Espresso in The Rain

Noah was on his third drink, and it was starting to show.

He wasn't drunk, not yet, but there was a comfortable warmth settling in his body, loosening the usual tension in his shoulders. The buzz of conversation around him blurred into the background, and for the first time since stepping into the bar, he didn't feel so out of place.

Or maybe it was because of him.

Elias had been watching him all night, a quiet, knowing gaze from behind the bar. Not in an overbearing way, but enough for Noah to feel it—enough for it to unsettle something inside him.

"So," Perth's voice cut through his thoughts, dragging his attention away from Elias. "You gonna sit here all night, or are you actually gonna have fun?"

Noah scoffed. "Define fun."

Perth grinned, tilting his head toward the dance floor. The lights pulsed softly, the music now a slow, sultry rhythm that had couples moving together, bodies pressed close.

Noah narrowed his eyes. "No."

Perth clutched his chest dramatically. "You wound me. Come on, Noah. Live a little."

Noah was about to shut him down again when another voice joined in.

"He doesn't have to dance with you, Perth."

Noah turned—Elias was there, standing impossibly close, his scent a mix of espresso and something subtly intoxicating.

Perth smirked. "Oh? And does he have to dance with you, then?"

Elias didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked at Noah, an invitation in his eyes.

Noah swallowed. "I—"

Perth laughed. "I love this. But fine, I'll leave you two to figure it out." He patted Noah's shoulder before disappearing back into the crowd.

Now it was just them.

Noah's fingers curled around his glass, heart beating a little too fast. "You're awfully persistent."

Elias leaned down slightly, just enough for his voice to be heard over the music. "Because I want to see something."

Noah hesitated. "See what?"

A slow, lazy smirk. "If you let go."

Noah opened his mouth, but Elias had already straightened, holding out a hand.

The weight of the moment settled between them.

The logical part of Noah told him to say no. That this was dangerous territory.

But then he saw it—the flicker of something genuine in Elias's expression, just beneath the usual confidence.

So against all reason, Noah reached out and took his hand.

The touch sent a jolt up his spine, Elias's fingers warm and solid around his.

Elias led him onto the dance floor, weaving through the crowd until they were surrounded by swaying bodies. The air was thick, heavy with something unspoken.

Noah barely had time to process before Elias pulled him close, one hand slipping to his waist, the other still gripping his fingers.

Noah sucked in a sharp breath. "I—"

Elias leaned in, his lips brushing just beside Noah's ear. "Just follow my lead."

And then they were moving.

Slow, deliberate steps. A subtle push and pull.

Noah had never danced like this before—never with someone so close, never with someone whose touch affected him like this.

His hands found their way to Elias's shoulders, gripping just slightly when Elias's fingers tightened around his waist.

Their movements weren't rehearsed, weren't perfect—but they fit.

Somewhere between the steady beat of the music and the intoxicating heat of Elias's body against his, Noah realized—

He was letting go.