Coffee and Connor

"What do you mean by you feel something?"

"Ssshhh... Keep it down will ya?" Evan said hurriedly looking around.

"No one's listening dude."

"I didn't say I am feeling something for him but what I am feeling is weird around him," Evan said sipping his overly sweetened coffee.

Steven gave him a 'really' look "Same thing dude, but that's not the point, the point is what is this you are feeling?"

Evan narrowed his eyes looking at the excitement of Steven. "You are enjoying it too much" he mumbled accusingly.

"What pfft... no, I am just worried about you" Steven faked the concern making a sad face.

"More like waiting for the chance to throw Daniel away from my life."

Hearing this Steven stopped with the fake concern and gave him I give up look. "You got me and well I am not in favour of yours and Daniel relation; I accept it but don't favour or support it. Sorry mate but that guy is not good for you and I have said it before." Steven said it with a finality taking a sip of his own sugar-free coffee.

Evan rolled his eyes "Enough with the smash the Daniel game, let's talk about something else. What is with you and Godzilla? Didn't he settle with the wedding date?"

Steven sighed as if a huge weight has been placed upon his shoulders. He shook his head "No, and all because of Claire"

"Claire... what happened to her?" Evan started his laptop.

"Don't know clearly but Aahan was talking about a bet and break up or something along those lines. She is more or less on her periods making her extra cranky and he is too invested with her to be happy himself and leave her sad."

Evan nodded typing in the log-in password as his screen switched to the home screen.

"He has his priorities set and there is nothing wrong with that, after all, she is his best friend and has been a part of his life long before you guys met. He is a good man only he is just too emotional sometimes," Evan commented his fingers rapidly patting the keys.

"Tell me about it, why did he have to be cancer? His moods change faster than a seven-month pregnant woman." Evan smiled at that, looking up at Steven with raised brows "Excuse me?"

Steven looked oblivious for a second or two before it clicked to him "Oh... oh Sorry I...I didn't mean it like that you know—I just..."

"Yeah, I know what you mean I experience it too sometimes but if Aahan is having those mood swings quite often then get him diagnosed probably, just to be safe." Steven nodded some doubts settling in his mind.

For the next few minutes, Evan kept himself busy with the plot of his novel and Steven thinking about Aahan's mood changes and if they are something to be worried about.

"Do you know someone named Connor McKnight?" Evan asked suddenly out of the blue.

Steven looked at him for a second before his eyes narrowed. "No, I am telling you there are feelings in there."

"It's not! Just curiosity," Evan mentally slapped himself for even asking.

"Alrighty then, you do your work while I do mine," Steven said standing and picking up his and Evan's empty cup. "I'll proofread it when it's done." Evan nodded smiling, looking up at him.

Time passed by in a flow, downpour outside gradually lightened up to a drizzle, people crowding up the streets again. Evan only got up once to take a leak otherwise he was invested in his characters too much to notice the odd pair of eyes looking at him from the corner of the shop. One red and another green both made a stark contrast with his raven and midnight blue hair. Often the people in the shop gave him a curious look. The cap he was wearing was doing less to nothing to hide his features and if that scar across his face was anything but a giveaway to his identity.

"You know I met someone familiar lately," Steven said appearing sometime later.

"Yeah who," Evan asked saving the freshly written chapter he had just completed.

"Lucky guess,"

"Umm... your ego"

"Har har..." Steven took his seat.

"It's been quite some time since you've met it."

"I am serious"

"Really?" Evan quirked an eyebrow, Steven used to be quite obsessed with his looks and his pride was literally on his head until he met Aahan who brought him down to earth if not quite ruthlessly at that. He remembers the first day Steven came straight to his apartment crying and depressed as if someone has killed his dog in front of him. In fact, it was Aahan who on their first date tired hearing about Stevens looks told him in the face how his ex-boyfriend is a lot better looking than him and he looks like a hobo monkey compared to him. Surprisingly it was the first time Steven met rejection and quite harshly at that.

"Okay, I saw Roman a few days ago." Steven spilt.

"Roman?" Evan asked confused not remembering anyone of this name.

"You don't remember? He was bestie with your oh lala man." Realization dawned on Evan's face.

"Ugh... please don't." he looked disgusted just remembering that oh lala man.

"Come on, you said it yourself his love was really true if only not crazy." Steven grinned slightly.

"Austin was more than just crazy and end it with him... how did you meet Roman anyway?"

"Saw him a few days ago in the Richards square. He was shopping, I think."

"You think? And why was he even here? Last time I heard of him, his dad had sent him to some never-never land." Evan could feel his nerves picking its pace.

"Who knows?" Steven shrugged before his eyes sweep over the lines appearing on Evan's forehead. "Chill out dude, that was years ago his presence could be a coincidence." Steven realized he made a mistake by telling Evan about Roman.

Evan looked at him with blank eyes and it was moments before he opened his mouth. "Did you meet him?"

"No... I saw him from the window of a shop. I was buying stuff for the bakery."

"Did he----"

"No"

Steven scooted his chair closer to Evan "There's nothing to worry about Evan. It was all past, a long ago and it has been years. Austin is never coming back and you made sure of that yourself." Patting his back he tried his best to comfort his troubled friend. Sometimes words aren't just enough and what is needed is someone to be by your side, someone like Steven, a friend that understands him.

Evan nodded smiling or attempted to because Steven could tell just from the shaking of the corner of his lips. He mentally berated himself for not thinking before opening his mouth and tried to distract Evan.

"Are you finished? Let me have a look then." Steven grabbed the laptop from the front of Evan moving it to face him. For the next few hours, Steven and Evan sat there discussing the edits and writing style of the chapter.

Somewhere in that time the mismatched eyed stranger got up and left with a satisfied grin on his face.

Evan doesn't know why but at that very moment he had a sudden urge to look up at the door and giving in he did but what he caught was only a flash of sky blue jacket.

His eyebrows furrowed as he dismissed the thought and the weird feeling that came with it.

"All righty then this should do, better than the draft?" Steven asked looking up at Evan who looked back at him.

"Yeah, I'll send it to the editor he has the final word after all." Steven nodded.

"Another coffee," he asked Steven asked getting up.

"Sure."

Evan's thought drifted back to Roman and Austin as soon as Steven left. Even today a dark shiver runs down his spine thinking about it. Those were some dark times, really dark. And now today when he turns back and looks back at his stupid self making stupidest mistakes he doesn't want anything more than to punch hard across his own face.

But the truth is also that if it weren't for those times, those experiences he went through then he wouldn't be sitting here as he is today. Experiencing the reality of life, the hard and cold bitter truths and reality that beats down at every step that you can't escape through and it all came to him after he went through it all. His hard cold heart that forms a shield to protect against love and prevent him from falling in that traps again.

Life is beautiful it truly is but only if you accept it in all its forms and adapt yourself to its harsher parts.

"Penny for your thoughts," Steven put down the cup gently in front of Evan while taking his own place.

Evan held the warm cup with both his hands letting the heat seep through "Thinking about the next chapter."

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