[9:30: Ryan: Eli! I’m returning your joggers today!! Dont worry, I washed them!]

[9:43: Eli: Burn them.]

[9:45: Eli: And don’t call me that.]

Ryan grinned at his phone when he actually received a response. For the very first time, his texts weren’t in vain. 

“Ha, I’m totally breaking the ice,” he grinned to himself. “You stopped ignoring me…” 

Their little coffee date had been a total success; at least, in Ryan’s mind, and in the reality had made up for himself. In truth, Elias did not think of that day as a date at all, and more-so as a means to repay the debt of the white paint he’d flung all over Ryan. 

Even though Eli kept telling Ryan, and himself, that it had been Ryan’s fault, he must have felt guilty about it in one way or another. 

“If you didn’t care, you would have sent me away,” Ryan mumbled, pondering on about their past date, oddly satisfied with himself. At this rate, he was totally going to win Elias over, wasn’t he?

Sure, they hadn’t talked much.

Actually, Ryan had attempted to talk about several topics, including the desserts they had eaten, and the things they liked, video games, anime, and other shows, trying to learn more about Eli — but all those topics had been shut down by Eli, who’d simply wanted to enjoy his coffee in peace.

But at least, Ryan thought, Elias had tolerated him nearby!

The shut up’s had gotten softer each and every time, and that was a win in and of itself. On the way back, in Elias’ car, Ryan had left him alone, and allowed him to listen to his music in a peaceful manner, and once Ryan stepped out of the car, he forgot Elias’ painting on purpose, leaving it safely guarded in the inside of Eli’s trunk. 

Did he leave it there to rot? Did he throw it away, or paint over it, after all?

Ryan irked to know what had happened to the futuristic painting, worried he’d taken the wrong approach — maybe he should have taken it, after all, simply to make sure Eli didn’t ruin it in another attack of his perfectionism? 

He worried, of course, but was just as excited, happy about having another excuse to see Eli. Just to return these joggers that had been a little too tight on him, Ryan would get to see Elias one more time, and have one more excuse, and all the more reason to go and see him.

And soon enough, he hoped, he wouldn’t need any more stupid excuses. 

Eli … In a smile, Ryan started typing into his phone. 

[9:55: Ryan: But Eli!!! It sounds so cute, and it totally suits you, Eli! And you call me by the wrong names all the time, so its just fair that I get to call you that!!! See you in a bit!]

To that message, Elias never answered, and Ryan was already on his way over to the arts faculty, only after getting some coffee at the shop within the cafeteria, a cappuccino for Eli, since he’d seemed to really enjoy it the last time he’d drank it. And for Ryan, another over-sweetened caramel-flavored coffee. 

But this time, Ryan knocked at the atelier’s door, not wanting to burst through the door like he’d done the time before. And though Eli usually never responded to his knocks, Elias turned around right away, not wearing his in-ear headphones just yet, or only one of them, and immediately rolled his eyes when he saw Ryan’s wide smile.

Ryan allowed himself in, and greeted Eli with an awkward wave of his hand, where he held Elias’ coffee with only his thumb and index finger, almost scared of burning himself, as it was freshly brewed, and way too hot to drink just yet.

“Morning!”

“I really don’t want to see your face this early in the morning,” Elias grumbled, and already turned away, and towards the canvas before him, covered by a beige, dirtied cloth. Immediately, Ryan’s heart beat higher in anticipation, wanting to see what hid beneath. 

Had he continued working on his futuristic city, after all, or had he given up? 

“You’re mean,” Ryan grumbled, nonetheless, and held the steaming coffee right beneath Eli’s nose. “After I went out of my way to get you coffee …” 

“I never told you to,” Elias hissed, but his fingers reached for the coffee, anyway, making Ryan’s smile wider and wider, until it went from one ear to the other. 

“What are you working on?” Ryan wondered. “Don’t you have class?” 

“Is that any of your business?”

