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Love Flavored Latte - Chapter 26
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Ever since summer began, Ray had been waking up next to Matt almost every morning. They usually got up at the same time, but sometimes Ray left the bed first for work. That was why he was a little surprised today when he found an empty space next to him on the bed. Even though he had already been waking up alone before Matt moved in, he still felt like he was missing something. Having Matt by his side had quickly made him used to the warm and cozy feeling of sleeping next to the one you loved.
As he was wondering where his partner could be, a sweet and aromatic smell caught his attention. Supposing that the scent came from downstairs, he followed it and was led to the kitchen, where he confirmed that his guess was right-there Matt was with his back facing him, busy with the ambrosial food. It was a homey sight and Ray liked it very much. The way the sunlight illuminated the room was gorgeous, as well as how the curtains slightly swayed with the autumn breeze outside. Sometimes, he couldn’t understand how such a simple sight seemed so precious to him. Maybe it was because he could feel the warmth and love in it.
However, never did he know that there was a surprise hidden in this beautiful scene, waiting for him to discover it. When he stepped into the kitchen, he started to notice something out of the ordinary. Matt always wore a white apron whenever he cooked, but this morning, he was wearing a… black one.
Upon realizing it, nostalgic feelings rushed to him as he halted his steps, his eyes widening and a small gasp leaving him. He was at his own house, but for some reason, his mind was brought back to Grandhaven Coffee, where a certain barista had caught his attention as soon as he walked through the door. He was stunned to the point that he was frozen in place until he heard Matt’s voice.
“Oh, good morning, Ray.” Matt gave him a warm greeting as he turned around. “Did you have a good sleep?”
Instead of replying or asking why Matt had gotten up so early, Ray went straight to the point.
“The apron…”
“Oh, this?” Matt asked, looking down at the piece of clothing in question. He was secretly smirking on the inside because of his boyfriend’s reaction. He knew that Ray would question him about it so he had already had the answer in mind. “Do you know what day it is today?”
Ray scratched the nape of his neck and averted his eyes, trying to think. “Um… no.”
Matt chuckled.
“Today’s August ten.”
It took Ray a few more seconds to finally remember the importance of this day. Being hit by the realization, he let out a small gasp as his eyes widened.
“Matt, you…”
Unable to hold himself back anymore, Matt smiled widely.
“Happy birthday, Ray!”
Those three words were so simple, but they made Ray’s heart race. They were the words he had only heard on the phone for many years straight. Every year, on this very day, he would receive calls from his family and his best friend. They all lived far away, so it was enough for him.
However, he admittedly missed hearing those words in person. Whenever he thought about it, he thought back to his childhood, how he had had friends gathering around him to celebrate this special day with him. Whenever that happened, he could only do one thing to forget about it-he reminded himself that he was past his mid-twenties already, so dreaming about having someone with him on his birthday was probably asking for too much. Therefore, here he was, astonished by the fact that his partner had prepared a surprise for him on his birthday.
It was strange how he was so startled by Matt’s outfit. This wasn’t the first time he had seen Matt in his barista uniform, yet he was caught off guard when he saw Matt wearing a black apron a few moments ago.
It wasn’t even the same apron in the first place-the one Matt wore at his workplace had the shop’s logo on it. He was confused, pondering why he got surprised. It was probably due to the fact that they were at his house, not the shop. Maybe it was also because the sight caused memories of that day to flood back to him. Looking up, he saw that Matt still had a bright smile on his face, and the memories hit him even more powerfully.
“What are you standing here for? The pancakes are going to get cold.”
Ray was pulled back to the present when he felt Matt lightly pushing him to the table. He must have been idling there and thinking for so long that he didn’t realize Matt had already walked up to him. Standing in front of the table, he was amazed once more by the beautifully made breakfast-a stack of golden brown pancakes topped with maple syrup, fresh strawberries and blueberries surrounding it. Next to the stack of pancakes was a warm cup of latte with a pretty, detailed heart design. Once again, Ray found himself stunned to the point that he was unable to move, his eyes fixated on the food and how everything was neatly arranged.
“Is this why you woke up so early today?” He turned back at Matt and asked, the look of disbelief still visible on his face.
“Yeah,” Matt said as he waited for Ray to sit down. “Do you like it?”
