of bed and start his morning.

After Kunigami was finished getting ready, he went downstairs to the coffee shop. He was a little later than he would normally be, since his whole morning felt like it was put in slow motion. Despite that, he was still filled with excitement to see Chigiri’s face this morning.

After a deathly silent elevator ride with a stranger he’s never seen before, he reached the ground floor. Two blocks from his house was his daily destination. The door creaked while opening. Kunigami was currently the only one in the coffee shop besides Chigiri. No one else was working the morning shift with him since the coffee shop wasn’t ever too busy.

When Kunigami went up to order, he swore he could see Chigiri smile at him! His heart skipped a beat with that smile and Kunigami turned a light shade of pink. After calming down, he went up to the counter and got ready to order.

“Could I get a–” Kunigami begins before Chigiri cuts in. “A macchiato, right?” Chigiri finished. Both Chigiri and Kunigami stand in silence for a bit. “Ah! I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cut in–it's just…you order a macchiato every morning so…” Chigiri started stammering in his apology. Kunigami giggled at Chigiri’s response. It was awfully cute to be honest.

“No it’s okay, don’t worry,” Kunigami reassures Chigiri. They both are stuck in an awkward silence again before Chigiri starts talking again. “Um so…do you still want the macchiato or…?” Chigiri questions. “I want the macchiato, don't worry!” Kunigami responds. Chigiri sighs in relief before tapping his order into the machine.

“Okay! Your total is $4.59,” Chigiri informs Kunigami. Kunigami taps his card on the card reader while Chigiri starts preparing his drink. Now they were in total silence again. The only noise to fill the air was the sound of pouring liquids and the silent hum of machines. Kunigami knew he should try and start some small talk with Chigiri if he wanted to become friends with him.

“Is working every morning tiring?” Kunigami asks. Chigiri turns his head around to face Kunigami and laughs, temporarily taking a break from preparing Kunigami’s coffee. “Yeah, it is! But I have to work these shifts so I don't really have a choice.” A smile subconsciously formed on Kunigami’s lips while Chigiri was talking. Chigiri’s voice was soothing and Kunigami loved the way he talked.

“That must suck, man,” Kunigami responds. Chigiri giggles before going back to making his drink. Silence falls upon the room momentarily before C“You get a coffee every morning though. You’re still waking up pretty early,” Chigiri comments. “I’m used to this, I guess. I am a morning bird after all!” Kunigami responds.

“Haha, for real? I hate mornings. If I didn’t need to wake up so early for my job, I’d be sleeping in till 2 I bet you!” Chigiri jokes. Kunigami laughs along with him. Kunigami was having so much fun talking to Chigiri despite them only starting to talk a couple minutes ago. Before he knew it, his drink was already ready.

“Well see you tomorrow, Kunigami!” Chigiri exclaimed, waving to Kunigami. Kunigami was about to leave the shop before he fully processed Chigiri’s words. Chigiri knew his name yet Kunigami didn’t know his name!

“Ah–one last thing! What’s your name?” Kunigami asks. He feels a little embarrassed at asking this all of a sudden, but Chigiri didn’t seem to mind. “My name is Chigiri! Chigiri Hyoma!” Chigiri chimes. Kunigami nods before waving to Chigiri. “Alright! Bye, Chigiri!” Kunigami says. Chigiri smiles before Kunigami leaves the shop.

By the time Kunigami was outside, his face was bright red. Sure he would daydream about them talking while waiting for his coffee, but he never imagined them actually talking. It was supposed to be a dream that he would silently chase. Despite the shock of their first actual conversation, he was glad his dream happened. Chigiri was way kinder than Kunigami thought he was and they seemed to just click.

Kunigami was now more than excited to see what their relationship had in store. He knew the near future was going to be one better than he could imagine!

Chapter Text

It was another cold morning. The early days of December weren’t meant to be this cold, but for some reason, this felt like the coldest winter ever. Kunigami decided to warm himself up with a coffee made by a person who he’s been very interested in lately.

