Nicky started going to this coffee shop after breaking up with Keane. The place he used to go to most mornings was roughly between their apartments and he couldn’t risk running into him, not even for the excellent cold brew. The unspoken division of date spots that might usually be an even split is, in this case, almost entirely places Nicky can’t ever go to again. Keane always wanted to control what they were doing and Nicky doesn’t have good memories of most of their dates anyway.
He doesn’t know why they stayed together so long when something was clearly missing. Nicky was lonely when he first moved here. Catching Keane cheating on him was the last straw. Things almost came to blows when Keane’s boss - the guy he’s been fucking - called Nicky a mouse. To his face.
So, he goes to a new coffee place. It’s a block away from the college campus, prices are reasonable, and there’s no way Keane would be caught dead there. That’s what Nicky thinks anyway. He’s forgotten that sometimes Keane goes to strange places, running “errands” for his “boss”. Nicky exits the cafe just as he sees Keane turn the corner, and sees Keane see him.
There’s no way to make a clean getaway in the cafe’s patio area and Nicky isn’t about to go hide in the bathroom but thinking that through means he’s frozen in place for a moment, watching Keane approach with a sick sense of dread. Nicky hates having public fights. He turns away and makes for a more populated group of tables, hoping someone will take pity on him or at least be within earshot to intervene if Keane says anything truly awful this time.
In his rush, Nicky doesn’t notice a man stand up from his chair and runs right into him, barely managing not to drop his coffee. The world slows down around them.
He’s wearing a soft grey sweater, Nicky catches himself against the man’s chest and feels it under his hand. He smells nice, some woody cologne. This stranger is strong too, catching Nicky with ease, his own hands ending up at Nicky’s waist. His eyes are dark and warm, sparkling, like slamming into someone outside the coffee shop is a good surprise somehow. He’s handsome, curly hair, full beard, laugh lines. Nicky can only assume that he looks tired and pale in comparison.
“Woah, hey, are you okay?” The guy asks, and his voice is equally handsome. Nicky wants to melt into a puddle and disappear.
“Yes, thank you, I’m sorry. It’s just my ex…”
“Oh.” Handsome stranger says. Nicky realizes he hasn’t taken his hand off of his chest, that the strangers’ warm hands are still at his waist. He feels heat rise in his face and decides if he’s going to die of embarrassment in the arms of this man he might as well lean into it.
“This is too much to ask but could you possibly-“
“Kiss me.” The stranger says.
“Kiss me?” Nicky asks at the same time.
They stare at each other, the man’s eyes still sparkling, until Nicky tilts his head, leans in, and softly presses their mouths together. It’s a warm kiss, too fleeting.
Afterwards, the man glances over Nicky’s shoulder and says “He’s almost over here. I’m Joe.”
“Nicolò.” Nicky says, “Nicky.”
“I would love to be your fake boyfriend Nicky.” Joe says, smile widening, “You wanna make him really jealous?”
“I want him to never approach me again.” Nicky says, slightly too honest. Joe nods, once, and sits back down, gently guiding Nicky to sit sideways across his lap.
That’s when Nicky realizes Joe wasn’t sitting alone. Around the table are four others: an intimidating woman with short hair with her arm around another who seems mostly asleep, a hungover looking man with his face hidden by sunglasses and a coffee cup, and another woman who’s smiling ear to ear at him over her laptop. “Hi.” She says, “I’m Nile, that’s Booker, Quynh, and Andy.” She points backwards around the table, then shoots him two thumbs up and pretends to go back to her work.
Nicky barely has time to blink before Keane is there.
“Nico?” Keane says, ignoring everyone else, “What’s wrong with you, I know you saw me.”
“I didn’t.” Nicky lies, “I was looking for my boyfriend.”
Keane rolls his eyes and says, “You have to forgive me sometime.” It’s just like him to choose to ignore everything he doesn’t like, from the kiss to where Nicky’s currently sitting, to the word boyfriend.
“No, I don’t.” Nicky says, toneless. For a moment he thinks this won’t work.
And then Joe backs him up. “He really doesn’t.” he says, arm around Nicky’s waist tightening minutely.
“And who the fuck is this?” Keane asks, as though Joe exists for him now only because he’s a threat. “Come on, I made one mistake.”
“Ohhh.” Joe says, laughing softly into Nicky’s shoulder, “This is that guy.”
Nicky nods like Joe’s referencing a conversation they’ve had before, watches Keane, and sips his coffee.
“Whatever, I know you don’t really have friends Nico.” Keane sneers, and it hurts a little because he’s not totally wrong. Nicky doesn’t think it shows on his face but Joe must feel him tense up.
