Café Lov

by Samantha Lau

  He talked with her for another short while, and on her advice texted Tom to make sure he also knew all had gone well and he was home safe and sound. Once everyone’s worries were calmed, he made himself ready for bed, trying not to let his mind wander back to that nice date.

  The following morning Vanya arrived at the shop early as usual. Tom arrived shortly after. It was Sasha’s day off, so Sally, the other waitress, was there in her stead, arriving five minutes before they opened. She was always arriving at the last minute, but so long as she was not late, Vanya didn’t mind.

  It was a quiet morning. Tatsuya had not lied, both of his neighbors had quite suddenly closed shop and the only movement around their facades seemed to be from people belonging to the demolition company, come early to assess the buildings and how best to bring them down. They were unlikely to start anything that day, but the knowledge didn’t make it any less upsetting. It was a rather depressing start to his morning after such a fun night out, and not even the usual pleasant memories his café brought him could lift his spirits. As he sat by the window of his shop during his break, Vanya wondered if he should have talked business last night after all. Not to sell, perhaps, but to ask what they would build. He had a right to know, didn’t he?

  A knock on the window caught his attention, and he looked up to find his sister smiling at him from outside the shop. She waved, then skipped to the door to come join him at his table.

  “What are you doing here?” Vanya almost pouted. “It’s your day off, aren’t you supposed to be as far away from work as a human can possibly be?” he joked.

  Sasha chuckled. “And leave my Vanya alone? No way~”

  He smiled. “Now, tell your brother the truth. Who put you up to this?”

  She smiled and spared a brief glance to the barista.

  “Tom,” he clicked his tongue, then asked teasingly, “Right, so, what’s the intervention for?”

  “Well, he was kind of worried that you were brooding around the place and scaring customers, so he called me to find what was going on in that little head of yours.”

  Vanya shook his head. “I wasn’t scaring anyone away.” He still waved a hand towards the outside though “It’s just this stupid thing, you know? Do you really think I’m doing the right thing by refusing to sell?”

  She reached over the table to grab his hand, cradled it between her own. “Vanya, this is your dream. Your business. Tom and I, we’ll support you with whatever you want to do. I know you’re really attached to this place, I don’t really have the same memories here than you do, but if you want to hold on to it, we’ll both stand by you. And if you want to sell and start over elsewhere, we will also stand by you. We just want you to be happy. And... you know, to still have a job. But mostly, we want you happy.”

  Her smile was warm, and despite the ‘joke’, Vanya couldn’t help but feel some relief at her words, even if his doubts remained.

  “I don’t want to sell,” he said softly “But he’s not giving me much of a choice. It’s a damn shame too he can be so hot and piss me off so bad all at the same time,” he grinned.

  Sasha rolled her eyes, but gave a sympathetic squeeze to his hand.

  “If you don’t want to sell, then don’t. We’ll be here for you.”

  He smiled again and pulled his hand away to instead grab one of hers, bringing it up to his lips to kiss it.

  “Thank you Sashenka.”

  “Psh,” she smiled “Don’t thank me. Just give me an extra day off~” she joked.

  Sasha didn’t stay much longer after that, and once she’d gone Vanya returned to his post at the counter.

  By the late evening the place was mostly empty. As they were near closing time and not really expecting any more customers for the day, Vanya had sent Sally home. Tom was wrapping up some cleaning duties while Vanya hunched over the counter going through some numbers.

  When Tatsuya’s car pulled up at the coffee shop, it wasn’t Vanya who saw it first but Tom; he called out to his friend.

  “Hey man, prince charming’s here. You want me to stay?”

  Vanya looked up, first at Tom, then at Tatsuya as the man approached the door. “No, it’s fine. I got this.”

  Tom nodded, finished up, then headed out, barely nodding Tatsuya’s way.

  “I’m still not selling, you know.” Vanya greeted, this time only half–joking.

  It was true that he didn’t really want to sell yet, but maybe, just maybe, his refusal wasn’t as set on stone yet. True, Sasha had said they would stand by him regardless, but making the sale and starting over somewhere else... it would be a big change for all of them.

