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learashiTitle: A Short Tale of A Slightly (Very) Awkward Flirtation
Pairing: Jun/Nino
Rating: G
Genre: fluff, romance
Summary: At Ninoai Café Bakery there is one customer in particular who drives Nino crazy. Matsumoto comes in every day at the same time, and orders the same small, boring, cup of coffee. When Nino’s business partner Aiba suggests that Matsumoto has a particular reason for being so faithful, Nino can only scoff. But perhaps Aiba is more perceptive than Nino gives him credit for.
Notes: A small portion of fic in honour of Nino’s birthday. Happy birthday Neen. Love you lots.
Nino was halfway to his spot behind the counter and still tying his apron when his business partner grabbed him and dragged him over to the large glass wall at the front of the coffee shop.
“Thank goodness you're here. It’s almost time.” Aiba gripped Nino’s arm tightly as he craned his neck and tried to see across the street.
“Let me go, you idiot,” Nino grumbled as he fended off Aiba and finished tying his apron. “I don’t know why you have to get so excited.”
“Because he is sizzling hot, and if you can’t see it, then I think I need to get you some help.”
“I’m more concerned with the fact that he comes in here every day and only orders one weak coffee which he makes last for over an hour, and he doesn’t even order any food to go with it,” Nino grumbled as he shrugged off Aiba and made his way to the back of the shop.
“He may not spend much, but his horde of admirers do,” Aiba replied as he made a sweeping gesture towards the crowded tables full of girls gazing just as eagerly in the direction of the door.
“I thought Matsumoto-san was an actor or something, since he’s in those magazines you always leave laying around the place.” Nino picked up a cloth and wiped down the counter almost hard enough to remove the laquer on the wooden surface. He had in fact examined each of the magazine spreads in great detail, but he would die before admitting it to his friend. “So I don’t understand why he would want to hang around here every day.”
Aiba hugged Nino from behind, attaching himself firmly to his friend and refusing to be shrugged off. “Then you truly are blind, but at least you know his name, so I guess that’s a start.”
Nino wriggled out of Aiba’s tentacle-like embrace, and threw the cloth at him. “How about making yourself useful?”
“Just take a closer look at him today, and you’ll see what I mean,” Aiba said, shaking the duster at Nino to emphasise his point. “It’s about time you broke your drought. You can thank me later.”
“Fine,” Nino sighed. “If you promise to get on with some work and stop nagging me.”
++
Nino heard the door open, and a flurry of giggles from the high school girls behind him. This meant that he really didn’t need Aiba to alert him, but he still received a poke in the ribs from a very pointy elbow anyway.
“Look, look. He’s here,”Aiba hissed loudly, which for him passed as a whisper. “Go and serve him.”
“I’m going, I’m going.” Nino paused for a moment to check his reflection in the stainless steel side of the coffee machine and then mentally slapped himself. Aiba was obviously infecting him with his romantic fantasies.
At first sight there wasn’t even anything particularly remarkable about the appearance of the man who took a seat at his usual table. He was wearing a black cap pulled down low on his forehead and a black jacket which looked suspiciously as if it was designed to be a raincoat. Thick framed round glasses further hid his face from view.
Nino activated his best professional smile as he pulled out his order pad from his apron pocket. Not that he actually needed it, since presumably the man would order the same thing as every day. “Good afternoon. Welcome to Ninoai Café Bakery. May I take your order?”
Behind the glasses a pair of warm brown eyes fastened on Nino. “One weak almond milk latte please, with extra milk.”
For the first time in real life, Nino took a proper look at Matsumoto. His eyes were large and framed with long dark lashes which emphasised their shape. All of his features were prominent and seemingly too big for his small face, but they formed a pleasing whole. Heat rushed to Nino’s head and he felt his ears grow hot as he noticed the collection of moles dotted around Matsumoto’s plump lips. Apparently magazine editors preferred them erased from photographs, but in his opinion they definitely added to the man’s charms.
“Y-your usual then?” Nino cursed himself for the slight stutter. He really needed to pull himself together. It was embarrassing to be so badly affected by a handsome face.
A shy smile lit up Matsumoto’s face. “You remember what I order?”