~

Kunigami pulled the door towards himself before entering the coffee shop. Today the coffee shop was a little busier than usual. A couple people were on the side waiting for their coffees, while another couple were waiting in line. The atmosphere of the shop was way livelier than yesterday with all the people in the place!

Despite the fact Chigiri was busy working on making a drink, he still waved at Kunigami when he saw him enter the shop. That made Kunigami’s face turn a slight pink shade until he was able to collect himself.

Today was Saturday, which meant having more people in the shop was to be expected. This meant Chigiri wasn't the only one to be working the morning shift today. His yellow and brown haired friend was also with him today. Kunigami didn’t know much about this guy, but he seemed very friendly and talked to Chigiri a lot during their shifts together.

The shop seemed to operate at a normal level with just two employees despite the fact there were constantly orders coming through. Both Chigiri and his friend seemed to be more than used to working together during busy times like this.

Kunigami was nearing his turn to order but felt a little disappointed knowing it wouldn’t be Chigiri taking his order today, but instead his friend. There was nothing necessarily wrong with his friend, but Kunigami only ever comes so he can see Chigiri. Kunigami wasn’t going to be greedy though. His talk with Chigiri yesterday was more than enough.

“Hello! What’d you like?” The cashier asks. Kunigami stays silent for a bit, like he needs to decide what he's going to order. Obviously he already knew what he was getting. He was going to order a macchiato like he does every other day. A simple drink that doesn't get boring despite being repetitive.

“Lemme guess. A macchiato?” Chigiri exclaims from behind. Kunigami jumps at his sudden words. Chigiri told his friend Kunigami’s order! Kunigami wasn’t expecting Chigiri to talk to him again today!

Kunigami gives a little giggle before pulling out his wallet. “Yep! I’d like a macchiato, please,” Kunigami asks. He was so excited that Chigiri filled out his order for him again. Whenever Chigiri did, Kunigami felt a warmth arise in his chest.

“Would that be all?” The cashier asks. Kunigami looks around once more while answering. “No thank you. That’ll be all.”

Kunigami successfully pays for his drink before standing to the side with a group of other people waiting for their drinks. He couldn’t get the thought of Chigiri out of his head. Maybe it was because he was in the space that reminded him of Chigiri, or because Chigiri just talked to him again, but for some reason, Chigiri was all he could think of.

Time seemed to pass extra fast while thinking about Chigiri because before Kunigami knew it, his drink was already ready for him. He went up to the counter and grabbed his drink. He was hoping he would see Chigiri, and perhaps thank him for making his drink, but Chigiri was already working away at another drink by the time Kunigami was at the counter.

Kunigami let it be, looking back at Chigiri and his friend one last time before exiting the store. Now he was free to do whatever he wanted. Well not exactly. What he really wanted to do right now was talk to Chigiri, but he knew that was impossible, so he left.

Now with all the time in the world, Kunigami was ready to do anything. With all this time on his hands, he decided that he would go to the gym. Recently, Kunigami has been getting into going to the gym. He’s been working on bettering himself to become a hero, so he decided he could take a step forward in his goal by going to the gym.

As Kunigami started heading back to his apartment, the thought of Chigiri crossed his mind again. Just when he thought he escaped Chigiri, his mind just wandered back to him like a parasite. Though it was an embarrassing parasite, it was still a good one.

Kunigami was thinking about how Chigiri would praise him for being so strong. How his muscles are amazing, and he's such a cool guy for going to the gym.

Originally, Kunigami went to the gym to better himself, but now his main motivation was definitely the hope that Chigiri would one day compliment his strength.

Kunigami wasn’t even sure how this person he randomly met could inspire and motivate him so much, but Kunigami was fine with it since Chigiri did truly make him happy. Despite knowing nothing about him, Kunigami was still grateful to this random boy.