“I… I love it.” Ray replied in an astounded tone. “I really didn’t expect this.”
You didn’t expect it because you never remembered about it in the first place.
Matt should have felt excited and delighted, but he was unable to, not when he suddenly recalled the thought he just had this morning. When he was preparing the pancake batter, something crossed his mind-several days ago, Ray had mentioned nothing about his birthday. He just went about his day like usual, showing no sign that he was looking forward to this special day. He didn’t even try to drop hints about it either. The fact that he didn’t know what date it was today made it even clearer that he didn’t really care about it. If Matt hadn’t known when Ray’s birthday was, he would have seriously thought this day had no significance at all. Matt gripped his apron and lowered his eyes, hesitating for a few seconds before placing his hand on Ray’s shoulder.
“Ray… you really don’t care about your birthday?” Matt’s voice was small and mixed with sadness. “You didn’t look like you were waiting for it.”
Ray averted his gaze, his eyes holding a distant look. “It’s not like I didn’t care about it, but… for the past few years, it’s always felt like just another ordinary day. I wake up and either work or do other things, nothing really changes. The only difference is that my family and Isaac would give me a ring and wish me a happy birthday.”
This downhearted atmosphere, it wasn’t something suited for a birthday, but Matt was unable to stop the low-spirited feeling from getting to him. Even if he lived far away from home, he still had his suitemates to celebrate his birthday with. But Ray, he had… no one. Sure, a birthday greeting over the phone might be enough for him, but Matt couldn’t help feeling sad for him. Moreover, Ray even said that things had been the same for many years straight. Matt wondered how it had felt like, waking up on your own birthday and immediately being reminded that you would have to spend it alone just like any other day. Just thinking about it made him even more unhappy.
“But, Matt, I think you’re partly the reason I forgot about my birthday.”
Ray held Matt’s cheek, catching him off guard.
“Because you make me so happy everyday that I don’t care what day it is.”
Before Matt could have time to react, Ray had pulled him in for a kiss, shooting a smile at him beforehand. It was quick but it was enough to chase the gloomy atmosphere away, making the unpleasant thoughts fade from Matt’s mind. By the time they broke the kiss, Matt had already looked better. He chuckled as he gently stroked the other’s hair.
“Was that a compliment or an accusation?”
“Depends on how you look at it. It can be both.” Ray let out a small laugh before he leaned in to give Matt a peck on the cheek. “But it only means one thing-as long as you’re by my side, then I’m happy.”
“Well, I’m glad.”
With that, Matt took his seat and they happily started eating. Now that the unhappy feel was no longer in the room, Ray took a closer look at the pancakes and noticed that they were shaped differently, which made him chuckle.
“I think I know why these are heart-shaped, as well as the reason you dress as a barista.”
“Can you tell me then?” Matt gave his boyfriend a wide grin as he rested his face on his palms and his elbows on the table, his eyes having an expecting look.
“It’s because today’s also the anniversary of our first meeting.” Ray smiled as he took in the sweet taste of the pancake, reminiscing about that momentous day. “That day, I came to my favorite coffee shop because I wanted to treat myself to something nice on my birthday, but I never knew that a gift was already prepared for me there.”
Getting the hint that he was the gift in question, Matt looked away while trying to hide the obvious blush on his face. When he found out that Ray’s birthday was the same as the day they first met, he was greatly bewildered, though he thought that it was just a coincidence. Now that he’s confirmed it wasn’t a coicidence at all, he became more aware of how lonely Ray must have been-having no one by his side, he had to come to the shop alone and bought a small drink to celebrate it all by himself. Despite that, he tried to forget about it and brush it off. He shouldn’t get dejected and ruin the cheerful mood again.
“You know, it’s kind of surprising that we first met at a coffee shop,” he said. “We’re student and professor, but our first encounter wasn’t at the university.”
“Yeah, now that I think about it, it’s quite unexpected.” Ray let out a chuckle. “I really didn’t think that you’d be my own student. I received two surprises in a row that month.”
Matt was about to say something when he was suddenly reminded of something important.