“All part of the service.” Nino smiled stiffly before turning around to head back to the counter, almost knocking a chair over in the process.
Aiba grinned as he saw how flustered Nino was. “Finally. I can't believe it took you so long to notice how gorgeous he is.”
“I admit he’s better looking than I thought, and he is always really polite and friendly, but I still don't understand what you’re hinting at.”
“And you always think that I’m the dense one,” Aiba sighed. “Why do you think he only comes here during the hours that you are working and makes sure that he sits at the table where he can watch you work? And most importantly, he smiled at you.”
“And?”
“He never smiles. Don’t you see? It means that he likes you.”
“So you’re trying to tell me that the only reason he hangs around here is because of me?”
“Obviously.” Aiba couldn’t keep at least a touch of smugness out of his voice.
“If he’s trying to impress me, then sitting here for hours and not ordering more than one small coffee is definitely not the way to go.”
“Maybe he can’t afford to order anything else. Acting doesn’t exactly provide a steady income.”
Nino hadn’t thought of that, and he felt a twinge of guilt interwoven with a flutter of excitement at the possibility that Matsumoto might be interested in him. “Maybe I should bring him a better coffee and something to eat with it? On the house of course.”
Aiba clutched his head theatrically, reeling slightly. “I think I might be having a stroke. Did you just say you're planning to give away food and drink for free?”
“Hey, I'm not that cheap,” Nino protested. “He may not spend much, but he comes here every day. It makes good business sense to value our regular customers, especially since he brings in all of these girls.” He waggled his hand in the direction of the full tables, covered in drinks topped with whipped cream and plates of sweets.
The look Aiba gave Nino in response spoke volumes.
Nino shook his head. “Don't panic. This is definitely a one off event.”
“Better make the best of it then,” Aiba said with a grin as he placed a slice of dessert onto a plate. “I just made a fresh tiramisu. It’s soft and sweet and might just trick him into thinking you are the same.”
“Ha, ha,” Nino said sarcastically. “Remind me again why I’ve been your friend for the past twenty years.”
“Because I pushed over the boy who was bullying you on our first day at kindergarten. Plus, you love me because I make you a better and happier person, although sometimes my level of success is debatable.”
A gentle hip bump from Nino sufficed as a gesture of apology as he brushed past Aiba with the tiramisu in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.
++
Nino’s hand trembled slightly as Matsumoto looked up from studying what appeared to be a script and tracked him with mesmerizing eyes as he made his way to where he was sitting.
A slight crease formed between Matsumoto’s formidable eyebrows. “I…didn’t order dessert?”
“Consider yourself a guinea pig. Aiba is trying a new recipe for tiramisu, and I would love to hear your opinion. Plus it's our way of saying thank you to a valued customer.” Not wanting to splash the paperwork, Nino placed the plate and cup down with care.
“Oh..tiramisu?”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, no. Um…” Matsumoto peered into the coffee cup with a puzzled expression. “This coffee is black…”
“I took the liberty of bringing you my best coffee to go with the tiramisu. I hope you enjoy it. It’s from my own personal stash. My friend Sho brought it back with him from his latest trip overseas. The Vietnamese favour a thick, full-bodied robusta.” Nino wondered why the words coming out of his mouth were so pretentious. He didn't speak like this. Ever. Perhaps there was some invisible force emanating from Matsumoto which was turning him into one of his groupies, filled with the desire to impress.
The expression on Matsumoto’s face didn’t quite match up to Nino’s expectations. He didn’t look anywhere near as pleased as Nino had hoped. It was all Aiba’s fault for filling his head with romantic nonsense and making him think that someone might actually be attracted to him in return.
It was even worse fifty seven minutes later (not that he was counting) when Nino noticed that the plate of tiramisu was barely touched and the coffee cup was still full. Filled with an inexplicable anger, he stalked over to Matsumoto and snatched up the offending items. “I guess neither of these were as good as I hoped they’d be. Sorry to have inconvenienced you.”
“Wait!” Matsumoto half rose from his seat but Nino didn’t linger. He marched straight past Aiba who was standing and watching with his mouth hanging open, and into the tiny kitchen at the back of the shop.
