Rolling over, Jake carefully stretched. It seemed early, but it was hard to tell on a weekend. Checking his phone, Jake let out a groan when he saw it was only 7am. 

From the top bunk, Tom threw a well-aimed pillow toward him. “Shut up,” he mumbled, snoring again in moments. 

He stifled a laugh, not wanting to bother Tom any more. Yawning, he contemplated going back to sleep for a while, but the butterflies in his stomach kept reminding him of his plans for the day. 

Finally establishing that he was too excited to close his eyes, Jake grabbed his toiletries kit, making his way to the bathroom they shared with the room next to them. According to his best friend, Ryo, this was an unheard of perk at larger schools. 

He appreciated the relative privacy as he studied his face after he showered. The bruises around his eyes had faded, leaving a gruesome green tinge against the yellow undertones of his skin. He’d probably have a little scar on his cheek, but nothing too bad. It was his lip that was taking its sweet time to heal, though. Most likely because he kept worrying it. 

His eyes moved down to his chest and he grimaced at the colors splotched on his skin. Nothing he could do about any of that. Running a comb through his damp hair, he heaved a sigh, regretting it when his ribs protested. 

He assessed his closet somewhat critically, sighing as he put on the same thing he always wore; a band tee, skinny jeans, and converse. His hoodie came last, his armor against the world. The thought of going without it made his stomach lurch. He wrapped his hand around his partial limb protectively, insecurities quickly rising to the surface. 

Despite taking a leisurely time to get ready for the day, Jake still had a couple hours, so he – grudgingly – sat down with some homework. When his eyes had glazed over and his brain felt like mush, he came up for some air, shooting out of his seat when he saw he only had three minutes to make his bus. 

Shoving his phone and wallet into his hoodie pocket, he ran out the door as fast as he could. At least he’d already gotten his shoes on. 

His back and leg were twinging, but Jake kept up a quick pace to the bus stop. Even with no one around, he knew better than to assume he was safe. He hopped on the bus just before the doors closed, breathing a sigh of relief as the campus faded behind them. 

Ignoring the spasm of pain that shot down his leg, Jake stepped down from the bus at his stop. He wanted to pull his hood up, despite the nice weather, but couldn’t afford to lose his peripheral vision, even this far from the school. 

The two blocks to the coffee shop were peaceful and he began to relax when the little bell over the door announced his arrival. He breathed in the scent of coffee and pastries, the swell of strangers’ conversations washing over him like a warm welcome. 

Scanning the tables from the doorway, Jake glanced over the shop twice in search of Damien. He checked his phone, but didn’t have any missed messages. A hand on his shoulder made him jump, whirling around to see who had found him. 

“Hey, Jake. Sorry! Didn’t mean to startle you!” 

Jake willed his heartbeat to slow down, letting his face fall to a neutral expression as his brain realized there was no threat. “Hey,” he greeted, only a little breathless. 

“This is a nice place. I’ve never been here before,” Damien mentioned, peering around the shop. He seemed to be casually ignoring how jumpy Jake was. 

“Yeah, it’s a little further than most anyone at the college wants to go, so it’s a nice break—” Jake cut himself off, realizing there was no good way to finish that sentence. 

Damien gave him that piercing look, seeming to read between the lines, but didn’t question him. He didn’t look away and Jake felt his cheeks burn from the attention. 

“Do you know what you want to order?” Damien finally asked. 

“Uh, yeah. I have a favorite...” Jake rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. 

“Anything you would recommend?” Damien glanced down from the menu, lingering on Jake’s face for another long moment. 

Turning to scan the menu, Jake didn’t try to stop smiling. Being around Damien was just so easy. 

“Well. The whole menu is good, honestly. I think I’ve tried most of it. Though I wouldn’t get the dark roast if you just want black coffee. The light roast is good, though. And I don’t know how you feel about honey in your coffee, but if that’s not your thing, I would avoid the Honey Bear latte. And the fruit flavored syrups are all a bit weird, but I’ve heard some people swear it’s their favorite thing. Peach coffee just doesn’t sound appealing to me.” Jake mimed a playful grimace, but stopped, eyes going round, when he saw the huge smile Damien was sporting. “Wh-what did I say?” 

Leaning in, Damien gently pushed his shoulder against Jake’s. “It’s nice to see you open up a bit,” he admitted, still grinning. “That’s the most I’ve heard you say without glancing around like someone might attack you for talking.”

Jake flinched, not having realized how much Damien had noticed. 

Letting out a little hiss, Damien narrowed his eyes. “People have been attacking you,” he gritted out.

“Don’t,” Jake said, reaching out to grab his wrist. “Today is for happy things.”

Damien hesitated, a muscle in his jaw twitching. He sighed, dropping his head close to Jake’s. “I don’t like standing back while people get hurt.” His voice was quiet but he twisted his hand while he spoke, lacing their fingers together. “Especially people I’ve come to care about.” 

The world seemed to stop spinning as Jake stared at their intertwined hands. The feeling of companionship, connection, rightness overtook him, silencing any reply he might have made.

The barista’s voice shattered their moment. “Next in line! How can I help you?”