Espresso in The Rain

Noah should have been having fun.

Perth had dragged him back to the booth, handing him another shot with a victorious grin. Santa had joined them at some point, laughing as he clinked his glass against Noah's before throwing back his drink. The energy around them was light, filled with conversation and playful teasing, yet—

Noah couldn't focus.

Not when he could still feel the weight of Elias's touch on his waist. Not when his body still hummed with the ghost of their almost-moment on the dance floor.

And especially not when he could feel Elias's gaze burning into him from across the bar.

It was maddening.

He'd barely spoken to the man before tonight, and now his entire body was hyper-aware of him. It wasn't fair—how easily Elias had gotten under his skin.

Santa nudged his shoulder, pulling him back to the present. "You okay? You've been weirdly quiet."

"I'm fine," Noah muttered, downing the shot in front of him. The burn did little to distract him from the real problem.

Santa followed his gaze, then smirked knowingly. "Ah. I see."

Noah stiffened. "See what?"

Santa leaned in, lowering his voice. "You and Elias."

"There is no me and Elias," Noah hissed.

Santa raised an eyebrow. "Right. So you were just... inspecting his shirt fabric back on the dance floor?"

Noah scowled. "Perth told you."

Santa shrugged, grinning. "It was hard to miss. And honestly, I don't blame you."

Noah groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Can we not talk about this?"

Santa laughed. "Sure, sure. But just so you know, he hasn't stopped looking at you all night."

Noah made the mistake of glancing toward the bar.

Elias was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, eyes locked right on him. He wasn't even trying to be subtle about it.

Noah's stomach flipped.

He needed air.

Muttering an excuse, he pushed himself up and wove through the crowd, slipping out into the alleyway behind the bar. The cool night air hit him instantly, a welcome contrast to the heat still lingering in his veins.

He exhaled slowly, running a hand down his face.

This was ridiculous.

He didn't do this—he didn't get flustered over some guy he barely knew.

So why—

The door creaked open behind him.

Noah turned, already knowing who it was before he saw him.

Elias.

The door swung shut, leaving them alone in the quiet alleyway, the muffled music still thrumming in the background.

Noah swallowed. "Are you following me now?"

Elias tilted his head. "You left in a hurry."

Noah crossed his arms. "Maybe I needed some air."

Elias took a step closer. "Or maybe you needed space."

Noah's fingers tightened around his biceps. "What do you want, Elias?"

Elias didn't answer right away. Instead, he closed the remaining distance between them, stopping just close enough that Noah could smell the faint mix of coffee and whiskey on him.

Noah's breath hitched.

Elias studied him, eyes dark and unreadable. "Tell me to stop," he murmured.

Noah's pulse pounded in his ears.

He should.

He should tell Elias to back off, to stop looking at him like that, to stop making him feel things he didn't have room for.

But he didn't.

And when Elias reached up, fingers brushing lightly against Noah's jaw, Noah let him.

His lips parted slightly, something traitorous in him leaning forward—

Then the door banged open again.

Noah jumped back just as Perth stumbled into the alleyway, blinking at them.

"Oh—am I interrupting?"

Elias exhaled sharply, his hand dropping away. "Yes."

Perth snorted. "Well, too bad. Santa's looking for you, Noah."

Noah cleared his throat, stepping back, putting much-needed space between him and Elias.

"Right," he muttered. "I should—"

Elias's jaw tensed, but he nodded. "Go."

Noah hesitated for half a second before turning on his heel and heading inside.

But as he walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just left something very unfinished behind.