“Go, go,” Aiba urged Matsumoto to follow Nino. “Trust me, despite appearances to the contrary, it’s been a long time since Nino has been this interested in anyone. Don’t let him push you away.”
++
After tossing the tiramisu into the bin and dumping the barely touched coffee down the sink Nino decided to tackle the mound of dirty pans resting next to the sink. Aiba was a skilful baker but was terrible at keeping the kitchen tidy. Taking his frustration out on a mixing bowl, Nino was at the sink in the middle of scrubbing it with unnecessary force when he heard movement behind him.
“Pardon me for intruding…”
The bowl slipped from Nino’s fingers, landing in the dirty water with a splash which wet the front of his shirt. He grabbed a dry cloth and sponged his clothes as he spun slowly around to face Matsumoto who was standing in the kitchen doorway wearing a contrite expression.
“Matsumoto-san, customers aren’t allowed back here.”
“Aiba-san said that it was okay, but I’ll leave immediately if I’m disturbing you.”
The miserable look and the slight bow which accompanied Matsumoto’s words changed Nino’s mind in an instant. He tossed the cloth down and gestured to Matsumoto to enter. “Can I help you with something?”
“I …” Matsumoto swallowed hard and looked at a point somewhere over Nino’s shoulder. “I seem to have upset you and I wanted to apologise.”
“Not that I’m upset, but apology accepted.” Nino replied brusquely.
“Of course you’re upset,” Aiba said, popping up out of nowhere. “And so is Matsumoto-san.”
“I said that I’m not,” Nino protested.
“And I say that you are,” Aiba replied. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be hiding in here doing the washing up.”
Matsumoto tried to edge past Aiba but his path was blocked. “Um…excuse me. I think I should leave now.”
“No way.” Aiba held up his hand and shooed the embarrassed customer over closer to Nino, who was sincerely hoping that the ground would open up and swallow him, or preferably Aiba. “Nobody goes anywhere until you two talk.”
“Aiba,” Nino hissed. “Stop it. It’s obvious that he doesn’t like me. Just let the poor man leave.”
“It’s not that I don't like you, in fact it's quite the opposite.” Matsumoto’s cheeks turned red, as he looked down shyly at his hands. “I liked you the first time I spotted you through the window a few months ago. You looked so small and cute standing next to the big coffee machine.”
“Small and cute?”
“Please don't take that as an insult.”
“Of course he is small and cute,” Aiba interrupted, pinching Nino’s cheek and earning himself a growl in response. “On the outside at least.”
“Oi!” Nino protested. “And what are you doing here anyway? Don’t you have customers to look after?”
“Matsumoto-san is a customer.” Aiba pulled a cookie out of his apron pocket and perched on a stool, obviously intending to have a front row seat for whatever happened next.
Nino grabbed Aiba’s elbow and dragged him off the stool, glaring as he pushed him out into the shop and slammed the door behind him. “Out.”
Turning to Matsumoto, Nino added, “I’m sorry that my friend is being such an embarrassment. You don’t have to pretend to like me.”
“I don’t like coffee. In fact I hate the stuff,” Matsumoto blurted desperately. “I’m not pretending when I say that I like you, but I am pretending that I enjoy drinking coffee.”
“You what?”
“It’s true. I only ordered one on the first day because you only asked me how I liked my coffee.”
“So what do you usually drink?”
“Mostly room temperature water.”
“Water?!” Nino wrinkled his nose in disgust.
“See? That’s why I have ordered coffee every time. I didn’t want to disappoint you.”
Nino’s mind was running in circles inside his head and there was a roaring sound in his ears. Maybe he was the one having a stroke, not Aiba. “Disappoint me? You don’t even know me.”
“But I would like to, if you will let me.”
Matsumoto’s limpid brown eyes fastened on Nino’s face. Nino found himself unable to look away as he found himself drawn in by the irresistible force of the handsome man. “I’m not as cute as you imagine, you know. I’m snarky and sarcastic and I spend most of my spare time gaming in my living room eating instant ramen. So don’t imagine any romantic walks along beaches or hiking or even worse, camping trips.”
“Consider all of that noted. But you don’t have anything to worry about. My friend Oh-chan keeps trying to drag me away on camping weekends and I couldn’t imagine anything worse than sleeping on the ground under a leaky tarpaulin. And if you think you’re snarky, you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen me when I first wake up in the morning.”
