Chapter Text
TK noticed Christopher for the first time at his shift on Tuesday during the first week of October. University had started about a month prior, and the coffee shop he worked at was a popular destination to socialize, study or work on papers.
The bell above the door jangled as the group of four students walked in gently pushing each other as they emerged from the brisk, cold wind. As they removed their scarves and hats, all designer and high quality, he couldn’t help but notice how pretty they all seemed: thick wavy hair, slim figures and slight heights. They were laughing as they approached the counter, where a petite girl with jet black hair took their orders.
It wasn’t until the fourth one stepped up and placed his order, a very simple one of peppermint tea, that he noticed his incredible eyes. They were a pale green in color, outlined with the barest hint of mascara that made them pop, and when he focused his eyes on TK to watch him make the groups’ drinks, he caught the finest flecks of gold shining in their depths.
“He’s a tall one, isn’t he?” one of the guys said as they sat down at a round table, removing jackets and bags.
“Jacob!” the one with the cat eyes hissed playfully. “You can’t say stuff like that, he might hear you!” Inwardly, TK was touched by his concern, but at 6’6”, he was immensely proud of his height.
“What? It’s a free country,” Jacob responded, throwing his gloves on the table. “Besides, it’s a compliment. He should be proud if he heard me.” At this all three of them laughed. One took out a laptop and took notes while they began discussing plans for a local event their group would be participating in.
TK made their fancy drinks and called their names one by one, until he got to the last one. “Order for Christopher!” he shouted, pretending to look around the cafe as if to search for the elusive patron.
He watched as the boy with the cat eyes slipped out of his chair and gracefully made his way up to the counter to collect his drink.
“Thank you!” Christopher said, reaching forward to take the cup from TK. There was a brief moment when TK held it out that their hands touched, and an almost imperceptible shiver ran through him. A faint blush spread through his cheeks, one that he hoped wouldn’t be noticed.
“Enjoy your drink,” he mumbled, one hand reaching up to lift up his ball cap, while the other swept his hair back under it before placing it back.
Christopher stood there silently for a moment, large eyes looking up at the tall barista. Then he slowly closed his eyes while bringing the hot cup of tea up to his face. Gently, he inhaled the delicate floral notes of the peppermint tea. “I’m sure I will,” he answered after a moment. “Peppermint tea always makes me happy, TK,” he said, eyes squinting forward to read his nametag. This brought a smile to TK’s lips.
“Are you ready to continue?” Jacob shouted from across the room, urging Christopher to come back.
“Thanks again!” Christopher said, dropping a dollar bill into the tip jar and turning to head back to the table.
TK was completely charmed until he heard Jacob whisper in hardly a soft voice, “I’d leave my number for him, if he lost the freshman fifteen first.”
The group burst into giggles, but Christopher managed a hushed, “Jacob!” They then proceeded on with their meeting, and TK’s heart dropped to the base of his slightly protruding stomach.
“You’re still not upset from those boys earlier, are you?” Mags the cashier asked as the two were cleaning up the coffee shop at the end of their shift.
“No,” TK lied glumly, stacking the chairs up while she swept and mopped the floor.
“Come on, we’ve worked together for six months, and I’ve come to know when you’re upset,” Mags explained. “Now come on, what’s eating you?”
TK sighed, setting himself down in one of the chairs. “I just,” he began, unconsciously lifting his ball cap and rearranging his hair again, “I don’t know, I just felt like I could have talked with Christopher some more. But then….”
“That little snot made that cheap comment?” Mags said, crossing her arms with a disgusted look on her face.
TK said nothing for a moment, hand tracing his slight stomach. “Ya, I mean, I just don’t feel like I can see them with confidence again. And the way they said it.”
“Not they,” Mags corrected him, “he said it.”
“Implying the freshman fifteen because I work in a coffee shop. I’m not a student like them.”
“Good riddance,” Mags snorted, a slight smile on her face. TK looked at his coworker friend, finally letting her emotions infect him and breaking into a big grin himself. “If you like that blond one, give him a chance when he’s alone without the posse. He seems like he could be a sweet one for you.”
TK laughed, standing up to pat Mags on the head to emphasize their height difference. “Thanks shortstuff, I appreciate the encouragement.”
“No problem, big guy,” she responded with the creation of a new moniker for her coworker. In a blaze of defiance ingrained in short people when confronted by the super tall, she even managed to rub his slight belly. “Now come on, let’s finish cleaning up so we can head on out of here.”
The two laughed and finished their end of duty chores, locking up as the first snowflakes began to fall.
“See you tomorrow!” Mags shouted as she mounted her bike to ride home. TK waved his hand in reply and walked towards the apartment he shared with his roommate. It wasn’t a long walk, mostly through a residential area, but he debated stopping at the local sandwich shop for a late dinner. It was a decent little restaurant, but the fact that it was open 24 hours made it pretty popular among the college students, especially on weekend party nights. A soft rumble in his stomach decided him.
“Guess it’s dinner time,” he mumbled quietly to himself, softly patting his stomach. “And I’ll worry about you later.”
TK turned to walk to the entrance and quickened his pace when he saw a slight figure, arms filled with books, struggling to open the heavy door.