  Tatsuya held up a hand in a way that indicated he wasn’t there for that. “I was nearby,” he said, “I thought I’d come by and see if you wanted to have some dinner.”

  Vanya considered him carefully. “I’m not really that hungry.”

  Tatsuya was good at hiding his feelings, Vanya noticed, but he could not hide fast enough the slight disappointment that crossed his features.

  “How about a drink then?” he insisted.

  Vanya smiled. “A drink? Something like a coffee? Oh, I know just the place,” he teased.

  Tatsuya seemed to hesitate briefly, clearly understanding and not expecting the offer, but then he smiled a bit and nodded once. He’d set himself up for it, after all.

  Vanya smiled and motioned him to a table. “What shall I make you?”

  It was a bit tricky to serve a table when you could only use one arm. Vanya could manage the tray one–armed, but Tatsuya still ended up being a gentleman and reaching to take the tray from him to help set things down. They settled at the table with their drinks and a sweet treat each, even if Tatsuya didn’t seem very fond of sweets.

  “I’ve been wondering,” Vanya started “What are you going to build?”

  “It’s a new company business,” Tatsuya answered easily enough, as it was no big secret. He took a small sip of his coffee. “My boss thinks he can make this the new business center, and since our company has been growing steadily, it won’t hurt to move the main base to a larger building.”

  Vanya nodded. “I see. So, what? If I don’t sell I’ll be in the middle of your new building?”

  Tatsuya grimaced briefly at the thought. “It’s very likely. Look, Ivan–”

  “Vanya.” At Tatsuya’s puzzled look, he added “You can call me Vanya.”

  “Vanya,” Tatsuya corrected himself, “I don’t want to put pressure on you, and this was definitely not my intention coming here tonight,” he stated. It was a half lie. His ultimate goal remained to try and get him to sell, but his intentions going over that night had been to try and ease the man to him. With that idea in mind, he opted for the truth. “But my boss can be... a bit hard–headed. I don’t think he’ll drop the idea, and I don’t think he would agree to move the building even if he could.”

  “I see.”

  “Let’s not talk about that now,” Tatsuya offered, not wanting to make him defensive. He reached out for Vanya’s hand, much like his sister had done earlier, yet his hold was different. It was tender in a different sort of way, and unlike in the car, Vanya didn’t pull back this time, even if he only had one hand to move freely.

  “Alright,” Vanya said, and smiled a little.

  6

  Those were only the first of several evenings the two of them would spend together. That following week, Tatsuya started coming almost every evening at closing time to invite Vanya out for dinner or a drink. Sometimes they went somewhere fancy, other times they stayed at Ivan’s café, or went to a nearby bar, or even just walked around town for a while if it wasn’t too cold. Once, Vanya had even taken Tatsuya for dinner at a fast food restaurant. They’d had plenty of fun, Tatsuya could not remember going to one since he’d been in high school. Vanya had made him tell him all about those days.

  On Vanya’s day off, Tatsuya even took him out for the day; they had lunch out and enjoyed some time together before going f
or dinner and a movie. It was a rather typical date, but Vanya was delighted with it.

  Every evening they’d spent together had been one of the best he could remember. Tatsuya seemed to like spending time with him. How could Vanya think the man had any sort of ulterior motives, when Tatsuya had not once spoken business without his own prompting, and when he’d been nothing but gallant and nice towards him? At some point, Vanya had stopped worrying about what ifs, and started enjoying the now.

  And ‘now’ was Tatsuya walking him to the car, a hand on his lower back as he guided him, letting go only when it was time to open the door for him. Vanya was almost sad that the night had been drawing to an end, and had been about to open his mouth to try and make the night last a bit longer when Tatsuya spoke up.

  “Would you like to come over to my place?”

  “Yes,” he answered without a thought. And that was all that was said for the entire ride.