Nino swallowed hard as his imagination ran wild. “Oh…”
Matsumoto blushed to the roots of his hair and clapped his hand over his mouth. “Oh…um…I didn’t mean…”
“Nono, it’s fine,” Nino felt his own face blaze as his cheeks grew hot. “It actually sounds like something to aspire to.”
“Oh. Really?”
“Really.”
Nino’s tongue seemed stuck to the roof of his mouth as Matsumoto’s plump lips quirked up into a crooked smile which turned his eyes into crescent moons. His own mouth twitched in response as the heat from his cheeks flooded somewhere further south.
The silence was broken by Aiba, who opened the door and stumbled into the room. His hand was firmly pressed over his eyes, causing him to ricochet off the furniture as he made his way to the oven. “I’m not looking! But my pies are due to come out.”
Spell broken, Matsumoto and Nino made their way back into the café proper where Nino prepared takeaway coffees for a couple of customers, while Matsumoto grabbed a seat and checked his messages.
A slight frown creased the smooth skin between Matsumoto’s substantial brows. “Sorry, I just got a reminder that I have a meeting with the director of my new drama in fifteen minutes, so I have to go.”
“Here.” Nino stepped out from behind the counter and thrust a paper bag into Matsumoto’s hands and held out a takeaway cup. “Since you didn't eat or drink anything while you were here, take this for on the way.”
Matsumoto peeked curiously into the bag and took an appreciative sniff. It contained half a dozen small buns, still warm from the oven. “Thank you. They look wonderful.”
“Don't get too carried away, they're only milk buns,” Nino muttered, but his cheeks flushed pink from the compliment. “And this is a matcha latte to wash them down with. I hope that after the whole coffee charade, I’ve finally made something which you actually enjoy.”
“Really?” Matsumoto beamed. “I can assure you that this is now my new favourite drink in the world.”
“Soft idiot,” Nino muttered, inwardly preening.
“So...I’ll see you...” Matsumoto kept his eyes locked on Nino as he edged towards the door.
Suddenly shy, Nino shuffled his feet and nodded. “Um...yep…”
“Nino is free tonight,” Aiba yelled as he popped his head out of the kitchen. “Actually he is free every night.”
“AIBA!” Nino flung a milk bun at his friend’s face, but Aiba snatched it out of the air and took a happy bite as he retreated back through the doorway. “Sorry about that Matsumoto-san. My friend is an idiot.”
“So may I come back later after my meeting? My name is Jun, by the way, rather than Matsumoto-san.”
“If you like.” Nino tried to keep the excitement from his voice, with limited success. “I share the apartment upstairs with Aiba, so if you arrive after we close just ring the buzzer next to the front door here and I’ll come down and show you up.”
Aiba emerged from the kitchen and began to clear away dishes from a recently vacated table. He sidled over and attempted to wink. “I’m going to the movies tonight with Sho-chan so you two will be aaaallllll aloooone.”
“Ignore him.” Nino hastily walked with Matsumoto to the front door past the tables of girls who were now giggling and elbowing each other.
“I could bring dinner with me, if you like?” Matsumoto offered. “To pay you back for these?”
“Sounds good. I like hamburger. The expensive kind.” Nino grinned.
Matsumoto smiled back as he stepped out onto the pavement. “I know the perfect place.”
“Bye for now then, Jun-san.” Nino hovered in the doorway.
“Bye, Nino-san.” Matsumoto hovered on the pavement.
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Aiba popped his head over Nino’s shoulder, chanting. “Nino and Jun-san sitting in a tree, k– i –s –s –i—n … OW”
As Aiba rubbed his head where Nino’s hand had landed, Matsumoto finally managed to drag himself away from Nino’s orbit, walking away with a goofy smile towards the closest taxi rank.
Nino shooed Aiba inside, ignoring his joking complaints at Nino’s harsh treatment. Standing on the pavement and watching Matsumoto’s broad-shouldered figure weave through the other pedestrians, Aiba’s chant echoed through Nino’s head. Unconsciously he raised his hand and brushed his fingers lightly over his lips as the taxi pulled away.