“You cheated on Nicky?” Joe says, making sure Keane is looking him in the eye, “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“That’s your cue to fuck off.” Andy adds from across the table. Something about the weight she puts behind the words makes it clear she will stand up and make him if he gives her the slightest excuse.
Keane, seething, opens his mouth like he wants the last word, but Joe is already talking over him, turning to Nile like Keane’s already gone to say, “So tell me your thesis again?”
Nile starts talking about Rodin. Keane, still glaring at Nicky, walks away. When he’s gone, back around the corner, Nicky finally breathes. He sets his coffee down on the table and twists, catching Joe’s face between his hands and kissing him, once properly and then a few more times on his cheeks and beard just because.
“Thank you.” Nicky says, relief more than obvious.
The way Joe looks at him has Nicky blushing again, remembering they just met and he’s in the man’s lap. Joe squeezes the arm around his waist briefly, an encouragement to stay but a hold loose enough to break. There isn’t another chair for him to slide into and Joe’s thighs are pretty comfortable. Nicky stays.
“Nicky, huh?” Booker says, lowering his sunglasses to give him an appraising look.
“Nicolò di Genoa.” Nicky says, wondering if he’s passing whatever test all of Joe’s friends seem to be grading, staring at him. “Sorry to interrupt your meeting.”
“Not at all.” Joe says, offended by the suggestion.
“Do you speak French?” Booker asks.
“Oui.” Nicky says.
“Spanish?” Nile says.
“Sí, un poco.”
“Vietnamese?” Quynh asks.
Nicky regretfully shakes his head. “I would like to learn.”
“Guys, quit it, or Nicky will never want to see us again.” Joe complains.
Andy snorts, muttering “Not likely.”
“Do you work at the college too?” Nile asks.
“No, no, do you? All of you?” Nicky says, deflecting.
“Joe teaches studio art and creative writing.” Quynh says, smiling.
“Also he’s single.” Booker says.
Nicky laughs, but it’s good to have that confirmed. Joe however, shakes his head. “No, my friends, you are mistaken. I’ve just had my heart stolen by a beautiful man.” He must feel Nicky tense again, because he presses a kiss to his shoulder and looks up at him, making it very clear who he means.
“Not single, then?” Nicky checks.
“Not for long, I hope.” Joe confirms.
Andy and Booker groan in unison, but Nile shoots Nicky the same thumbs up, and Quynh says, “Welcome to the group, Nicky.”
Fill: Nicky/Joe + "Quick I Need You To Kiss Me"
He doesn’t know why they stayed together so long when something was clearly missing. Nicky was lonely when he first moved here. Catching Keane cheating on him was the last straw. Things almost came to blows when Keane’s boss - the guy he’s been fucking - called Nicky a mouse. To his face.
So, he goes to a new coffee place. It’s a block away from the college campus, prices are reasonable, and there’s no way Keane would be caught dead there. That’s what Nicky thinks anyway. He’s forgotten that sometimes Keane goes to strange places, running “errands” for his “boss”. Nicky exits the cafe just as he sees Keane turn the corner, and sees Keane see him.
There’s no way to make a clean getaway in the cafe’s patio area and Nicky isn’t about to go hide in the bathroom but thinking that through means he’s frozen in place for a moment, watching Keane approach with a sick sense of dread. Nicky hates having public fights. He turns away and makes for a more populated group of tables, hoping someone will take pity on him or at least be within earshot to intervene if Keane says anything truly awful this time.
In his rush, Nicky doesn’t notice a man stand up from his chair and runs right into him, barely managing not to drop his coffee. The world slows down around them.
He’s wearing a soft grey sweater, Nicky catches himself against the man’s chest and feels it under his hand. He smells nice, some woody cologne. This stranger is strong too, catching Nicky with ease, his own hands ending up at Nicky’s waist. His eyes are dark and warm, sparkling, like slamming into someone outside the coffee shop is a good surprise somehow. He’s handsome, curly hair, full beard, laugh lines. Nicky can only assume that he looks tired and pale in comparison.
“Woah, hey, are you okay?” The guy asks, and his voice is equally handsome. Nicky wants to melt into a puddle and disappear.
“Yes, thank you, I’m sorry. It’s just my ex…”
“Oh.” Handsome stranger says. Nicky realizes he hasn’t taken his hand off of his chest, that the strangers’ warm hands are still at his waist. He feels heat rise in his face and decides if he’s going to die of embarrassment in the arms of this man he might as well lean into it.
“This is too much to ask but could you possibly-“
“Kiss me.” The stranger says.