Chapter Text

Pumped up to get another coffee, (and another chance to talk to Chigiri) Kunigami ran out of his door faster than ever today! During Kunigami’s workout yesterday, his mind was constantly being invaded by Chigiri. He even fell asleep thinking of Chigiri! He couldn’t get this boy out of his mind no matter how hard he tried.

Kunigami was slightly panting by the time he got to the elevator. He wasn’t used to running in the morning, so his body was still set in a lazy mode. He couldn’t help it though. He was so eager to see Chigiri smile again and hear his voice. What he was most excited about though was definitely getting to talk to him again.

After a short elevator ride, Kunigami was outside of his building, walking to the coffee shop on Saints Street. He decided to take it slow while getting to the shop since the floors were all slippery from the ice covering the ground. He didn’t want to risk an injury.

Once arriving at the coffee shop, Kunigami pulled the door and stepped inside. He was instantly hit with the scent of coffee and hot cocoa in the vicinity. It smelled so good, and always made him hungry in the morning. Despite often getting hungry by this delicious scent, he would only ever buy a macchiato.

“Hello, Kunigami!” Chigiri exclaims from the counter. Kunigami’s jumps at the sudden noise. “H-hey, Chigiri!” Kunigami responds in a panic. It took him a while to move from the door as he was still processing what happened.

Wait. Did Chigiri just say hello to him? Chigiri just initiated a hello. Kunigami was absolutely flustered after figuring this out. It wasn’t even shocking news. Chigiri has talked to Kunigami a handful of times already and he technically initiates every conversation they have.

Chigiri giggles at seeing Kunigami freeze up. “What’re you doing there! You’re all red!” Chigiri mentions. Kunigami becomes even more embarrassed at the mention of his embarrassment.

“Haha! It must be because it was so cold outside. Y’know how it is. It’s so cold here in the mornings,” Kunigami says. Chigiri nods his head, typing Kunigami’s order into the screen.

“So, a macchiato, right?” Chigiri asks. Kunigami hums while nodding his head up and down. Chigiri filled out his order again! Kunigami lived for days where he’d get to talk to Chigiri. Even though they’ve only recently been actually talking and holding conversations, Kunigami felt as if it's been forever. Truthfully, it's only been 3 days since Chigiri accidentally autofilled his order, but Kunigami was free to let his delusions roam free.

“How was your morning?” Kunigami asked, trying to not let his voice waver. He wanted to sound proud and stoic, but he was scared he would sound like a timid creature crawling around for help when talking to Chigiri. Chigiri didn’t seem to find Kunigami’s tone weird and responded normally.

“My day’s been fine. I mean–it just started, right?” Chigiri laughs. Kunigami feels a little embarrassed at how stupid his question was. The day just started for both of them!

“Haha, that's true!” Kunigami agrees before the two go silent. The silence was suffocating despite there being other customers talking around them. Kunigami desperately wanted to try and start a conversation with him, but no words would form in his head that he was confident enough to say.

“So…um… Are you going to pay, or…?” Chigiri asks, his voice slightly faltering. He could tell it was an embarrassing moment for Kunigami, but he tried to downplay it as much as possible. Kunigami instantly turned red. He was just standing there like an idiot trying to talk to Chigiri that he totally forgot to pay!

“O-oh! Yeah lemme just get that…” Kunigami trails off before finding his wallet and paying. He pulls out a bunch of loose change and counts it up to 4.60. He gets another 2 dollars and puts it in the tip jar. He wanted to put more in there, but he was too broke to spend anymore money than he already was.

“Paying by cash today?” Chigiri asks, trying to clear the awkwardness from before. Kunigami giggles a little, relieved that Chigiri was ignoring how weird he looked earlier.

“I thought I’d spend my extra change laying around today, since I don't really pay in cash anymore,” Kunigami explained. Chigiri nodded before getting to work making his coffee. There was no one else in line, so Chigiri didn’t need to take anyone's order anytime soon. The fact there were no other customers in line also made it way less awkward for Kunigami when he was just standing at the cash register.

Kunigami watched Chigiri graciously making his macchiato. Chigiri was truly beautiful no matter the circumstances. He was like a princess even! Despite the fact he was a boy.