Pairing: Jun/Nino
Rating: G
Genre: fluff, romance
Summary: At Ninoai Café Bakery there is one customer in particular who drives Nino crazy. Matsumoto comes in every day at the same time, and orders the same small, boring, cup of coffee. When Nino’s business partner Aiba suggests that Matsumoto has a particular reason for being so faithful, Nino can only scoff. But perhaps Aiba is more perceptive than Nino gives him credit for.
Notes: A small portion of fic in honour of Nino’s birthday. Happy birthday Neen. Love you lots.
Nino was halfway to his spot behind the counter and still tying his apron when his business partner grabbed him and dragged him over to the large glass wall at the front of the coffee shop.
“Thank goodness you're here. It’s almost time.” Aiba gripped Nino’s arm tightly as he craned his neck and tried to see across the street.
“Let me go, you idiot,” Nino grumbled as he fended off Aiba and finished tying his apron. “I don’t know why you have to get so excited.”
“Because he is sizzling hot, and if you can’t see it, then I think I need to get you some help.”
“I’m more concerned with the fact that he comes in here every day and only orders one weak coffee which he makes last for over an hour, and he doesn’t even order any food to go with it,” Nino grumbled as he shrugged off Aiba and made his way to the back of the shop.
“He may not spend much, but his horde of admirers do,” Aiba replied as he made a sweeping gesture towards the crowded tables full of girls gazing just as eagerly in the direction of the door.
“I thought Matsumoto-san was an actor or something, since he’s in those magazines you always leave laying around the place.” Nino picked up a cloth and wiped down the counter almost hard enough to remove the laquer on the wooden surface. He had in fact examined each of the magazine spreads in great detail, but he would die before admitting it to his friend. “So I don’t understand why he would want to hang around here every day.”
Aiba hugged Nino from behind, attaching himself firmly to his friend and refusing to be shrugged off. “Then you truly are blind, but at least you know his name, so I guess that’s a start.”
Nino wriggled out of Aiba’s tentacle-like embrace, and threw the cloth at him. “How about making yourself useful?”
“Just take a closer look at him today, and you’ll see what I mean,” Aiba said, shaking the duster at Nino to emphasise his point. “It’s about time you broke your drought. You can thank me later.”
“Fine,” Nino sighed. “If you promise to get on with some work and stop nagging me.”
++
Nino heard the door open, and a flurry of giggles from the high school girls behind him. This meant that he really didn’t need Aiba to alert him, but he still received a poke in the ribs from a very pointy elbow anyway.
“Look, look. He’s here,”Aiba hissed loudly, which for him passed as a whisper. “Go and serve him.”
“I’m going, I’m going.” Nino paused for a moment to check his reflection in the stainless steel side of the coffee machine and then mentally slapped himself. Aiba was obviously infecting him with his romantic fantasies.
At first sight there wasn’t even anything particularly remarkable about the appearance of the man who took a seat at his usual table. He was wearing a black cap pulled down low on his forehead and a black jacket which looked suspiciously as if it was designed to be a raincoat. Thick framed round glasses further hid his face from view.
Nino activated his best professional smile as he pulled out his order pad from his apron pocket. Not that he actually needed it, since presumably the man would order the same thing as every day. “Good afternoon. Welcome to Ninoai Café Bakery. May I take your order?”
Behind the glasses a pair of warm brown eyes fastened on Nino. “One weak almond milk latte please, with extra milk.”
For the first time in real life, Nino took a proper look at Matsumoto. His eyes were large and framed with long dark lashes which emphasised their shape. All of his features were prominent and seemingly too big for his small face, but they formed a pleasing whole. Heat rushed to Nino’s head and he felt his ears grow hot as he noticed the collection of moles dotted around Matsumoto’s plump lips. Apparently magazine editors preferred them erased from photographs, but in his opinion they definitely added to the man’s charms.
“Y-your usual then?” Nino cursed himself for the slight stutter. He really needed to pull himself together. It was embarrassing to be so badly affected by a handsome face.
A shy smile lit up Matsumoto’s face. “You remember what I order?”
“All part of the service.” Nino smiled stiffly before turning around to head back to the counter, almost knocking a chair over in the process.
