The morning was another struggle to get out of bed, Garou holding onto me even tighter than yesterday. "Garou!" The blankets were almost falling off the bed from all my kicking as I pushed his head. "Sorry Y/n, but you got it easy yesterday. No way you're escaping me now," His piercing yellow irises stared into my own, glinting with playfulness. "Garou~" A whine escaped my lips; I was starting to feel slightly annoyed since we had been doing this for almost ten minutes now.

Instead of kindly letting me go though, Garou continued latched on to me. "Don't go, Y/n! You're just gonna leave me here by myself?!" I sighed heavily as he tried to guilt trip me, acting like a toddler. Gently punching the top of his head, my lips curved into a soft smile. "Don't worry, idiot, you'll see me once my shift is over. It's short today so I won't be gone for long,"

A small chuckle came from Garou's chest, the sound and the situation making me turn a deep rose color. "So you'll be home early?" My hand touched his cheek, rubbing it softly. "Yes, yes, I'll be home early. Or better yet, just meet me at the cafe once I get off. My shift ends at two, so that way we can explore the city a bit and grab dinner or something."

His rough, calloused palm sat on top of mine and his arms fell away from my body so that he was sitting upright again, rather that curled up on me. Garou grinned, a genuine smile that made my heart bounce around the same way his laugh did. "I'd like that, Y/n." His feelings spilled from slightly chapped lips without a second thought, once again making me feel completely flustered. "I-I'd... I'd like that too!"

"Well, I hope so. You're the one who offered it, stupid."

"Oh, shut up."

I pushed him off of me with red ears, Garou lazily falling back onto the bed will snickering to himself. After getting ready, I left the apartment without saying goodbye since I thought he might already be asleep again. The comfy black hoodie that had kept me warm yesterday wasn't with me today, so I had resigned to wearing some of my own clothes.

The navy striped cream sweater that I had on was cute, but the fashionably large holes in the knitting definitely didn't keep me as toasty in the chilly morning air. I rubbed my arms, shivering a little as I made my way to the cafe in the early hours of the day, awake much before the sun. By the time I had made it, my hands were trembling as I struggled to unlock the building.

After many tries, the key made it into the lock and I pushed open the doors, the bells jingling cheerfully. Careful to lock it back, I turned on the lights and adjusted the thermostat to something more comfortable. The life returned to my fingers as I was putting my uniform on, which consisted of a graphic long sleeve that depicted the store's logo and name, along with bottoms of my choice and a black apron. Today I had on a pair of light wash jeans with some distressing details.

Tying my apron tight, I then reached for the broom to sweep the floor before open. When I got out, there was a knock against the glass; I turned to see a familiar figure, tall in stature, outside waiting patiently for me to unlock the door. "Makoto-senpai!" I recognized my coworker and rushed to let him in.

"Ahh~" Makoto came in with a sweet smile, his nose tinted a cute red color. "Much better... Thanks, Y/n-chan. It's still way to cold to be spring yet, huh?" I nodded, tucking my keys into my apron pocket after locking up once again. "Tell me about it. My walk here is always awful..." Makoto chuckled, rubbing my head, his fingers still cold. "You have to be careful, 'kay? I wouldn't want you to catch a cold or anything!"

There it was. The sweet, caring nature paired with his natural good looks were what drew me into a hopeless crush when I first started working here. Luckily for me, I was able to rid myself of those feelings for my senpai once I heard that he had a girlfriend. That didn't mean, though, that I didn't like having his full attention or receiving affectionate gestures. It just meant that I would pretend not to notice my heart fluttering when that did occur.

"How was your trip?! I heard that you and your girlfriend went on a tropical vacation, right?" I subconsciously began to make conversation, although I really was interested to hear what he had to say. Makoto sighed with a sad smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well... About that. My girlfriend, she... She broke up with me."

