Next Friday night Alex is standing behind the coffee shop counter, serving customers, he doesn’t usually work here, he just plays his music, but Zack said something about needing to go somewhere for 10 minutes, so Alex stepped in, not wanting Zack to have to close the shop.

After serving the last customer in the queue Alex sits down and starts playing around with some chords on his guitar checking he’s got the new arrangements down for the new song he wrote for the dark haired boy now also known as Jack.

Alex doesn’t notice when the bell above the door rings or when the dark haired boy walks towards the counter.

However he does notice when he leans over and clears his throat causing Alex to jump and fall of his chair.

‘shit, m’sorry, didn’t mean to scare you’ Jack says

Alex looks up and freezes eyes growing wide, he opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out, he opens and closes his mouth a few times before he realises how weird he must look to him.

He quickly stands up, ‘Uh don’t worry about it, how can I help?’ Alex asks letting out a shaky breathe and keeping his eyes to the ground.

Jack looks at him questioningly ‘ I uh left my book here last week I was just wondering if it was still here?’

Alex nods and goes to get the book Zack had put in the office last Friday.

When he comes back out of the office he sees that Jack is sat down in his usual spot, looking around to see if anyone is going to need serving soon he heads over to his table.

Jack looks up and smiles at Alex as he approaches him, Alex’s breathe catches in his throat trying to recover he says ‘H-here you go’ as he passes the book to Jack their hands touch slightly, Alex jumps back bringing his hands to his chest the other covering the one Jack touched, Jack laughs and Alex blushes.

‘You want your usual?’ Alex asks staring at the floor.

‘How do you know my usual you don’t work here do you?’

Alex’s eyes widen ‘Uh- i – i, no I don’t, but I’ve heard you order a few times’ Alex says trying to sound casual while cursing himself and blushing even more.

Jack just smiles and nods.

Alex goes off to get his drink and brings it back to him, ‘why don’t you sit down with me?’ Jack asks motioning to the chair opposite him.

Alex stares at Jack not knowing what to say.

‘ I – i gotta look after the shop for Zack, maybe some other time’ Alex says turning away, Jack grabs his hand quickly.

Alex lets out a shaky breath, ‘the place is literally empty, and they all seem to be good on drinks, sit down’ Jack says, Alex does as he is told, he brings his legs to his chest and wraps his arms around them looking at the floor and everywhere but Jack.

Jack just stares at Alex trying to figure him out.

‘Why are you so shy? When you sing your amazing, you don’t look nervous at all, yet sitting here with me, you looked terrified’

Alex just shrugs not knowing what to say. He looks up at Jack through his eyelashes. ‘I love my music and I can lose myself in it, it just feels like me when I’m singing and playing, I guess I’m just socially awkward when it comes to people’ Alex sighs, he’s not making a good first impression.

Alex goes back to looking out the window, its silent until Jack speaks again. ‘What were you playing earlier, when I scared you?’

Alex blushes knowing he is talking about the song he wrote for him, ‘uh just this song I wrote the other day’

‘Will you be playing it later, during your set?’ Jack asks, taking a sip of his drink.

‘Maybe, it’s not totally finished, I just have the chorus and other bits’

‘The chorus can tell a lot about the song and the person, play it for me?’

‘Uh I’d rather not, sorry’ Alex says shifting uneasy in his seat.

‘Sorry’ Jack says looking away while drinking his drink, Alex sighs

‘You got nothing to be sorry for, sorry I’m being weird’

Before Jack can reply Zack walks through the door and his eyes quickly land on Alex sitting with Jack, his eyes light up at what he sees.

He walks towards them smiling placing a hand on Alex’s back when he reaches him, ‘Hey man, thanks for watching the shop for me, everything go okay?’ he says while looking around the shop.

‘Yeah, I was just talking to Jack’ Alex trails off looking at Zack.

‘Hey’ Zack nods in Jack’s direction.

‘Sup’ Jack smiles

After a few minutes of silence Zack suddenly speaks ‘Hey Lex you singing tonight?’

‘Yeah’ Alex says slowly while standing up awkwardly, he walks over to the counter and leans over and gets his guitar. He looks up and realises that everyone has left and Jack him and Zack are the only ones left.

Alex puts his guitar back down, ‘Uh maybe later, there’s no point just us, whose gonna hear me then?’

Jack clears his throat ‘What am I, invisible? I’m here, I wanna hear you’ he winks and Alex, Alex blushes and Zack laughs ‘You heard the man Alex, he wants to hear you’ Zack smiles and whispers to Alex as he walks by ‘This is your chance!’

Alex sighs and grabs his guitar and grabs a stool and sits down, ‘What you wanna hear?’ he asks looking at Jack.

Jack shrugs, ‘Anything, how about that song we were talking about?’

Zack looks up‘What song Lex? You’ve written a new one? You didn’t tell me, play it’

Alex glares at Jack and then Zack, ‘Alright, but its only the chorus and its not finished’

Alex starts playing the guitar and closes his eyes…

‘I'm gonna break down these walls I built around myself
I wanna fall so in love with you and no one else
Could ever mean half as much to me as you do now
Together we'll move on, just don't turn around
Let the walls break down’

Alex carries on playing a couple of chords, then opens his eyes, he smiles sheepishly and looks over to Jack who is smiling. Alex then looks at Zack who is smiling but also giving him a look that’s saying ‘It’s about jack isn’t it?’

Alex nods to Zack blushing slightly.

‘Soooo?’ Alex asks dragging it out.

‘That’s really good, like I said a chorus can tell a lot about a person’ Jack smiles and winks and Alex.

Alex blushes even deeper and starts to play another song.

When Alex is finished he opens his eyes again and looks for Zack but he isn’t there, he looks over to Jack ‘Where did Zack go?’

‘Uh he said he had to go and asked you to close up, he would have told you himself but you were so lost in your music, that’s what I like about you, you get so caught up, its so adorable, you get better and better each time’

Alex blushes deeper than ever, that’s why he likes me? He thinks I’m adorable? I get better? He thinks to himself.

‘Why are you blushing so much Alex? It was just a compliment, you have some serious talent, I mean it’ Jack says while he walks towards Alex, when he reaches him he removes his guitar from his hands, and takes his hands in his own. This makes Alex blush even more.

Jack smiles and laughs at him ‘You really are adorable’ Jack leans forward, just a centimeter away from Alex’s face he says ‘Tell me if I’m over stepping the line, if you want me to..’ Jack is cut off with Alex’s lip soft and needy against his.

They kiss until Alex needs more air; he pulls away from Jack and smiles sheepishly.

‘You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for that’