  As it was to be expected, Tatsuya lived in the rich part of town, on the 10th floor of a rather tall, modern building that was all sharp angles and wide mirrored glass panes. There were only two apartments per floor, which meant the loft–like apartment he led Vanya up to was quite spacious. Like the building, the place was decorated in a modern fashion and sober colors; the electronics were high–end, the sofa ample and luxurious, the curtain–less windows tall from floor to ceiling. The open–floor plan left little to hide away. The kitchen had only an open counter that served as bar separating it from the dining/living area. The bedroom was only half–hidden behind a set of bookshelves.

  Vanya’s gaze took it all in, from the lovely but impersonal design, to the lack of photographs and the ultra–clean state of the bachelor’s apartment. Not that he was dirty or anything, but his own apartment was usually a bit of a mess. He could not have a date over without at least a day’s notice so he could tidy up.

  “This is very nice. Very... hospital–like,” he joked, looking from the room back to his date.

  Tatsuya seemed to take it for the joke it was.

  “Someone comes clean it daily,” he said, not that the place needed much more than a casual dusting. Tatsuya spent more time outside the apartment than in it, and only returned home to sleep.

  Vanya smiled when he offered to take his jacket, and let Tatsuya help him out of it. His shoulder was feeling better, but it still pulled and hurt some now and again.

  He watched as the man put the coats away, then approached his little bar and served two glasses of wine without asking. Vanya accepted his when it was offered and had a sip. It was definitely the best wine he’d ever tasted. He invited himself to the sofa; Tatsuya joined him a moment later, sipping his own drink.

  For the second time that evening, they fell into a comfortable silence as they had their drinks. Vanya, usually nosy, did not want to break the moment; Tatsuya, usually quiet, didn’t need to fill in the void with words – but he did reach out, his arm half–resting on the back of the couch while his fingers first massaged Vanya’s shoulder gently, then reached up to brush softly against his cheek.

  Like a puppy, Vanya found himself leaning to the soft touch. They’d not done much touching at all during their dates. Sometimes Tatsuya had reached for his hand or his cheek, his hold always brief. Other times Vanya had clung to Tatsuya’s arm, mostly in a momentary excitement to lead him somewhere, but it had always been brief too. This soft caress, slow and lingering, gave him a pleasant, tingly feeling. He smiled, and behind his glass Tatsuya smiled too.

  Then Tatsuya was reaching back for Vanya’s unfinished wine, putting it aside with his own before leaning back to Vanya and placing a kiss to his lips. It was soft and tentative. When Vanya leaned for a second kiss, it was nothing like the first. The hesitation turned to tenderness, which turned to eager exploration. Lips parted and tongues met and, at some point, arms wrapped tighter around the other’s body and pulled them closer together.

  For the longest time all they did was kiss. When finally Tatsuya pulled back, he reached for Vanya’s hand and pulled him up along with him, leading the way to the bedroom.

  Vanya let the man press him close once again when they were finally standing by the bed. He smiled as he leaned for another deep kiss, his hands first stroking over Tatsuya’s clothed chest, then seeking the buttons of his shirt to undo them, one by one, until the fine shirt was open wide. He tugged it out of the man’s pants and pushed it down his shoulders. He felt Tatsuya’s hands slip under his turtle neck shirt, and then the same careful touch was pulling the garment over his head, mindful still of Vanya’s wounded shoulder. The turtleneck joined the shirt on the floor of the room.

  While Tatsuya’s lips trailed soft kisses down his neck and shoulder (and then back up again), Vanya worked his belt and pants open. He slipped a hand in, stroked his need through the underwear. A soft sigh of pleasure right by his ear made him shiver.

  Tatsuya must have felt the soft shiver for he chuckled softly.

  As payback, Vanya smirked and pulled his hand back, only to push Tatsuya back onto the bed and climb on his lap.

  “You think it’s funny?” Vanya asked, gaze playful. “Let’s see if I can make you tremble.”

  This time Tatsuya let a soft laugh. It was the first time he laughed so freely, and to Vanya it was the most melodic sound he’d ever heard, the most beautiful sight to see his face brighten like that.

  “Yeah, laugh while you can.”

  Without more, Vanya pulled down his lover’s pants and underwear, all in one go. He leaned back over his naked lover, pushing Tatsuya’s hands away when the man tried to get him to the same level of undress he was in, placing soft kisses and licks down his chest, teasing nipples on his quest to reach lower, down strong abs and to the patch of black around his lover’s groin.