“Guess not,” Ryan pouted. “Can I see?” He pointed at the cloth hiding away a canvas beneath. 

“No.” 

“Come on~! I’m curious!”

“No!”

When Ryan’s fingers reached for the cloth, Eli jumped between almost immediately, his slender fingers wrapping around Ryan’s forearms, and forcing him away. “What did I just say? You got a hearing problem, or what?”

“Let me see!”

“It’s not finished!”

“So? Who cares? I’m sure it’ll be amazing!” 

“I’m not showing a nuisance like you!” 

“You don’t really think that, do you?” Ryan asked with pursed lips, and even bigger eyes, and almost instantly, Eli let go of Ryan’s arms, shoved him to the side in a surprisingly gentle nudge, and turned away.

“Tch. Seriously—“ he hissed, but never finished whatever he’d meant to say. And as Eli paced around in a circle in his annoyance, reaching for his ear buds to push into his ears so he could ignore Ryan all the better, Ryan’s sneaky fingers reached for the bottom right corner of the cloth, and pulled it off the canvas.

“Oh. It fell!” 

Eli hissed right away, stomping towards Ryan, who ran around another table in his defense, trying to escape, but giggles dominated his face. 

“I’m going to kill you, you know that?!” Eli grumbled, but Ryan managed to circle around the table, and return back to the now exposed canvas — and he stopped, instantly, and stared.

“Oh.” It escaped Ryan, and his eyes grew. 

Dim lighting, and a chandelier at the ceiling. Exposed bricks for walls, and an empty table, with crumbs and a peeled, buttery croissant. Once again, Elias’ drawing had no people in it, simply abandoned desserts and empty coffee cups, and Eli seethed, reached for the canvas, and flipped it around so Ryan couldn’t look any longer. 

“You had fun the other day,” Ryan mumbled, green eyes following Eli’s every, avoidant step. 

“Definitely not.”

“You totally did,” Ryan smiled, but Elias never even dared to look at him, slithering further and further steps away with his arms crossed before his chest.

“Why are you bothering me?”

“I came to return your pants, as I said. Thanks, by the way. Saved my life that day.”

Elias grumbled. 

Ryan chuckled. “Just admit you had fun, and I’ll leave you alone.” It was already obvious enough, Ryan thought — with that painting alone, which he had whipped up so quickly, drawn so beautifully, in only a few days time … He must have thought about Ryan’s way of eating croissants a little too long to draw it this nicely. 

“Over my dead body,” Elias grumbled. “We just had some coffee. It’s nothing special.” 

“Just some coffee, and some pastries you totally loved.” 

“Shut up!”

“Hey, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You totally inhaled that cheesecake, and licked the fork clean to not leave a single crumb over. I was honestly surprised, since you made fun of me for liking sweets, but you loved it just as much!” 

Elias said nothing, face turned away from Ryan as he approached in silent steps within his new shoes they’d bought together. 

“Maybe you were jealous by the way I ate my croissant. Crust first, filling next — you should try it. It’s delicious!” 

An ever so slight tremble dominated Elias’ body, and all the sudden, he twisted around so aggressively, it made Ryan flinch. And those hostile, but terribly sad eyes that followed, Ryan was so taken aback, he had no idea how to react.

“I told you to shut up!” Eli’s voice shivered, anger flooding towards sudden sorrow, with his dark eyes turning glossy and wet.

“W-What … ? Eli … I—Sorry—“ Now met with that intense gaze, Ryan was too overwhelmed to speak, could only stutter and gulp, his throat drying out right after. But as soon as he’d wanted to reach for Eli, he’d turned right back around, and stomped away.

In a loud bang, the atelier’s door shut behind him as he left, leaving behind Ryan, the painting, his returned jogger pants, and the fresh coffee Ryan had brought along.

And Ryan understood absolutely nothing about what had just occurred, but guilty, he felt nonetheless. His eyes flickered back towards the painting, staring too intently at the croissant, the focus of the very painting Eli had worked on.