Lurching back, Jake wrenched his hand away from Damien, his face feeling like it was going to burst into flames. “Oh, umm, can I get a Tuxedo latte, please?” 

“Sure, hon.” 

He reached for his wallet and saw the moment the barista noticed his arm. Suddenly she was looking intently at his face, her smile a bit forced, voice too perky. As frustrating as that type of interaction was, he would prefer it any day over being ostracized for something outside his control. 

When Damien joined him at the pickup counter, he was studying the toe of his shoe, fighting to stay present while his brain ran through the massive “what if” list he’d compiled over the last year.

“Does everyone treat you like that?” Damien asked bluntly.

Startled out of his dark thoughts, Jake snorted an unamused laugh. “I wish.” 

Damien had that look again – the fierce one that Jake didn’t know how to classify – but he glanced away, running a hand through his hair. “So, a tuxedo, huh? Sounds fancy.” 

“It’s not. It’s just a latte with dark and white chocolate syrup,” Jake explained. 

“Did you used to be a barista or do you just really love coffee?” Damien asked, letting out a small laugh. 

A flush crept up Jake’s face, but he grinned at the question. “I just really love coffee.” 

When they both had their drinks, they looked around for a place to sit. The shop had gotten even busier while they’d been waiting and most of the seating was taken. 

“There’s a really small table over there in the corner if you don’t mind the booth seating,” Jake said, gesturing with his coffee.

“That works for me,” Damien agreed cheerfully, letting him lead the way. 

Slipping into the booth, Jake made sure his right side was aimed into the corner, keeping his missing arm away from prying eyes. Damien slid in the other side, making the already small table seem tiny. Butterflies flitted in Jake’s stomach as he realized Damien’s proximity, his face heating up as their shoulders accidentally brushed together. 

Damien gave him a slow, lingering smile before taking a sip of his drink. “Oh, wow. This is good.” 

“What did you get?” 

“Umm, I don’t remember what it was called. The barista said it had vanilla and caramel?” Damien squinted at the squiggles on the side of his cup.

“The caramel twist maybe? It is good but it’s quite sweet.” He almost bit his lip but stopped himself just in time. “So, uh, what kind of things do you like to do?” He could be bold. Sometimes. If this even counted. 

“I’m boring.” Damien shrugged. “I like video games and running.” 

“I thought you might be into some sport, but running seems to suit you better than, say, football,” Jake said, rearranging the lid on his coffee. He snuck a glance to find Damien staring and they shared a small smile. 

“I’ve played group sports before but I always seem to get hurt.” Damien grimaced. “I like running ‘cause it’s something I can do whenever. And if I get injured, it’s my own fault. Plus,” he added with a small laugh, “I like cooking, so it’s a good way to balance that out.” 

Jake grinned. “Balance is good. I used to bake when I had a chance.” His smile fell a bit. “My stuff never quite turned out right, though. I mean, it was all edible, just never quite right.”

Leaning forward, Damien propped his elbows on the table, bringing their faces within inches of each other. “I’m sure it’s better than edible, but if you’re worried, I’ll gladly offer myself as a taste-tester.” 

“Can’t really do a lot of baking in a dorm room”—Jake shrugged—“so maybe someday.” He glanced away, trying not to think about how much more difficult baking was one-handed. 

“You know I have an apartment about ten minutes from here, right?” Damien asked when Jake finally met his gaze again. 

Jake blinked at him a few times as the words settled into his brain. “Lucky.” 

Damien burst out laughing. “You’re so cute,” he said quietly, still chuckling.

Everything froze as Jake’s brain turned into a puddle. As much as he appreciated Damien as a friend, it was nice to know they were on the same page here. But he really just said that. Out loud. To his face. He might burst today. 

“Want to go walk around a bit?” Damien suggested, aimlessly playing with his now-empty cup. 

He definitely wanted to spend more time together, so there was no way Jake was going to admit how much his leg was hurting at the moment. He’d probably walk through fire if Damien asked him nicely. 

“Sounds like fun,” Jake agreed, smiling when Damien’s face lit up at his response.