“Kiss me?” Nicky asks at the same time.
They stare at each other, the man’s eyes still sparkling, until Nicky tilts his head, leans in, and softly presses their mouths together. It’s a warm kiss, too fleeting.
Afterwards, the man glances over Nicky’s shoulder and says “He’s almost over here. I’m Joe.”
“Nicolò.” Nicky says, “Nicky.”
“I would love to be your fake boyfriend Nicky.” Joe says, smile widening, “You wanna make him really jealous?”
“I want him to never approach me again.” Nicky says, slightly too honest. Joe nods, once, and sits back down, gently guiding Nicky to sit sideways across his lap.
That’s when Nicky realizes Joe wasn’t sitting alone. Around the table are four others: an intimidating woman with short hair with her arm around another who seems mostly asleep, a hungover looking man with his face hidden by sunglasses and a coffee cup, and another woman who’s smiling ear to ear at him over her laptop. “Hi.” She says, “I’m Nile, that’s Booker, Quynh, and Andy.” She points backwards around the table, then shoots him two thumbs up and pretends to go back to her work.
Nicky barely has time to blink before Keane is there.
“Nico?” Keane says, ignoring everyone else, “What’s wrong with you, I know you saw me.”
“I didn’t.” Nicky lies, “I was looking for my boyfriend.”
Keane rolls his eyes and says, “You have to forgive me sometime.” It’s just like him to choose to ignore everything he doesn’t like, from the kiss to where Nicky’s currently sitting, to the word boyfriend.
“No, I don’t.” Nicky says, toneless. For a moment he thinks this won’t work.
And then Joe backs him up. “He really doesn’t.” he says, arm around Nicky’s waist tightening minutely.
“And who the fuck is this?” Keane asks, as though Joe exists for him now only because he’s a threat. “Come on, I made one mistake.”
“Ohhh.” Joe says, laughing softly into Nicky’s shoulder, “This is that guy.”
Nicky nods like Joe’s referencing a conversation they’ve had before, watches Keane, and sips his coffee.
“Whatever, I know you don’t really have friends Nico.” Keane sneers, and it hurts a little because he’s not totally wrong. Nicky doesn’t think it shows on his face but Joe must feel him tense up.
“You cheated on Nicky?” Joe says, making sure Keane is looking him in the eye, “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“That’s your cue to fuck off.” Andy adds from across the table. Something about the weight she puts behind the words makes it clear she will stand up and make him if he gives her the slightest excuse.
Keane, seething, opens his mouth like he wants the last word, but Joe is already talking over him, turning to Nile like Keane’s already gone to say, “So tell me your thesis again?”
Nile starts talking about Rodin. Keane, still glaring at Nicky, walks away. When he’s gone, back around the corner, Nicky finally breathes. He sets his coffee down on the table and twists, catching Joe’s face between his hands and kissing him, once properly and then a few more times on his cheeks and beard just because.
“Thank you.” Nicky says, relief more than obvious.
The way Joe looks at him has Nicky blushing again, remembering they just met and he’s in the man’s lap. Joe squeezes the arm around his waist briefly, an encouragement to stay but a hold loose enough to break. There isn’t another chair for him to slide into and Joe’s thighs are pretty comfortable. Nicky stays.
“Nicky, huh?” Booker says, lowering his sunglasses to give him an appraising look.
“Nicolò di Genoa.” Nicky says, wondering if he’s passing whatever test all of Joe’s friends seem to be grading, staring at him. “Sorry to interrupt your meeting.”
“Not at all.” Joe says, offended by the suggestion.
“Do you speak French?” Booker asks.
“Oui.” Nicky says.
“Spanish?” Nile says.
“Sí, un poco.”
“Vietnamese?” Quynh asks.
Nicky regretfully shakes his head. “I would like to learn.”
“Guys, quit it, or Nicky will never want to see us again.” Joe complains.
Andy snorts, muttering “Not likely.”
“Do you work at the college too?” Nile asks.
“No, no, do you? All of you?” Nicky says, deflecting.
“Joe teaches studio art and creative writing.” Quynh says, smiling.
“Also he’s single.” Booker says.
Nicky laughs, but it’s good to have that confirmed. Joe however, shakes his head. “No, my friends, you are mistaken. I’ve just had my heart stolen by a beautiful man.” He must feel Nicky tense again, because he presses a kiss to his shoulder and looks up at him, making it very clear who he means.
“Not single, then?” Nicky checks.
“Not for long, I hope.” Joe confirms.
Andy and Booker groan in unison, but Nile shoots Nicky the same thumbs up, and Quynh says, “Welcome to the group, Nicky.”