The broom in my hands, clattered to the floor as my eyes widened with disbelief. "Are... Are you serious?!" Mixed feelings bubbled up in my chest, the most prominent one being anger. It was like someone had disrespected my senpai by rejecting him and I was taking personal offense. Makoto held up his hands, smiling a little more genuinely now. "It's really no big deal. I could tell that things weren't going very well with us anyways. In the end, it just boiled down to the fact that I just didn't have enough money to keep her interested. She's from a rich family, you know... They paid for the vacation to kinda soften the blow, I guess."

"Still!" I stomped my foot on the ground, pouting with my arms crossed. "Does she realize the huge mistake that she just made?!" Makoto blushed a little at my words, his smile getting even bigger at my reaction. "I'm glad that you feel that way, Y/n-chan. It makes me happy to know that someone like you cares for me." His hand found its way to my head again, this time his palms nice and warm. "To be honest, I'm a little relieved myself. I wouldn't want to be with someone who cares about that kinda stuff."

"That's true..." My voice trailed off as I sulked, trying to hide how much I enjoyed his touch. "See? It's not so bad... Plus, this must just mean that I'm destined to meet someone even better!" Forever an optimist, Makoto seemed to be the one cheering me up rather than vise versa. I couldn't help but giggle from his sunny attitude, the tension falling away from my body little by little.

He disappeared into the back to get changed as well while I resumed my morning duties. The pastries that Haruhi had prepared last night were currently baking in the oven now, the aroma of sweet bread filling the cafe. Soon it would be mixed with the earthy scent of freshly brewed coffee, creating the daily perfume of our cafe.

I walked into the backroom to empty out the dustpan and store away the broom when Makoto shut his locker door, revealing his shirtless self. "Hey look! My store keys were in here the whole time!" He laughed, his emerald eyes crinkling while I tried desperately not to look at his toned body. "Look, Y/n-chan, I got pretty tan didn't I?"

"Well, I mean, he asked me to look... It's not like I'm doing this of my own accord."

Lifting my gaze, I noticed that his skin was deeply tanned with little hints of sunburn on his shoulders. "Wow, you really did get tan! And a little sunburned," I teased playfully, Makoto shyly ducking his head with a chuckle. "Yeah, that was my bad. It's nothing to worry about though, just a little color."

"You still have to be careful. What if you got badly burned, huh?"

"I know, I know! I can't make you worry about me, so I'll do better in the future." He pulled his shirt over his head, somehow keeping his fawn brown hair perfectly messy and then slipped on the standard black apron. Turning around, he held the two cloth strips. "Could you tie my apron for me, Y/n-chan?"

"Sure," As I went to grab the ties, my fingers brushed over his, a sensation that would forever prove the cliches right. Ignoring the girlish thumping in my chest, I quickly tied the bow, tapping his broad shoulder once I finished. "There ya go!" His seemingly permanent smile got brighter after my response. "Thanks! Now let's finish getting ready for open,"

"Right!"

********************************************

Opening had gone smoothly and now the day was in full swing. The first lull of the morning had finally given Makoto and I a well deserved break, both of us casually leaning against the counter and talking about nothing. The bells came to life as the door was roughly forced open, Haruhi bursting through with her usual spunk. "Ah, it's so cold! Why is it so cold?! It's about to be spring!"

"Well good morning to you too," I giggled from my position on top of the counter where the cash register was. "Yeah, yeah... Imma go change," She stomped off, taking extra care to slam the backroom door as hard as possible. Makoto propped his head up on his hands, leaning next to me. "So what do you think that culprit is today?"

I tapped my cheek, thinking over what could have deterred Haruhi from sleeping. "Probably went clubbing and lost track of time." Makoto chuckled, straightened so that tap his fist against his horizontal palm. "Sounds about right to me."

"YOU'RE WRONG!" Haruhi screamed from the back, somehow able to hear us. Makoto glanced at me, our eyes meeting, before both of us broke out into fits of laughter. We were still laughing when she came out, but as soon as she glared at us our voices were quelled. I shakily handed her a fresh cup coffee, pure black because she wouldn't drink it any other way.

Without a word, Haruhi snatched the cup and took a sip, the scalding temperature not a concern to her. "Ahh~ Much better, thanks." A grin was finally on her face, putting Makoto and myself at ease. "No problem, Haruhi-chan."