A couple seconds of daydreaming went by before Chigiri called out to Kunigami. “So how has your day been?” Chigiri asks him. Kunigami smiles. Chigiri reciprocated his question, and that made him happy. It seemed like Chigiri was truly interested in talking to Kunigami. It was like Kunigami was different from the rest of the customers. If Chigiri didn’t want to talk to Kunigami anymore, he could have just stayed silent the entire time while making his coffee. There was no need for him to start talking again.

“My morning’s been great! Especially after seeing you–” Kunigami abruptly stops. WHAT did he just say? Why did that slip out of his mouth? Out of all things? He was totally screwed now. He never imagined in 1000 years he’d say something as stupid as that. Especially to a guy he barely knows!

“Shit! I meant…especially after…getting new sneakers! Slip of the tongue,” Kunigami tried to play it off, but it was obvious he wasn’t just speaking shallow words before. What he said did mean something, but none of them wanted to come to terms with what it meant.

Chigiri gave a gap of silence, just a little longer than usual. Kunigami could tell things were getting really awkward between them now.

“No it's okay. Seeing you makes my day a little better too,” Chigiri responded. Kunigami thought that he was just saying that to be kind, but it did have a hint of sincerity behind it too. The words sounded fake, but his tone was more than real.

“Oh? Thanks. You too…” Kunigami slowly gets quieter and quieter. The silence between them was more than unbearable, but neither of them could help it.

Chigiri was still a little stunned by what Kunigami said. When Kunigami said that, he just up and stopped making his coffee, like he just heard the most shocking news of his life. Now Kunigami had to wait for his coffee, more than embarrassed.

Time seemed to pass slower than ever while Kunigami was fighting himself in his brain, asking him why he’d do something so stupid. Kunigami wasn’t the type to get embarrassed easily, or embarrassed at all even! But for some reason, this boy made him act so much more differently than he could ever imagine. He was like a totally different person next to him! Or at least he felt like a different one.

“Ah… Kunigami..! Your macchiato is ready,” Chigiri exclaimed. Kunigami jolts from his slouching position, grabbing the coffee and running away. He didn’t want to face Chigiri for the next rest of his life after that!

Chigiri sighed as Kunigami left the store, dragging his feet while walking to the cashier. He was a little disappointed that things turned out like that. He didn’t want to embarrass Kunigami, but he didn’t know how else to respond. He was more than overwhelmed with emotions right now that just didn’t work out.

Chigiri looked at the time. He still had 3 hours of his shift left. He knew those 3 hours would be worse than hell if he didn’t stop working, so he called Bachira over to take over his shift. Bachira cheerfully agreed, sensing something wrong with his friend and deciding to give a helping hand.

Chapter Text

“Why did things happen like that!” Chigir screams at himself. Chigiri just came back from his shortened morning shift, mad at himself for whatever just happened. He was mad because he felt as if he were the one to make the situation awkward between Kunigami and him. He never wanted to make things awkward, but he wasn’t sure how to respond to Kunigami’s confession.

Chigiri is a Barista working at Saints’ local coffee shop. Recently, he filled out his daily customer–Kunigami–order from memory. This opened up so many doors for their relationship. Chigiri had initially done it by accident, but he has been wanting to talk to Kunigami recently. This was like a coincidence meant to be.

Just today, Chigiri made the poor decision to respond to Kunigami’s compliment in a way that probably made Kunigami offended. Chigiri believed Kunigami was completely angry with him as his response could’ve been seen as mocking.

Obviously, there was some major miscommunication here, because none of them were angry at each other. Actually, it was quite the opposite. Both of them were beating themselves over what just happened this morning, despite it all being an accident. It was unfortunate, but it happens to the best of us.

