I said I do

Chapter 2

Not needing to go to work the next day made Nahan watch movies all night long and sleep throughout the next day. By the time he woke up the sun was a deep orange that was getting ready to set over the  gleaming horizon.

He was glad he lived in an apartment building that gave him a spectacular view of the sun rising and setting, and also the little river that peacefully slithered its way between the smaller homes that were built around it, but the only downside was the large distance he had to travel everyday.

Sighing he got out of bed, yawning and stretching to wake himself up. He decided to go out to eat for a change, lately not having the time to do that due the immense amount of workload he had taken upon himself.

The apartment he lived in perpetually looked like a clothing factory had exploded in it. There were colourful pieces of cloth that were strewn around, and unfinished clothes that were sitting around on his bed, desk and floor.

After leaving his last job for being overbearing and not giving him credit for his work, he opened up an etsy shop and started doing custom orders along with helping Sakura at her parents coffee shop, his life was good for now.

Lost in thoughts of his career and friends, he didn't realise when he reached his destination, his favourite little bakery that his parents used to take him to. The insides of the shop felt more like home to him than the apartment he lived in, and seeing familiar faces that he grew up around always made him feel better after a long day of work or a creative block in his mind.

Naruto ordered his usual and checked his phone for any new messages and calls, not surprised to see Sakura and George's messages right at the top. He tapped George's chat first, knowing that it would be his usual 'have you eaten' message that he religiously sent two times a day under strict instructions from Nahan's foster dad Ian, who was on a retreat with his husband, and Nahan's other dad, Korne Miller.

Korne and Ian had adopted Nahan a year after his parents had passed away in a shootout that took place near their workplace. Initially Nahan couldn't stand Ian's overbearing, loving nature because it reminded him of his dead mother, but eventually he learned to love it.

Nahan understood that Ian wasn't looking to replace his mother, but just help him by giving him all the love he could, as he too was once an orphan who was lucky enough to find his family in the red haired boy he grew up with, and later got married to.

Typing up a quick reply to George, he assured his friend that he had eaten and sent a snap of his huge bowl of noodles along with it. He then opened Sakura's message and was about to reply when a dark blob sitting in the furthermost corner of the shop caught his eye.

Nahan shamelessly craned his neck, trying to see the face of the man who looked so out of place in a bright, cheery bakery like Pogo's.

Nahan leaned further back, unable to get a single glimpse of the mans face due to the cap placed awkwardly on his dark haired head. He felt his stool wobble and tried to balance himself so that he and his chair stayed steady, but the ruckus caused the man to look his way and a surprised yelp escaped Nahan's throat, making him lose balance and fall with a hard thump.

It was the man from yesterday. He FELL in front of the man from the coffee shop.

The embarrassment coursing through his veins delayed the onset of pain and instead he felt his cheeks burn bright red.

"Haven't you learned not to do that with your chair?" Nahan looked up to see dark haired man standing with a hand out and a grimace on his face. He gave the rest of the customers a quick reassuring smile, and they turned their heads away after seeing that the blonde man wasn't hurt.

"I do it everyday and I've never fallen." Nahan huffed in false annoyance and took a hold of his outstretched hand. He pulled himself up using the strangers strong hand as a support and thanked him, still blushing.

"Are your cheeks always so red?" The other man asked him flatly, which made Nahan's cheeks feel even more hot. He didn't know it was possible. He imagined looking like a red beetroot in front of emo goth man and stuttered a shy 'no'.

"Its because I fell." Nahan said, shifting nervously on his feet.

"Hn, sure." The dark haired man scoffed.

"So whats your name?" Nahan asked suddenly.

"Why should I tell you?" Emo goth man raised an eyebrow.

"Because this is the second time we've met and I keep calling you emo goth man in my head?" Nahan ended his sentence as a question, giving the other man the opportunity to outright refuse if he wanted, but he wasn't disappointed because a minute later he heard a quiet mumble.

"Could you repeat that? A little louder maybe?" Nahan teased.

"Eli Lockchester."

"Eli." Nahan tested the name on his tongue. "That's a cute name, matches you perfectly." At that Eli raised his eyebrows once again. "I'm Nahan, a 23 year old freelance designer and I also work at my friends coffee shop!"

"Hn." Was Eli's only response.

"Since we both seem to be eating alone on this beautiful starry night, should we eat together?" Nahan gave Eli a cheeky smile.

"There's no stars out yet, pollution." Eli responded.

"So is that a yes?" Nahan urged. Eli sat down but moved his bowl slightly, that was enough invitation to Nahan who took his own bowl. They ate in complete silence, but it wasn't awkward. After a little more convincing Nahan managed to get Eli to exchange numbers right before the dark haired man got up to leave.

"If I text you, will you respond?" He asked Eli.

"You shouldn't stare at people so much Nahan, they will think you have a crush on them or something." And for the first time that day Nahan saw a semblance of a smile on Eli's face.