Aiba grinned as he saw how flustered Nino was. “Finally. I can't believe it took you so long to notice how gorgeous he is.”
“I admit he’s better looking than I thought, and he is always really polite and friendly, but I still don't understand what you’re hinting at.”
“And you always think that I’m the dense one,” Aiba sighed. “Why do you think he only comes here during the hours that you are working and makes sure that he sits at the table where he can watch you work? And most importantly, he smiled at you.”
“And?”
“He never smiles. Don’t you see? It means that he likes you.”
“So you’re trying to tell me that the only reason he hangs around here is because of me?”
“Obviously.” Aiba couldn’t keep at least a touch of smugness out of his voice.
“If he’s trying to impress me, then sitting here for hours and not ordering more than one small coffee is definitely not the way to go.”
“Maybe he can’t afford to order anything else. Acting doesn’t exactly provide a steady income.”
Nino hadn’t thought of that, and he felt a twinge of guilt interwoven with a flutter of excitement at the possibility that Matsumoto might be interested in him. “Maybe I should bring him a better coffee and something to eat with it? On the house of course.”
Aiba clutched his head theatrically, reeling slightly. “I think I might be having a stroke. Did you just say you're planning to give away food and drink for free?”
“Hey, I'm not that cheap,” Nino protested. “He may not spend much, but he comes here every day. It makes good business sense to value our regular customers, especially since he brings in all of these girls.” He waggled his hand in the direction of the full tables, covered in drinks topped with whipped cream and plates of sweets.
The look Aiba gave Nino in response spoke volumes.
Nino shook his head. “Don't panic. This is definitely a one off event.”
“Better make the best of it then,” Aiba said with a grin as he placed a slice of dessert onto a plate. “I just made a fresh tiramisu. It’s soft and sweet and might just trick him into thinking you are the same.”
“Ha, ha,” Nino said sarcastically. “Remind me again why I’ve been your friend for the past twenty years.”
“Because I pushed over the boy who was bullying you on our first day at kindergarten. Plus, you love me because I make you a better and happier person, although sometimes my level of success is debatable.”
A gentle hip bump from Nino sufficed as a gesture of apology as he brushed past Aiba with the tiramisu in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.
++
Nino’s hand trembled slightly as Matsumoto looked up from studying what appeared to be a script and tracked him with mesmerizing eyes as he made his way to where he was sitting.
A slight crease formed between Matsumoto’s formidable eyebrows. “I…didn’t order dessert?”
“Consider yourself a guinea pig. Aiba is trying a new recipe for tiramisu, and I would love to hear your opinion. Plus it's our way of saying thank you to a valued customer.” Not wanting to splash the paperwork, Nino placed the plate and cup down with care.
“Oh..tiramisu?”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, no. Um…” Matsumoto peered into the coffee cup with a puzzled expression. “This coffee is black…”
“I took the liberty of bringing you my best coffee to go with the tiramisu. I hope you enjoy it. It’s from my own personal stash. My friend Sho brought it back with him from his latest trip overseas. The Vietnamese favour a thick, full-bodied robusta.” Nino wondered why the words coming out of his mouth were so pretentious. He didn't speak like this. Ever. Perhaps there was some invisible force emanating from Matsumoto which was turning him into one of his groupies, filled with the desire to impress.
The expression on Matsumoto’s face didn’t quite match up to Nino’s expectations. He didn’t look anywhere near as pleased as Nino had hoped. It was all Aiba’s fault for filling his head with romantic nonsense and making him think that someone might actually be attracted to him in return.
It was even worse fifty seven minutes later (not that he was counting) when Nino noticed that the plate of tiramisu was barely touched and the coffee cup was still full. Filled with an inexplicable anger, he stalked over to Matsumoto and snatched up the offending items. “I guess neither of these were as good as I hoped they’d be. Sorry to have inconvenienced you.”
“Wait!” Matsumoto half rose from his seat but Nino didn’t linger. He marched straight past Aiba who was standing and watching with his mouth hanging open, and into the tiny kitchen at the back of the shop.
“Go, go,” Aiba urged Matsumoto to follow Nino. “Trust me, despite appearances to the contrary, it’s been a long time since Nino has been this interested in anyone. Don’t let him push you away.”