"So, Mako," She paused to take a sip of her bitter liquid. "How was that fancy vacation with your hot babe, huh?" Makoto bashfully explained the same story as he did to me earlier. Haruhi nodded along, accepting all the information without so much as batting an eyelash. "Hmm, yeah sounds about right."

"Haruhi!"

"What?!" She spat back, running her fingers through her short mop of brown hair. "I coulda told you that she was whore from the beginning. It was gonna happen sooner or later, ya know. Besides," Haruhi finished the rest of her drink in one big gulp. "I bet you wanted to break up with her anyways, you just didn't have the courage too."

Makoto blinked twice, a look of shock on his face, before it melted away into a timid grin. "Was it that easy to tell?" Haruhi scoffed, flipping her bangs with a smirk. "To me yes. But I'm sure to most normal people, they couldn't be able to tell." At this, she eyed me. I blushed, my arms crossed as I looked away. "How was I supposed to know?! I'm not a mind reader like you, Haruhi!"

"Speaking of which," Crushing her cup, she aimed for the trash can, and threw it, making it into the hole without any problem. "Is Garou gonna visit again today?" This time instead of a light blush, bright red stung my cheeks. "What does that have to do with anything?!" She smirked at my reaction, tapping her cheek with a wink. "Felt like you were thinking 'bout him! Guess I'm right on the money, aye?"

"Who's Garou?" Makoto, clueless to the current situation due to his vacation, glanced between the two of us with bright eyes. "Oh! You don't know yet, do you Mako?" Haruhi leaned in teasingly, slyly looking from me to him. Terrified of what might come from her mouth next, I quickly tried to come up with something to say. "Garou?! He's! He's just a friend of mine! That's all! Nothing more!"

Haruhi pushed me back, her phone flashing before Makoto's eyes. "Don't listen to her! Instead, look at these pictures from yesterday!" I grabbed her wrist, desperately pulling back. "No! Don't do that!" Makoto watched us struggle, only to let out a gentle laugh. "Haruhi-san, if Y/n-chan doesn't want me to look at those pictures, then I hate to tell you, but I'm not going to."

"Senpai~" I warmly smiled at my handsome coworker, happiness bubbling up in my chest. "Ugh! You two are so goody-goody!" Haruhi snatched her phone back with an eye roll. Makoto bashfully rubbed his neck before meeting my gaze, leaning in close. "Don't mind her, Y/n-chan," His whispers tickled my cheek, another chuckle escaping with them. "But just so you know, I do like it when you call me senpai. It's cute,"

I ducked my head while he broke out into more open laughter. His large hands tousled my hair gently, only worsening the crimson blush on my face. Haruhi watched us, scoffing again like she was having the worst day of her life.

********************************************

"Haruhi-chan! Can you help me with the pastries?!" I called out from the kitchen, flour dusting my nose and coating my hands. I was trying to prepare the dough for the baked goods that would be sold tomorrow, but my current messy situation made it hard for me to get the plastic wrap out and wrap the dough balls.

Instead of the boyish brunette coming into the kitchen, a taller and more masculine figure came in her place. "Sorry, I heard your cry for help and couldn't resist, especially since Haruhi's out for lunch right now." Makoto explained, washing his hands with a shy grin. Smiling brightly, I shook my head. "No, I'm grateful for any help that I can get! I just called Haruhi-chan out of instinct, I guess."

"Well that makes sense, you two are best friends." Makoto dried his hands on a towel before reaching into a drawer and pulling out the cardboard box of plastic wrap. "Maybe this sounds silly, but just know that you can call for me like that anytime as well." His back was turned when he said this, but that didn't make me feel any less embarrassed. Old feelings were getting stirred up again, ones that I had tried so hard to bury deep.

"T-Thanks, Makoto-senpai... That means a lot." He turned back around just in time to see my blushing mess of a face staring down at my feet. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he brought the box over and began to tear off squares. I handed him the dough in small balls so that it would be easier to use later and he wrapped them in the plastic.