“Oh yeah, speaking of surprise…”
He left his seat hurriedly, causing Ray to be confused and curious at the same time, and pulled out a small present from the cupboard. He had to admit that it was a pretty strange place to hide a gift, but he really didn’t know where else to place it. He couldn’t just leave it out in plain sight, because it would surely ruin the surprise as soon as Ray entered the kitchen.
“A… gift?” Ray asked as he stared at the small box. “This breakfast’s enough as a gift, you know.”
“No, the breakfast is just a part of the surprise.” Matt excitedly put the box in front of his bewildered boyfriend. “Come on, open it!”
Matt’s eagerness was something cute in Ray’s eyes, making him smile as he unhesitatingly unwrapped the present. Opening the black box, he found a small silver brooch shaped like a tree branch with leaves. He gently picked it up, taking in the way it gleamed under the sunshine. It was truly an elegant piece of ornament despite its simplicity.
“You like latte, so I wanted to go for something that’s similar to the usual leaf design in latte art,” Matt spoke as he lightly fiddled with his fingers, seemingly a little nervous. “This is the closest one I could find.”
Hearing those words, Ray paused for a while and thought to himself. This made Matt even more anxious than before. Matt could still remember how much he had struggled when it was time to choose a gift for his partner. It was agonizing because he was completely clueless, pondering over and over again what to get. He didn’t want to buy something too common, but at the same time, neither could he afford those luxurious things that were ungodly expensive. He had visited shops after shops and somehow ended up choosing a brooch, but the pain didn’t end there. Even after he had managed to get something decent, he still couldn’t help feeling tense, worrying that Ray wouldn’t like it. That was why Ray’s quietness right now was extremely scary to him.
“Um, Ray, do you… like it?”
Ray was silent for a few more seconds, which only made Matt’s nervousness increase in lightning speed. But then, Ray suddenly sat up from his seat and wrapped his arms around Matt, pulling him into a tight embrace.
“How could I not like it, especially with how thoughtful you are?” Ray’s voice was quiet, but there was joy in it. “A surprise breakfast and a gift have already made me so happy, but it moves me even more to hear that you thought so much about the brooch’s design. Thank you…”
Matt was speechless. This was out of Matt’s expectation, though it was better.
“I’m… I’m glad to hear that.” Matt returned the hug. “I was nervous because I didn’t know what you want.”
Once more, Ray stayed quiet with a very preoccupied expression. However, on his face was a grin when his voice was heard again.
“What I want?” A hint of playfulness could be found in Ray’s tone. “Actually, there’s this one thing…”
“Wh-What is it?” Matt eagerly asked. “Maybe I can get it for you on your next birthday!”
Ray rubbed his chin, pretending to think long and hard about it before voicing his wish.
“J’ai envie de passer le restant de mes jours avec toi.”
Matt’s brain could not process a single word his boyfriend had just said out loud.
“What?” Matt raised his eyebrow after a few seconds had passed.
“What do you mean, ‘what’?” Ray paid no effort to hold in his laughter, looking very amused at the other’s utterly perplexed face. “I just said what I want like you’ve asked me to.”
“I didn’t ask you to say it in a different language,” Matt said, emphasizing his words to further express his confusion. “What language was that, anyway? I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Spanish.”
“It was French,” Ray answered while still giggling. “My grandpa’s French, so I learned a bit from him.”
“Are you sure it’s just ‘a bit’? That sounded like a long sentence you just said there,” Matt said before changing the subject. “But anyway, what does it mean?”
“It’s a secret.”
Matt’s eyebrow raised again and a dumbfounded expression was seen on his face.
“Does that mean the thing you want is a secret?”
“No.” Ray tried his best to stay calm, not letting the chuckle out. “What I mean is, the translation to that sentence is a secret.”
Matt looked as if he had just heard something so unbelievable that he was stunned.
“Th-That’s not fair! You can’t take advantage of the fact that I don’t know French!” He exclaimed in disbelief. “I’m not taking a course in French just to translate that sentence! Come on, at least make it Spanish!”
“Nope, not telling you.”
Ray laughed while Matt looked like he was not having it right now.
“Fine.” Matt pouted and crossed his arms. “Don’t blame me if I can’t get you the gift you want.”
Ray chuckled, trying to stop laughing as he patted Matt’s shoulder. “Okay, okay, how about an alternative?”