++
After tossing the tiramisu into the bin and dumping the barely touched coffee down the sink Nino decided to tackle the mound of dirty pans resting next to the sink. Aiba was a skilful baker but was terrible at keeping the kitchen tidy. Taking his frustration out on a mixing bowl, Nino was at the sink in the middle of scrubbing it with unnecessary force when he heard movement behind him.
“Pardon me for intruding…”
The bowl slipped from Nino’s fingers, landing in the dirty water with a splash which wet the front of his shirt. He grabbed a dry cloth and sponged his clothes as he spun slowly around to face Matsumoto who was standing in the kitchen doorway wearing a contrite expression.
“Matsumoto-san, customers aren’t allowed back here.”
“Aiba-san said that it was okay, but I’ll leave immediately if I’m disturbing you.”
The miserable look and the slight bow which accompanied Matsumoto’s words changed Nino’s mind in an instant. He tossed the cloth down and gestured to Matsumoto to enter. “Can I help you with something?”
“I …” Matsumoto swallowed hard and looked at a point somewhere over Nino’s shoulder. “I seem to have upset you and I wanted to apologise.”
“Not that I’m upset, but apology accepted.” Nino replied brusquely.
“Of course you’re upset,” Aiba said, popping up out of nowhere. “And so is Matsumoto-san.”
“I said that I’m not,” Nino protested.
“And I say that you are,” Aiba replied. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be hiding in here doing the washing up.”
Matsumoto tried to edge past Aiba but his path was blocked. “Um…excuse me. I think I should leave now.”
“No way.” Aiba held up his hand and shooed the embarrassed customer over closer to Nino, who was sincerely hoping that the ground would open up and swallow him, or preferably Aiba. “Nobody goes anywhere until you two talk.”
“Aiba,” Nino hissed. “Stop it. It’s obvious that he doesn’t like me. Just let the poor man leave.”
“It’s not that I don't like you, in fact it's quite the opposite.” Matsumoto’s cheeks turned red, as he looked down shyly at his hands. “I liked you the first time I spotted you through the window a few months ago. You looked so small and cute standing next to the big coffee machine.”
“Small and cute?”
“Please don't take that as an insult.”
“Of course he is small and cute,” Aiba interrupted, pinching Nino’s cheek and earning himself a growl in response. “On the outside at least.”
“Oi!” Nino protested. “And what are you doing here anyway? Don’t you have customers to look after?”
“Matsumoto-san is a customer.” Aiba pulled a cookie out of his apron pocket and perched on a stool, obviously intending to have a front row seat for whatever happened next.
Nino grabbed Aiba’s elbow and dragged him off the stool, glaring as he pushed him out into the shop and slammed the door behind him. “Out.”
Turning to Matsumoto, Nino added, “I’m sorry that my friend is being such an embarrassment. You don’t have to pretend to like me.”
“I don’t like coffee. In fact I hate the stuff,” Matsumoto blurted desperately. “I’m not pretending when I say that I like you, but I am pretending that I enjoy drinking coffee.”
“You what?”
“It’s true. I only ordered one on the first day because you only asked me how I liked my coffee.”
“So what do you usually drink?”
“Mostly room temperature water.”
“Water?!” Nino wrinkled his nose in disgust.
“See? That’s why I have ordered coffee every time. I didn’t want to disappoint you.”
Nino’s mind was running in circles inside his head and there was a roaring sound in his ears. Maybe he was the one having a stroke, not Aiba. “Disappoint me? You don’t even know me.”
“But I would like to, if you will let me.”
Matsumoto’s limpid brown eyes fastened on Nino’s face. Nino found himself unable to look away as he found himself drawn in by the irresistible force of the handsome man. “I’m not as cute as you imagine, you know. I’m snarky and sarcastic and I spend most of my spare time gaming in my living room eating instant ramen. So don’t imagine any romantic walks along beaches or hiking or even worse, camping trips.”
“Consider all of that noted. But you don’t have anything to worry about. My friend Oh-chan keeps trying to drag me away on camping weekends and I couldn’t imagine anything worse than sleeping on the ground under a leaky tarpaulin. And if you think you’re snarky, you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen me when I first wake up in the morning.”