Chigiri didn’t know if he could face Kunigami again after that. He didn’t want to seem like a big jerk to him. Chigiri wanted to be friends with Kunigami, not enemies. They haven’t even been talking that long and Chigiri didn’t feel satisfied with that yet. He wanted to be with Kunigami more than just every morning. He wanted to spend more time with Kunigami and learn more about him. His hobbies, his interests, everything. Now though, that all seemed impossible. Chigiri didn’t know if Kunigami wanted to see him ever again.

“Hey! Chigiri…!” A voice calls out from a distance. Chigiri turns his head around in a heartbeat. Chigiri was hoping for something, but he didn’t know what.

“Yeah, Nagi?” Chigiri responds to the voice. Chigiri’s roommate, Nagi, was calling his name for some reason.

“Can you make some food, I’m hungry,” Nagi nags. Chigiri sighs. Nagi is a very lazy person who hates doing things by himself even though he is more than capable too.

“Shut up!” Chigiri yells at Nagi. He didn’t want to talk to him right now. He just wanted to be alone and sulk in his feelings for the time being. Nagi knew better than to let Chigiri be though. That's when Nagi decided hassles had to be dealt with some times.

“Chigiri. What’s bothering you?” Nagi asks, trying to add depth behind his voice. It obviously wasn’t working, but you could hear his effort.

Chigiri gave a sad glance at Nagi before bending his head into his knees. “I don’t want to talk about it,” Chigiri mutters. Nagi puts a hand on Chigiri’s back, reassuring him whatever it is that's bothering him is okay. “You know that's not what I’m going to let happen,” Nagi replies.

Chigiri lifts his head back up to face Nagi, eyes red and watery. It was more than obvious something was affecting Chigiri, and Nagi had to get to the bottom of it now.

“You can tell me, Chigiri,” Nagi says under his breath. Chigiri opened his mouth as if he was about to say anything, but only incoherent sobs came out. Chigiri was crying again. His breath hitched as his shoulders twitched. Nagi puts his arms around Chigiri, using his best efforts to comfort him. It seemed to work as Chigiri’s breathing started to stabilize and his mumbles started to slow down.

“I-It’s stupid hic! r-really…!” Chigiri managed to spit out. Nagi nods along. “That doesn’t matter. You can still talk to me.” Chigiri gives another look at Nagi, his blank expression still on his face. He always seemed to have the same facial expression which honestly pissed Chigiri off a lot, but it was signature for Nagi.

“Well… A g-guy I met got a hic! a…angry at me and…” Chigiri mumbled until he was barely audible. Nagi was still listening, trying his best to comfort Chigiri still.

“And well…I don’t w-want him to be angry at me since I-I…” Chigiri takes a couple seconds to breathe before continuing. “...I don’t know..! I do-don't even hic! know him that m-much but!” Chigiri felt his tears starting to well up again, but he didn’t want to break out into tears again.

“Why is he angry at you though? I don’t think a guy would get angry at you so easily,” Nagi advises. Nagi starts patting Chigiri’s back, hoping it’d help do something. Whenever Nagi would pour out his feelings to Chigiri, (Which wasn’t often) this is what he’d normally do to help Nagi. It seemed to be working with Chigiri too, which was a relief for Nagi.

“Well he t-told me his d-day gets be–hic!tter when he sees me in the morning and…then…I told him I f-feel the same–but! I think I said it w-weird, ‘cuz when he took his hic! coffee, he just grabbed it and went-went! Off…”

Miraculously, Chigiri managed to tell the full story without crying again, but he was undoubtedly tearing up again. Chigiri couldn’t hold in his tears for much longer though, and started silently sobbing into knees.

Nagi was unable to come up with a response. He empathized with Chigiri’s story, but he was never the best at advice. He settled for telling Chigiri everything will be okay and that he should forgive him. Chigiri appreciated Nagi’s attempt at comforting him, even if it wasn’t the best.

“Thanks, Nagi,” Chigiri says before sucking in a deep breath and calming himself down. “Sorry I couldn’t be of much help, but I hope things get better,” Nagi tells Chigiri. Chigiri smiles in response. “It’s alright, I understand! I’m surprised you could even come this far. You truly have changed,” Chigiri commented smiling. Hopefully things would be getting better soon.