  Vanya took the base of his need in one hand, and gave one long lick from base to tip. Under him, Tatsuya shivered, his dark brown eyes fixing on Vanya’s lips. The blond man smirked up at him and, after teasing him a bit more with soft strokes and licks, took him in his mouth.

  Tatsuya’s hand came down at once to gently grasp onto that soft, short blond hair. His hips lifted, following those lips in an attempt to get more time in that deliciously warm mouth. But Vanya had other plans; he only teased him to full hardness before pulling back, kissing his way back up. Tatsuya’s lips were on him at once, the kiss deep and passionate, and this time Vanya let him roll them over. This time he let him remove his own pants, helping kick them off, kick his underwear off.

  Vanya complained when the other pulled away to find some lube, but the complaint was short lived. Their lips again locked until the intrusion of a slicked finger inside him made Vanya gasp.

  Tatsuya was a gentle but decided lover. Efficient as in everything he did, he teased Vanya open, pushing fingers in, seeking his soft spot to touch, stroking his need between them. As soon as Vanya was ready for him they fumbled with the condom and, not a moment later, Tatsuya was pushing in; slowly, carefully, patiently, and then steadily. First slow, then faster. First with longer thrusts, then shorter. Their soft moans of pleasure filled the room as they moved as one, hands caressing as much skin as they could reach, lips and tongue brushing and pressing to soft spots on the other’s skin, until they reached the height of their pleasure and released with pleased calls, Vanya first, then Tatsuya as his lover’s muscles squeezed him so delightfully.

  They lay panting for a short while, a tangle of arms and legs. Finally, slowly, Tatsuya pulled out and rolled over to get rid of the condom.

  Vanya’s eyes were closed when he felt Tatsuya’s weight return to the bed. He smiled when he felt a soft cloth clean away the stickiness on his stomach. He opened an eye to look up at his lover and was rewarded with a soft smile and a soft kiss.

  “You can sleep,” Tatsuya said softly.

  “Not yet,” Vanya smiled, bringing him down again for another kiss.

  ***

  When Vanya felt the warmth leave his side, he opened his eyes. At least he though
t he’d opened them then, but there must have been some sort of lag between feeling that on his dream world and actually opening his eyes, because when he’d finally blinked his way to awareness, Tatsuya was back by his side.

  The man had put on some light pants. He was sitting on the bed, back against the headboard, a hand holding up the newspaper, the other bringing a cup of coffee to his lips. Slim frameless glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, and Vanya couldn’t help a little sleepy chuckle at the sight.

  Tatsuya looked down at him, raising a brow. “What?”

  Vanya smiled widely, slowly propping himself up on an elbow.

  “Nothing,” he said, reaching carefully with his free hand to trace little circles on Tatsuya’s chest. “I didn’t know you wore glasses.”

  “Hm, just to read.” He put his newspaper down and set his mug aside on the night stand. “I made you coffee,” he said, the second cup waiting on the nightstand on Vanya’s side.

  Vanya looked back at it over his shoulder, then smiled and snuggled to Tatsuya instead.

  “Thanks.”

  He smiled more when Tatsuya stroked his hair gently, but his smile quickly faded when the man spoke up again.

  “I’m sorry, I have work today.”

  Vanya gasped, sat up a bit abruptly. “What time is it?” he asked, looking around for his pants, remembering his phone –his only watch– was in his pocket.

  “Quarter to eight, are you–”

  “Late~!” Vanya called, chuckling as he leaned to place a quick, deep kiss to Tatsuya’s lips, then pulled away “Can I use your shower real quick?”

  Though Vanya asked that, he was already heading for the bathroom, and Tatsuya waved a hand in silent acceptance before he was even done asking it.

  By the time he was done with the shower, Vanya was surprised to find Tatsuya already fully up and changed for work, just fixing his tie.

  “If you hurry up I’ll give you a ride,” Tatsuya teased, using the bathroom briefly while Vanya finished getting dressed.