Will's POV

There he was, sitting in the old armchair in the corner like he always did. He typed furiously at his computer like he always did, fingers flying across the keyboard as if the world depended on it. He always came in at the same time every day, sitting down in the armchair at precisely one thirty. He always ordered the same thing, a medium hazelnut latte with a shot of caramel. I always thought that a coffee order revealed a lot about a person. On the outside, he looked though and foreboding. His ripped black skinny jeans and skull tee shirt gave people the impression that he walked through life alone and didn't need anyone other than himself. But the hazelnut and the shot of caramel told me that inside, he was really a big softie. I approached his table for one.

"The usual, Nico?" I asked. He looked up, bleary eyed. He had dark bags underneath his eyes, signifying that he hadn't slept in a while. They stood out even more against his pale olive skin.

"Oh, yeah. Thanks Will, you're a lifesaver." He turned back to his computer screen, the harsh illumination of the screen lighting up his tired face.

"If you don't mind my asking, what are you working on?" I asked, pulling up a chair.

"Oh, it's an essay for my human rights class," he responded. "It's about LGBTQ+ rights, and Professor Brunner says it might be published. There aren't enough voices for us."

"Us?" I asked. "Are you gay?"

"Yeah," he said, giving me a sly smile. "What about you?" I felt my face redden.

"Oh, uh, I'm not quite sure yet. I'll go make your coffee." I rushed away before Nico could see my bright red cheeks.

I had always thought of Nico as a ladies man. A rebel who didn't care about getting girls, but they appeared at his side anyway. Now, I found out I was dead wrong. I had a chance with him. I put in a drizzle of caramel,a and an extra shot of caffeine. Nico looked like he could use it. I settled the cap on the cup and printed out the receipt. I was about to bring Nico his coffee, until a thought crossed my mind. I laid the receipt on the counter and scribbled a number on the paper. Then, I carried everything over to the table in the corner.

"Here's your coffee and receipt," I said, setting everything down in front of him. "And I wrote my number on the receipt. You know, in case you wanted to call me." He gave me a small grin.

"Maybe I will."

I heard my co- worker, Bianca call out to me. "Will! Customer!"

"Bye, Nico. See you tomorrow." He gave me a wave and turned back to his computer.

It was one twenty five the next day, and I scanned the campus coffee shop for the mass of black that usually sat in the corner, but it wasn't there. I craned my neck, searching the street for Nico, but he wasn't among the crowds walking, and the person walking through the door was a girl wearing a flowery sun dress. I looked back up at the clock. It was one forty.

"Will! Order!" Bianca called to me. I was forced to leave my perch at the counter.

"Hello," I said cheerily, putting on the fake smile I always used in public. "What would you like today?" The first boy, who looked eerily like Nico, spoke up. He wore all black, with a black leather jacket and black converse. His eyes twinkled with joy when he stared at the second boy, who I guessed was his boyfriend. He had curly blonde hair, like mine, and freckles adorned his tan face.

"I'll have a medium hazelnut latte," said the first boy. Almost exactly what Nico ordered, I thought to myself.

"And I'll have a large pumpkin spice latte," said the second boy. I widened my fake smile.

"Coming right up," I told them.

I imagined I was making Nico's coffee as I prepared the first boy's drink. Nico came in so often I could do it with my eyes closed. I was about to put put in the shot of caramel, until I remembered that I wasn't making Nico coffee. I was making someone else coffee. I brought the drinks over to the two boys. They were smiling and laughing, holding hands and grinning ear to ear.

"Here's your coffee," I said, sliding the piping hot drinks onto the table.

"You look sort of sad. You okay, man?" I guess my fake smile wasn't fooling the second boy.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I told him. Then, Bianca called me over to another table and I said goodbye to the two boys.

One O'clock

Two O'clock

Three O'clock

Four O'clock

Five O'clock

The hours ticked by, and the shop slowly emptied. I had long ago given up hope that Nico would be here today, but yet I stayed anyway, hoping for a glimpse of black among the crowds walking the campus streets, laden down with heavy textbooks or enjoying the cool autumn night with a friend. But now even the streets ha emptied, everyone heading back to their dorm or wherever they went at night. Strong winds rustled the multicolored leaves on the trees, and several drifted down from their branches and settled on the ground, which was wet from a light shower that had started up just a few minutes ago. I knew a thunderstorm was coming. The scent of rain was strong in the air and the wind was becoming more forceful with each passing minute. I knew I should leave before the storm got too bad, but I couldn't bring myself to leave just yet. I stood there in silence, listening to the rain, wind, and the steady ticking of the clock.

"Will?" Bianca's voice startled me out of my reverie. "What are you still doing here? Your shift ended an hour ago." I glanced up at the wall clock that sat just on top of the chalkboard that housed our specials and sure enough, it was now six O'clock. I looked around me. Only Bianca and I stood in the otherwise empty shop, and the lights had been shut off.

"I was just leaving," I sighed. "Just grabbing my coat." I grabbed my lightweight fall jacket and made a big show of putting it on. I waved goodbye to my co- worker and headed outside, hearing the familiar tinkle of the bell behind me.

I bared my head against the storm, rain pounding against the top of my head. Rain ran down my face, indistinguishable from the salty tears leaking out of my eyes. It was my fault Nico hadn't come today, and I knew it. I had come on to strong. I had driven him away, and now I'd probably never see him again. He wasn't in any of my classes, and there were plenty of other coffee shops on campus. I had ruined any chance I had of being with him. I knew I'd never see Nico ever again in my life.

Still, the next day at one twenty five, I scanned the coffee shop and craned my head to try to get a glimpse of the street. I was begging for a glimpse of black that would bring me a shred of hope. So when the bell rang at precisely one thirty, signifying another customer, my heart leapt at the slim possibility that it might be Nico.

There he was, standing in the doorway. He had his computer under one arm, and he gave me a happy wave. He sat down in his regular armchair, and I strolled over to his corner. I was about to greet him, but I stopped short once I saw his face.

"Nico, what happened to your eye?" He looked up at me, and I could clearly see that the eyelid was puffed up around it, and the skin was a mottled purple color.

"Oh, n- nothing," he stuttered. "Just some jerks hassling me because I'm gay."

"Is that why you weren't here yesterday?" He nodded morosely.

"I could barely walk. They ripped up your phone number, so I couldn't call you. I had to call in sick so I wouldn't have to go to class." He hung his head. "I'm really, really sorry."

"Well, lucky for you, i'm a med student, so I can fix you right up." I ran my finger underneath his eye. "How about I try to get off early, and you can come over to my place?" His smile was wide and genuine.

"I'd love that."

"Now," I said, my eyes sparkling. "How about some coffee?"

Hi guys! So first of all, Thank you so so much for 1k views! I never thought this would get farther than 300! Anyway, I hope you liked this one!

Nina