Chapter Text

It was another day at Saints’ local coffee shop. The frosty chill of the air burned Chigiri’s throat as he ran to his work. He completely forgot he still had a shift the next morning after what happened yesterday and didn’t set an alarm! Not to mention he also stayed up last night thinking about how he just permanently ruined his friendship with a guy he admired.

Luckily, Chigiri got in the shop just on time, since his shift had just started. He knew there wasn’t going to be any customers for the next couple minutes, so he still had time to set up. Chigiri sighed in relief once he was able to rest. He propped his palms on the counter, catching his breath from running here. It was a miracle he didn’t slip and fall.

Today should’ve been like every other day, but Chigiri felt this weird sort of tension in the air. Despite no one else being in the store at that moment, Chigiri was scared of what could happen in just a couple minutes. What would happen if Kunigami came back into the store today? Chigiri didn’t want to find out.

As the minutes passed, Kunigami had yet to be seen. A couple customers have already gotten coffee and some have even sat down. Kunigami would’ve already entered the store by now, but it seemed he would either be late or wouldn’t come at all. Now Chigiri was telling himself it was alright and that he didn’t want Kunigami to come today (or ever again) but he knew deep down that he was hoping to see Kunigami today.

~

After an exhausting hour of working in the hot confines of the coffee shop, Chigiri was still betting on Kunigami showing up. His stomach turned the more he thought about it. He was scared. What would he say to him? What would Kunigami say to him? There were so many questions he wanted answers to, but finding the answers didn’t seem possible right now.

~

Just a couple minutes till Chigiri’s shift was over and still no Kunigami in sight. Chigiri was getting lonely not seeing his face. Chigiri wanted to cry till he remembered why he was in this situation in the first place. It was Chigiri’s fault and he was being an ass by not letting it go.

Chigiri was staring at the door immensely, seeing who would be the next person to walk in. He waited, and waited, and waited some more till he heard footsteps approach the door. Chigiri now put his full attention on the door, waiting to see who would pop through. After a bit of pushing on the pull door, the door opened to reveal…Bachira!

It seemed that Chigiri’s shift was over now, as Bachira would be taking over. Chigiri sighed, not realizing he'd been holding in his breath the entire time.

“‘Heyo Chigiri!” Bachira chimed, waving across the room. Chigiri waved back with a slight smile. Bachira was always there to brighten up the mood, especially during the busy days they’d both work the first morning shift together.

Chigiri went to the back, taking off his apron and getting ready to go home. Today was a weekend, so he didn’t have any classes. All he needed to do today was study for his classes and get his act together. He couldn’t be focused on this one boy forever.

~

As Chigiri was walking home, he couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. He didn’t want to admit it, but it was probably seeing Kunigami’s face. It’s become like a daily ritual for Chigiri now to make him his macchiato every morning and see his bright smile as he receives his order. Today none of that happened. Not even a glance of his face or a single macchiato made. Just a bunch of orders that completely slipped past Chigiri’s mind.

Chigiri was more than upset about how things were now and he had every right to be. It wasn’t truly his fault–or anyone's fault, but he still felt the need to put the blame on himself for messing everything up.

He didn’t even know if what was happening was as big of a deal as it seemed to Kunigami! What if he totally forgot about everything that happened and just coincidentally didn’t want to order a coffee that day too! Chigiri knew this probably wasn’t the case though.

Chigiri was caught up in his own frustrating thoughts which caused him to start speeding up while walking. At this point, he wasn’t thinking straight anymore and was moving based on intuition. That was until Chigiri hit a wall face first!

“Owch!” Chigiri yelped, probably looking stupid for walking into a wall. Chigiri looked up, clenching his nose in pain.

Wait.

This isn’t a wall…

It was Kunigami! Chigiri gave another little scream after processing this information. If Chigiri had a drink in his mouth at that time, no doubt he would’ve spit it all over Kunigami’s clothes and face.

