Noah wasn't sure why he kept coming back to Café Marigold.
He could've easily gone to the soulless chain down the block where no one knew his name or judged his caffeine addiction. But no, he kept walking into this cozy, plant-infested trap with fairy lights and weird jazz playlists—and more importantly, Adrian.
Adrian, with his rolled-up sleeves, tired eyes, and coffee-making skills that had—unfortunately—grown on Noah. Not that he'd admit that out loud.
"So," Adrian said as he placed Noah's drink on the counter, "today's insult—what's it going to be? Burnt toast? Hot bean juice? The shattered dreams of overworked baristas?"
Noah smirked. "Wow, you're getting better at roasting yourself. That's progress."
Adrian rolled his eyes. "Or maybe you're getting easier to impress."
Noah took a sip and narrowed his eyes. "Is this… actually good?"
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "I know. Shocking, right? I'm full of surprises."
Noah tapped a finger on the counter. "Don't get cocky. You're still emotionally unavailable."
That made Adrian pause for a beat—just long enough for Noah to notice.
"Excuse me?" Adrian said, a little too flatly.
"Oh come on," Noah said, grinning. "You've got all the signs. Mysterious backstory. Deadpan sarcasm. The way you avoid eye contact whenever someone tries to be sincere with you—"
Adrian leaned in. "Are you always this annoying, or is this a special performance just for me?"
"Only for people I like."
Silence.
A tense beat passed between them. Adrian looked away first, pretending to wipe the counter.
Noah's smirk softened. "Look, I'm just saying... you're not as unreadable as you think."
Adrian's voice was quieter now. "Maybe I don't want to be read."
Noah blinked. He hadn't expected that.
For a second, the banter faded, replaced by something quieter. Something real.
"You're allowed to let people in, you know," Noah said, unusually gentle.
Adrian didn't answer right away. Instead, he busied himself with the espresso machine like it could hide his thoughts.
Then finally, he said, "And you're allowed to stop pretending everything's a joke."
Oof.
Touché.
Noah didn't reply. He just picked up his drink, stared at the foam art—something vaguely heart-shaped—and muttered, "That's illegal."
Adrian gave a small laugh. "What, latte hearts?"
"No. Making me feel things before noon."
They locked eyes for a moment, the corner of Adrian's mouth twitching like he was holding back a smile.
"Come back tomorrow," Adrian said casually, turning away.
"Why?" Noah asked, already heading for the door.
Adrian shrugged. "I wanna see if you can go a whole day without insulting me."
Noah paused, looked over his shoulder with a smirk. "No Promises".
_ _
Next chapter we'll dive into Adrian's backstory !!