Espresso in The Rain

The night air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of rain on the horizon as Noah and Elias walked side by side down the quiet streets of Bangkok.

Noah's condo wasn't far from The Roasted Heaven, just a ten-minute walk, but those ten minutes felt oddly significant.

He stole a glance at Elias, who had his hands tucked into his pockets, his relaxed stride making it seem like he had all the time in the world.

"You didn't have to walk me home," Noah muttered, staring at the pavement.

Elias smirked. "And yet, here we are."

Noah huffed. "You're annoying."

"You've mentioned that before," Elias said, unfazed. "And yet, you keep coming back."

Noah scowled. "For the coffee."

Elias chuckled. "Right. Just for the coffee."

Noah's fingers tightened around the strap of his bag. He hated how easily Elias got under his skin, how effortlessly he turned every conversation into something teasing and smug.

They walked in silence for a moment before Elias spoke again, his tone softer this time. "You don't usually stay that late at the café."

Noah hesitated. "I was studying."

Elias hummed, unconvinced. "You seemed distracted."

Noah's jaw clenched.

He had been distracted.

Midterms were coming up, his mother was breathing down his neck about his future, and, worst of all, Elias had somehow become an intrusive thought he couldn't shake off.

"I just needed a break," Noah said, not looking at him.

Elias didn't push, but his silence carried weight.

They reached Noah's condo, a sleek high-rise that stood against the night sky. Noah turned to Elias, clearing his throat. "Well. Thanks for walking me."

Elias tilted his head. "You sound like you're trying to get rid of me."

"Maybe I am."

Elias chuckled. "Alright, Kim. I'll let you off the hook—for now."

Noah rolled his eyes. "How generous."

Elias took a step back but then hesitated, eyes flickering toward Noah's face as if considering something.

Then, with a lazy smirk, he said, "Don't stay up too late thinking about me."

Noah's brain short-circuited. "Wha—? I—"

But Elias was already turning away, waving over his shoulder as he disappeared down the street.

Noah stood there, frozen, the warmth of embarrassment crawling up his neck.

"Fucking asshole," he muttered under his breath, stomping inside.

The next morning, Noah regretted everything.

His sleep had been restless, and now, sitting in the engineering lab, he was paying the price. His eyelids felt like they had weights attached to them, and no amount of coffee was helping.

Santa plopped into the seat beside him, nudging him with an elbow. "You look like shit."

"Thanks," Noah mumbled, rubbing his temples.

Santa smirked. "Stayed up late jerking off?"

Noah groaned. "Why are you like this?"

Santa shrugged. "I say what everyone's thinking."

Noah gave him a deadpan look. "No one was thinking that."

Santa grinned but then narrowed his eyes. "Wait… are you actually sleep-deprived because of a certain hot café owner?"

Noah choked on his coffee.

"Oh my god." Santa's eyes widened. "It is Elias, isn't it?"

"Shut up," Noah hissed, glancing around.

Santa gasped dramatically. "Did something happen?"

Noah groaned, dropping his head onto the desk. "Nothing happened. He just walked me home."

Santa wiggled his eyebrows. "Oh, just walked you home? Did you stare at his muscles while he did it?"

Noah kicked him under the table.

Santa yelped, rubbing his leg. "Damn, fine, I'll stop."

But he was still grinning.

Noah sighed. "I don't even like him."

Santa snorted. "Yeah, and I don't like bubble tea. We all tell ourselves little lies."

Noah buried his face in his hands.

This was going to be a long day.

Later that evening, Noah found himself—against all logic—back at The Roasted Heaven.

He told himself it was because he needed a quiet place to study.

He told himself it was because the coffee was good.

He refused to acknowledge the real reason.

Elias was behind the counter, sleeves rolled up again, effortlessly making drinks like he was born to do it. He spotted Noah immediately and smirked.

"Back already?"

Noah scowled. "I needed coffee."

Elias leaned against the counter. "Of course. Just for the coffee."

Noah exhaled sharply. "You're unbearable."

Elias chuckled. "You keep saying that, but you're here."

Noah ignored him, stepping up to order.

Perth, who had been standing nearby, smirked as he handed Noah his drink. "You know, if you two just fucked already, it would save us all a lot of time."

Noah nearly dropped his cup.

Elias burst out laughing.

And Noah seriously considered never coming back.