Chigiri did want to see Kunigami, but definitely not like this! The situation they were in was just too awkward, but apparently things could get even worse!

“Oh! Um–Chigiri I..” Kunigami begins, putting a firm grip on Chigiri’s wrist. Chigiri’s heart almost jumped out of his chest. Was Kunigami going to fight him? Why was he suddenly holding onto Chigiri with all his might? He was scared out of his mind now.

“Chigiri I…I…”

Chapter Text

Kunigami looked tired, bags under his eyes. His hair was disheveled and it seemed like he put the first things he found in his closet on. Not only that but his whole face looked a little puffy, especially around his eyes. He didn’t seem to be doing too well.

“Chigiri I…I…” Kunigami began, stumbling on his words. Chigiri’s stomach churned while waiting for a response from Kunigami. What was he going to say to him? Was he going to scold Chigiri for being a bad friend or something worse? Chigiri couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry for the other day… It was my fault–I was acting so weird and I just got so embarrassed I couldn’t stand it! I-I thought you hated me…” Kunigami confessed. “You don’t hate me though, right?” Kunigami asked, sounding like a sad puppy while saying it. Chigiri couldn’t help but feel a little warm inside.

“Why would I hate you? Actually…I got really sad when I didn’t see you today.” Kunigami made a look of surprise after Chigiri spoke. “You were…sad?” Kunigami asked in disbelief. He couldn’t even fathom Chigiri acknowledging him as anything more than a customer before and now this?! Kunigami was over the moon!

“Of course I was! I see you everyday in the coffee shop. Without you, it just feels wrong,” Chigiri said, keeping his head low. He knew better than anyone that he wasn’t just sad. He was outright bawling his eyes out because of this man!

Kunigami smiled in relief. He was happy his friend cared for him so much but most of all that their relationship wasn’t ruined. “So you’re like–okay with me? I really thought you hated me there and thought I was weird…” Kunigami said shyly. Chigiri laughed, patting his shoulder. “Yeah, it’s all fine! In all honesty, I thought you hated me!” Chigiri explained to Kunigami.

“What?! Me hating you? I could never!” Kunigami laughed and Chigiri laughed too. The tension between them seemed to dissolve quicker than expected. It seems the pair were just unstoppable.

“Wanna grab a coffee?” Kunigami asks, pointing behind him. Chigiri nodded his head in slight confusion. The coffee shop he worked at wasn’t in the direction Kunigami came from but actually where he was headed! Nevertheless, Chigiri gleefully joined Kunigami for a coffee. It felt great being his friend again

~

After a short walk to another coffee shop, Chigiri and Kunigami both found a table for two people to share. It was on the side of the cafe, right next to the window. The cafe had a cozy vibe to it that deeply resonated with Chigiri. Maybe Chigiri was just sick of seeing the same old coffee shop every day, but still, it was cute.

“I thought my coffee shop was the only one you went to?” Chigiri teased. Kunigami laughed a little, understanding Chigiri’s playful tone. “Well I had to get my coffee this morning somewhere!” Kunigami responded, chuckling. Chigiri laughed along with him.

After such a dramatic turn in their relationship, everything was instantly fixed! It seemed like everything was just a miscommunication afterall. Chigiri was sure that if it wasn’t their relationship would never be fixed. Despite how dramatic that sounds, Chigiri couldn’t help but believe that to be the truth.

“Hmm… Are you ready to order yet?” Chigiri asked, looking up from the menu placed down on the table. Kunigami gave Chigiri a soft look back. “Yep I think I’m just about ready.”

Kunigami waved a waiter down before coming to the table with a notepad in hand. “Good evening, what would you like today?” He asked politely. Kunigami gestured for Chigiri to order first, so he did. “I’d like a latte with whipped cream on top please! Also your daily pastry as well,” Chigiri smiled as the waiter jotted down the order.