Soon, everything was done and all the dough was neatly packaged. "There, all done! Thanks for your help, senpai!" He kindly smiled, his green eyes crinkling slightly. "No problem, Y/n-chan," A matching grin found its way to my lips, becoming more impish as I held out my messy hands, still covered it dough. "Here, have some dough as a reward!"

"What?!" Makoto laughed, backing away quickly as I tried to touch him with my sticky fingers. "Stop it!"

"Never!" I continued to chase him, his joyful tone of voice making his plead less convincing. Makoto continued to evade me until I had backed him into a corner, his shoulders touching the wall with my dough covered fingers edging closer. "Poke~" I was about to prod his cheek when the door chimes went off. Makoto smirked at me, sticking his tongue out. "Saved by the bell, literally!"

Giggling, I let him out and started to wash the junk off of my hands. After getting rid of all the dough that had stuck to every part of my fingers, dried my palms off and headed out to see if Makoto needed any help.

When I got out to the cafe area, a familiar face was waiting for me. "Y/n!" Garou broke out into a smile, completely interrupting Makoto who had been talking to him. "Hey! Aren't you kinda early?" I glanced at the clock to have my suspicions proven correct; it was only 1:26. Garou cocked his head, looking over at the analogue clock that hung on the wall.

Reading the time, he shrugged. "I guess, yeah. Does it really matter?"

"Well I mean, if you don't mind waiting..."

"How long?"

"Until two... Like I told you this morning."

Garou sighed and crossed his arms, almost like he was pouting. "Fine, whatever, I'll wait." After hearing that, I turned back to Makoto who had been patiently waiting for me to explain. "Sorry about that, senpai. This is Garou, my friend that Haruhi was talking about earlier. Garou, this is Makoto."

"Oh, so that's who this is! I was getting a little concerned when he came in and demanded to see you, but I understand now." Makoto extended his hand with a smile that almost seemed strained. Garou grabbed his hand with narrowed eyes, neither of them seeming very friendly with one another as they shook hands.

"Can't he just get along with any of my friends?!"

"Okay~" I wiggled in between them, gently pushing the two boys apart. "Well, Garou, I gotta get back to work, but you can hang out around here if you'd like."

"Alright, I might leave and come back though." He glanced around, already getting kinda bored of the idea of having to sit here. I had already disappeared behind the cafe bar, the machines steaming as I made a small latte. Carefully pouring in the cream, I tried to keep all the ripples as neat as I possibly could. "There!"

"Huh? What'd you make, Y/n-chan?" Makoto glanced over my shoulder, looking down at my latte art. His eyes widened slightly when he saw it and he almost looked slightly paler, but it could have just been the light. "I know, I'm not very good... Haruhi's still trying to teach me how to do the hard stuff." I explained shyly as we walked out from behind the bar.

I placed the cup in front of Garou who was simply staring off into space. "I doubt this will keep you entertained for long, but I felt bad that you came so early, so here." He snapped out of his daze and looked down at the coffee. Garou grinned when he saw the design, the white cream making a swirly heart in the light brown coffee. "Cute... That's not half bad, Y/n."

"I'll take that as high praise!" Giggling, I winked at him, truly excited that he at least found it cute. He was about to take a sip, when a sudden warmth on my cheek distracted me. Sliding across my cheekbone, a thumb brushed away something that I couldn't see.

"You had flour on your cheek, Y/n-chan." Makoto guided my body to face him, his smile still as mesmerizing as ever. His fingers them touched my tip of my nose, softly wiping there too. "And there too." Heat rushed to my face, partially from embarrassment that I had flour on my face this whole time, partially because of Makoto's gentle touch.

The clang of china hitting against one another jolted me out of my daydream. Garou abruptly stood up, glaring at the two of us. "I don't want to bother you while you're working, Y/n. I'll see you at two."

"Garou! Wait-" But before I could protest, he slammed the door on his way out, making the bells cry out in fear. A sigh escaped my lips; I could never tell what he was thinking. "Ugh! He's basically a little kid..." My hands delicately picked up the cup and saucer. Inside, there was still half of the latte that I had made. And for some reason, that really stung.