Nino swallowed hard as his imagination ran wild. “Oh…”
Matsumoto blushed to the roots of his hair and clapped his hand over his mouth. “Oh…um…I didn’t mean…”
“Nono, it’s fine,” Nino felt his own face blaze as his cheeks grew hot. “It actually sounds like something to aspire to.”
“Oh. Really?”
“Really.”
Nino’s tongue seemed stuck to the roof of his mouth as Matsumoto’s plump lips quirked up into a crooked smile which turned his eyes into crescent moons. His own mouth twitched in response as the heat from his cheeks flooded somewhere further south.
The silence was broken by Aiba, who opened the door and stumbled into the room. His hand was firmly pressed over his eyes, causing him to ricochet off the furniture as he made his way to the oven. “I’m not looking! But my pies are due to come out.”
Spell broken, Matsumoto and Nino made their way back into the café proper where Nino prepared takeaway coffees for a couple of customers, while Matsumoto grabbed a seat and checked his messages.
A slight frown creased the smooth skin between Matsumoto’s substantial brows. “Sorry, I just got a reminder that I have a meeting with the director of my new drama in fifteen minutes, so I have to go.”
“Here.” Nino stepped out from behind the counter and thrust a paper bag into Matsumoto’s hands and held out a takeaway cup. “Since you didn't eat or drink anything while you were here, take this for on the way.”
Matsumoto peeked curiously into the bag and took an appreciative sniff. It contained half a dozen small buns, still warm from the oven. “Thank you. They look wonderful.”
“Don't get too carried away, they're only milk buns,” Nino muttered, but his cheeks flushed pink from the compliment. “And this is a matcha latte to wash them down with. I hope that after the whole coffee charade, I’ve finally made something which you actually enjoy.”
“Really?” Matsumoto beamed. “I can assure you that this is now my new favourite drink in the world.”
“Soft idiot,” Nino muttered, inwardly preening.
“So...I’ll see you...” Matsumoto kept his eyes locked on Nino as he edged towards the door.
Suddenly shy, Nino shuffled his feet and nodded. “Um...yep…”
“Nino is free tonight,” Aiba yelled as he popped his head out of the kitchen. “Actually he is free every night.”
“AIBA!” Nino flung a milk bun at his friend’s face, but Aiba snatched it out of the air and took a happy bite as he retreated back through the doorway. “Sorry about that Matsumoto-san. My friend is an idiot.”
“So may I come back later after my meeting? My name is Jun, by the way, rather than Matsumoto-san.”
“If you like.” Nino tried to keep the excitement from his voice, with limited success. “I share the apartment upstairs with Aiba, so if you arrive after we close just ring the buzzer next to the front door here and I’ll come down and show you up.”
Aiba emerged from the kitchen and began to clear away dishes from a recently vacated table. He sidled over and attempted to wink. “I’m going to the movies tonight with Sho-chan so you two will be aaaallllll aloooone.”
“Ignore him.” Nino hastily walked with Matsumoto to the front door past the tables of girls who were now giggling and elbowing each other.
“I could bring dinner with me, if you like?” Matsumoto offered. “To pay you back for these?”
“Sounds good. I like hamburger. The expensive kind.” Nino grinned.
Matsumoto smiled back as he stepped out onto the pavement. “I know the perfect place.”
“Bye for now then, Jun-san.” Nino hovered in the doorway.
“Bye, Nino-san.” Matsumoto hovered on the pavement.
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Aiba popped his head over Nino’s shoulder, chanting. “Nino and Jun-san sitting in a tree, k– i –s –s –i—n … OW”
As Aiba rubbed his head where Nino’s hand had landed, Matsumoto finally managed to drag himself away from Nino’s orbit, walking away with a goofy smile towards the closest taxi rank.
Nino shooed Aiba inside, ignoring his joking complaints at Nino’s harsh treatment. Standing on the pavement and watching Matsumoto’s broad-shouldered figure weave through the other pedestrians, Aiba’s chant echoed through Nino’s head. Unconsciously he raised his hand and brushed his fingers lightly over his lips as the taxi pulled away.