“And for you sir?” He asked. Kunigami looked down at the menu again before ordering. He was so caught up in Chigiri’s bright smile that he forgot what he was going to order! The way Chigiri would light up when speaking was just so comforting to Kunigami though.

“I’ll get a cappuccino and the daily pastry as well!” Kunigami said gleefully. The waiter wrote down his order before nodding and walking off. Now it was just Kunigami and Chigiri again. No one else is trying to talk to them or get their attention. They were both focused on each other's presence and no one else’s.

“Hey, Kunigami,” Chigiri says, looking a little more down from his normal expression. “Yeah? What’s up?” Kunigami responded softly. He wasn’t able to fully read Chigiri’s body language, but he could get a good idea of what he was feeling.

“I’m sorry…” Chigiri said, barely audible. Kunigami looked confused. “What do you mean?” He asked. Now he totally couldn’t read Chigiri. Most of the time, he seemed like an open book, but to Kunigami he was more closed off than ever.

Chigiri’s mouth starts to frown. “For whatever happened the other day. It was totally all my fault and I shouldn’t have–" "No, It’s my fault,” Kunigami cut in. “I shouldn’t have…acted so weird to you. It wasn’t your problem.” Chigiri’s eyes lit up.

Chigiri was having a hard time expressing his feelings. He believed that their dispute was caused because of him. He never once thought to blame Kunigami for it. He believed Kunigami played no part in what happened and the sole cause of the problem was him. On the contrary, Kunigami also could never put the blame onto Chigiri.

“What…? No–no it was because of me! You’re too good to make such a stupid mistake like I did…” Chigiri confessed, a little embarrassed by the words that just came out of his mouth. Kunigami shook his head no.

“The fault is all mine, don’t worry. That stuff doesn’t matter anymore though. Let's just focus on the present, alright?” Kunigami said, trying to elevate Chigiri’s mood. It seemed to be working as Chigiri nodded before smiling. It seemed he was starting to really cheer up. All the weight of being wrong finally left his shoulders and he wasn’t worrying anymore.

“Thank you, Kunigami. You really are a nice guy,” Chigiri giggled. Kunigami shined his bright prince-like smile at Chigiri, happy to see him happy. “You’re a nice guy too, Chigiri! Like, super nice, y’know?!” He shot back. They both ended up giggling like little children at a park, glad that they were finally on good terms.

“Your orders are ready now,” the waitress declared, delicately putting the drinks and sweets on the table. “Wow!!! These look amazing! I can’t wait to dig in,” Chigiri exclaimed. Kunigami laughed. “Yeah, they look so pretty,” he agreed with Chigiri.

“Enjoy!” the waitress said before walking off. “Why didn’t you get a macchiato?” Chigiri asked, both teasingly and genuinely curious. Kunigami looked at his cappuccino for a bit, pondering why.

“I’m not sure!” He said. Chigiri started laughing. “You sure are one heck of a planner, Kunigami!” Chigiri complimented. Kunigami giggled along with Chigiri at his joke.

The air felt warm and sweet. There wasn’t a care in the world between them now. From barista and customer to friends, their relationship has truly come a long way! They were genuinely happy around each other. They didn’t feel the need to mask their emotions or feelings around each other. They were just joyful to be themselves around them.

Kunigami looked at Chigiri’s bright red eyes. They were so kind and full of life. If Kunigami was told Chigiri was an angel from heaven, he would believe it. He seemed to be straight out of a magazine! Perfect and beautiful. It was almost like Chigiri had no flaws. He was the perfect human being in Kunigami’s eyes.

Chigiri loved looking at Kunigami’s smile. It was like the life of the party. He was humorous and cool. He was like the person Chigiri wanted to be. The person Chigiri dreamed of. He seemed to be perfect. Never complained, always comforted him. Kunigami already felt so close to Chigiri despite the fact they haven’t been friends for long. They were perfect for each other.

No one else would be able to cut into the relationship they had as friends. They instantly clicked. Their friendship was truly special and was a beautiful thing that no one could ever replicate.

It was theirs.