Work Text:
Today marked eight months since the breakup. It had been painful and he only now felt able to function as a normal human being.
At the moment, he was sitting in a cafe, sheltered from the weather outside, drinking hot coffee. His eyes tracked the people out on the sidewalk as they scurried back and forth. They sheltered themselves under umbrellas and folded newspapers, living their lives at a fast pace.
That had been him once upon a time.
People never had time to stop and appreciate what they had. A hard lesson he’d had to find out for himself - but one well worth learning. He had yet to meet anyone who understood that as well as he did now.
Since the breakup, he’d learned to slow down, enjoy the quieter moments.
The bell over the door jingled occasionally, someone stepping inside intent on grabbing a warm drink to chase away the cold. He watched them briefly, over the lid of his cup, before turning to look back down at the paper in front of him.
The one that he wasn’t really reading.
Music played softly overhead through speakers placed in the ceiling, a strange hodge podge of hits from different eras. A long, quiet sigh slipped from between his lips. What was he to do with his life now?
In truth, all he’d really wanted was to share it with someone special. He wasn’t sure he was ready to trust again. Maybe he should just find a hobby.
The bell jingled again and pulled him from his melancholy thoughts. He glanced up, forgetting to hide behind his coffee.
Luminous, warm brown eyes met his as the man who’d walked in shook the rain from his coat. Thick black hair, touches of grey at the temples, curled with moisture. Covered in scattered raindrops, it sparkled when lit up by the glow of the lights.
A smile, a nod of acknowledgement, and the man walked towards the counter.
Warmth stole across his cheeks - whether from being caught or his reaction, he wasn’t entirely sure. Without thought, his head turned to follow the man’s progress. That smile could light up a room.
Back to studying the ink on the paper, he saw warm brown eyes instead of words. A husky voice startled him from his reverie, “Mind if I share your table? There doesn’t seem to be anywhere else to sit.”
Lost for words, he could only nod. A quick glance around showed that, indeed, the other man was correct. Had he been sitting here that long?
“Thanks. I appreciate it. There’s a chill in the air with this cold rain, coffee seemed the perfect solution.”
He watched the lips move, heard the words, finally focused on the eyes. Everything about this man brought to mind a quiet warmth. His heart beat a little faster, watching the mouth curl up in a half smile, even as those thick, dark brows furrowed downwards.
“Am I…intruding?”
“Oh, no, not at all! Just enjoying the warm of the coffee, the cafe, like everyone else here.”
The brows straightened, the smile grew, “Yeah…yeah, I can understand that. Thanks again for letting me join you.”
He smiled back in return. Outside the rain continued in earnest. Both men became quiet, lost in their own thoughts as the words from a song overhead settled over them.
“I’ve been spending the last eight months, Thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end, But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again.”
He didn’t know the artist, wasn’t up to date on current music, but those words struck a chord in him. Blue eyes met brown across the table. Life was about change.