“An alternative?” Matt shot a doubtful glance at his boyfriend. “Don’t tell me you’re going to say it in another language other than English, Spanish and French.”
“No, no, I won’t.” Ray’s warm smile returned to his lips and he gently took Matt’s hands into his. “Although this isn’t really what I’m asking you to get, it’s still what I’m looking forward to, and it’s your graduation day.”
“My… graduation day?”
“Summer’s ending in two weeks. You have to move back to your dorm then, don’t you?” There was a sudden glimpse of longing in those dreamy blue eyes that Matt had always loved. “I’m going to miss the days you stayed here, even though I’ll still be seeing you. I wish time would go faster so that you can quickly graduate. After that, you can move in with me permanently and I can continue to spend each second with you…”
For some reason, those words caused Matt’s heart to beat more rapidly than he expected. He could feel the heat making its way up to his face, tinting his cheeks with a light shade of red. Truthfully, he would really miss this summer too, because it had been very memorable. He felt like he had come to understand his partner even more, little by little each day, and he cherished every moment they had spent together. Ray was right, it would be great if they could stay like this forever, not having to worry about their relationship as student and professor. Having that thought in mind, he smiled, imagining how amazing those days would be.
“Hey, by the way…” Ray snapped Matt out of his thoughts. “How did you know today’s my birthday?”
“I, uh…” Matt chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head as he briefly glanced away. “I asked Isaac.”
Ray seemed to be a little taken aback. “You have his number?”
“Well, uh, he g-gave me his number when we were on our s-spring vacation.” Matt was still looking away as he spoke. “He said i-in case there was anything, I can c-call him.”
Despite having tried his best, Matt still failed at making himself not look suspicious. He was stuttering non-stop and avoiding eye contact with Ray, staring at the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the entire universe. But he couldn’t ignore the way Ray’s grip tightened around him, which definitely succeeded in making him more anxious. He wasn’t looking at Ray, yet he could still feel the his gaze focusing on him. He wondered what the other was thinking, but he felt hesitant to look.
“You called him?” Ray’s low voice was heard before he pulled Matt closer to him. He looked straight into his boyfriend’s eyes, gripping his shoulders in the process. “You didn’t talk to him about anything other than my birthday, right?”
Instead of answering, Matt just gave him a bewildered expression before chuckling. “Are you seriously getting jealous of your best friend?”
“N-No.”
There he was, denying his feelings again. He was really bad at hiding the obvious look of jealousy on his face, but he still refused to admit it. Even so, Matt was sure Ray didn’t think badly of his best friend for this. Matt had known this man for so long now, and he knew that Ray never let irrational thoughts get to him. He was considerate and always tried not to get worked up over unreasonable things.
“Oh, come on, don’t try to deny it.” Matt let out a small laugh and gave his boyfriend a smirk. Every time Ray became like this, he looked so cute that Matt couldn’t resist teasing him. “We’ve been together for seven months already, so I know this jealous face of yours too well.”
“I’m not jealous, it’s just…” Ray trailed off for a few seconds before giving up completely, his silence confirming his defeat. He let out an exasperated sigh afterward.
“I just asked him for your birthday, nothing more.” Matt reached up and hold Ray’s cheeks before giving him a kiss on the cheek. “So don’t worry about it.”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I trust Isaac, but…” Ray mumbled, his eyes glancing away and one of his hands holding Matt’s wrist. “I just can’t help feeling like this.”
“I know you don’t mean anything bad.” Matt smiled. “I told you, it’s normal to feel jealous, as long as you know how to control it.”
Ray held his chin, thinking for a while before a grin appeared on his face.
“Well, I suppose I don’t need to worry about it…” he paused and suddenly took a hold of Matt’s waist. Before Matt had time to react, Ray had already pulled him close to his chest and whispered into his ear, “because I know your heart already belongs to me.”
The mellowness yet mysterious tone in Ray’s voice made Matt’ face burn up, his blush a dark shade of red. He desperately tried to find something to poke at his boyfriend, but his mind was a mess. Feeling helpless, he wondered how in the world Ray was able to turn the table so fast every time. Just when Matt thought he had won, Ray always managed to fluster him without effort.
I really can’t win, can I? he thought as he lightly hit his boyfriend on the chest, calling him an idiot with an embarrassed face. That was all he could do.