“Hear, let me help you,” TK offered, coming up behind the person and opening the door. They gave a muffled thanks and walked quickly in, shivering in the cold. They stamped their feet on the ground and turned to thank him properly, pulling up his hat so he could clearly see his face.
TK’s heart froze: it was Christopher.
Christopher’s large, feline eyes went wide as he recognized the tall barista from earlier. Slowly, a gentle pink flushed his face giving his skin a translucent rose hue, and he looked down while shifting the books in his arms. “Thank you for your help,” he offered, “I love books, but sometimes they’re so heavy and cumbersome it makes walking with them impossible.”
Not knowing what to say, TK said, “Those are big ones,” eyeing the ones he held in crossed arms.
They stood there in silence for a few more moments, until Christopher pulled them aside to make room for people coming in and going out of the store.
“Snack time?” Christopher offered, gesturing to the computer kiosks where orders could be placed.
TK blanched and subconsciously rubbed his stomach, “No, oh I, ugh…”
Christopher looked at him curiously, head cocked to one side, when it dawned on him. “Oh,” was all he said as his hand raised to his lips in surprise. Another couple of people pushed past them, muttering under their breaths. “Jacob can be a real jerk sometimes,” Christopher continued, “you shouldn’t listen to him.”
“I mean, I have put on a few since I’ve moved here,” TK explained, “but not because I’m a student or anything.”
“You’re so tall, it doesn’t mean anything,” Christopher smoothed over. “I mean, it doesn’t mean anything anything, but I mean, it doesn’t look bad on you.”
A slight smile came to TK’s lips as he realized that this charming and pretty-eyed creature he was so smitten with earlier was babbling awkwardly to try and make him feel better. Looking up, Christopher saw this and promptly closed his mouth. After collecting himself, he asked, “Have you had dinner yet?”
“No,” TK admitted.
“Then get whatever you like, it’s on me,” Christopher said, leading them up to a kiosk. “It’s my way of apologizing for Jacob, and thanking you for my tea.”
“Are you sure?” the taller boy asked, secretly pleased with his sincerity.
“Of course!” he answered pertly. “In fact,” he walked up to the kiosk, “let me guess what you’d like.” He smiled slyly, gazing at him out of the corner of his eyes. TK laughed and stepped forward, towering behind Christopher so he could watch him order over his shoulder.
Christopher started by looking out the glass windows. “It’s snowing, so you’d want a hot sandwich.” He punched a button, selecting that menu and perused their offerings. “You have that pale skin but dark features, so I’m assuming there’s some Italian in you,” he observed. He picked a meatball sub, and the subtle smile on TK’s face slowly broadened. As he was looking down, he pushed his glasses up his nose and motioned for him to continue. “You’re what, 6’4”?”
“6’6”,” he clarified.
“So you’re going to want a footlong with double cheese.” Christopher punched a few more buttons and hit the print button, ripping off the order in triumph. “How was I?” he asked, beaming proudly with satisfaction.
“Amazing,” TK whispered, almost reverently. He reached for the order to take it up to the cashier but Christopher waved it back.
“Remember, it’s my treat!” he explained, laughing. “Drink?” he asked, and they walked to the sodas. He selected a sweet ice tea for himself while TK got a soft drink. As they stood in line to pay, Christopher grabbed a couple of chocolate candies and paid for everything, handing the bag for TK to hold.
“You didn’t have to add the candies,” TK admonished as they walked back to the sandwich counter to get his order.
“Nonsense,” Christopher said, waving away his concerns, “it’s just candy,” as if this simple explanation was more than sufficient.
TK checked the order number and traded it for the hot sandwich that sat on the counter. The two walked out and stopped on the sidewalk. Turning, TK looked down at the slight boy bowed under the weight of those books.
“Thank you,” TK said, unsure what else to say.
Christopher smiled and nodded. “Of course.” He looked at his phone, noticing the time. “My dorm is that way,” he explained, gesturing towards the coffee shop and campus.
“I live back that way,” the tall boy explained, hooking his thumb back behind him.
“Oh,” Christopher said, and to TK, he sounded slightly disappointed. “Well, I hope I can see you again sometime.”
“I’d like that,” TK answered. He looked down and desperately wanted to kiss those lips.
“I’ll come to the coffee shop sometime then,” the small boy offered. Again, TK repeated himself. “I’ll see you around then!” Christopher turned to walk away, as he did in the opposite direction.
“Oh, and TK!” he shouted after a few steps. He slowly turned around to see what else the boy with the cat eyes was going to offer. “Don’t listen to Jacob. I think you look good.” He then turned and continued towards his dorm, leaving a smiling TK to walk home in the snow.
Once home, the ravenous boy wolfed down the thick sub, savoring the gooey cheese, the rich red sauce and spicy meatballs. In between bites, he took generous gulps of his soft drink, soft burps escaping his lips. He turned his attention to the chocolate, enjoying these unexpected treats before swigging the last of the soft drink. Filled with so much food, a giant belch burst from his lips, and he leaned back on the couch, one hand rubbing his slightly building stomach while he wiped his mouth with the back of his other hand.
“That’s it,” he declared, feeling his food bloated midsection, “a diet starts tomorrow.” With a groan of effort, he heaved himself up and headed to his room to rest, the evidence of his meal laying messily on the coffee table.