Kaius stirred the already lukewarm latte in front of him, the spoon clinking softly against the porcelain cup. The coffee shop smelled of freshly ground beans and warm pastries, the kind of scent that usually made him relax. But today, the aroma only heightened his restlessness.
His phone sat on the table, screen up, lighting every few minutes with his desperate attempts at messaging.
It was almost noon.
Their call time was 7:30 a.m. sharp.
Eliot Rainier Navarro was almost two hours late. He sighed, he should have just picked him up. Never mind if Eliot glared at him the whole time, a glare wasn't fatal.
Kaius leaned back in his seat, one arm slung lazily over the backrest of the chair, but the slight bounce of his knee under the table betrayed him. Normally, he wasn't like this. He was not the type who liked waiting. In fact, among all the people on campus, he was known that if he said 8:00 a.m., you should be there by 7:50. He had no patience for people who loved being late.
But now?
For some reason he couldn't explain, he wasn't mad. He wasn't even annoyed.
He was... worried.
His eyes dropped to the phone again. Blank screen. No reply.
He sighed, unlocking it and opening their thread anyway. His thumb hovered over the keyboard before he began typing, smirking to himself as he did.
Kaius: "I'll be here waiting on our supposed meeting place until 6 p.m. Go ahead, if you don't show up, your conscience will haunt you because you made me wait for such a long time."
He paused, then added another line.
Kaius: "Imagine, The Kaius Zyran Reyes, made to wait by Eliot Rainier Navarro... Don't be like that, sirrr. That's wrong. Come here already, I miss you ✌️."
As soon as he hit send, he laughed to himself. He even shook his head, shaking his head at how ridiculous he sounded. "Damn it, Kaius," he muttered. "You're being so cheesy." He wanted to slap his own head because of his last line. Though, he had no intention of unsending it.
Yet the laugh didn't last long. The moment the screen dimmed again, worry crept back in.
He rested his elbow on the table, chin on his palm, staring at the entrance door of the café as if Eliot might walk in any second. Every time someone entered, his head would instinctively turn. But it was never him. Never him. And it's making him a lil' f*cked up. His neck hurt from constantly turning his gaze towards the door whenever he heard it open. Hoping that... an Eliot Rainier would walk in.
Instead, couples walked in holding hands, groups of students with laptops, a few professionals catching coffee before their lunch meetings. Life went on normally for everyone else, except for Kaius.
Another sigh.
He glanced at the watch on his wrist. 11:45 a.m.
He picked up the phone again, rereading his own message, the last line making him wince and chuckle all at once. I miss you. For sure, Eliot would call him crazy, shameless, and thick-faced again. But it was true, that's why he wasn't complaining... he just kept laughing. In just a matter of days, he had gotten used to Eliot's presence. Even with all the glaring, all the 'thick faced' comments, even all the sneering, he'd grown to like it. To look forward to it.
He didn't know if he was crazy or... just really an admirer of rude people. Well, who wouldn't? Eliot is really cute when he's angry. Like a dragon about to breathe fire anytime. Or maybe a volcano ready to erupt.
And now that Eliot wasn't here? The silence felt heavier.
Kaius leaned back again, eyes closing briefly as he ran a hand through his hair.
Why am I this worried? he asked himself. Usually, if someone didn't show up, he'd shrug it off. If they don't want to, fine. No loss. But Eliot was different. Eliot wasn't the type to be late. If anything, he was either early or right on time, almost like clockwork. That's why he was so worried, because it only means one thing...
Something was wrong.
Kaius' lips pressed into a thin line.
His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't had breakfast yet. Normally, he'd laugh it off and order something, but now, he felt like he had no appetite. How can he have an appetite? He's so worried about the other person. He was hungry, yes, but the anxiety and worry weighed more heavily. It sounds dramatic... because why is he overthinking and over-reacting?
They weren't that close, just close enough because his pestering was starting to bear fruit. At the mention of his pestering, he smiled faintly. He didn't know why, he just felt it naturally. And he was honest about his feelings and thoughts. It wasn't his habit to lie to himself. That's not his thing. Besides, if he did that, it wouldn't be him.
"Damn it, Eliot," he muttered under his breath, grabbing his cup and taking another sip of coffee that had long gone cold. He grimaced. "Where the hell are you?"
The phone vibrated again, and his heart skipped.
But when he saw it wasn't Eliot, just another message from one of the student orgs he belonged to, he groaned in frustration and tossed the phone gently back onto the table.
He massaged his temple.
He hated this, he's not used to this kind of feeling.
The Kaius Zyran Reyes, known for being composed, confident, untouchable, was now sitting in a coffee shop, restless, checking his phone every thirty seconds like some lovesick fool.
And all because of one man.
One infuriating, beautiful man who made him laugh with his sarcasm, who made his chest tighten with just one reluctant smile, who now had him worried sick because he was late.
Kaius exhaled deeply, shaking his head again, but the truth pressed against him harder than he wanted to admit.
And the thought of something being wrong terrified him more than he could say.
His eyes flicked again to the door, then back to the phone. One last time, he typed.
Kaius: "Don't make me drag you here myself. You know I will if I have to."
He hit send, then sat back, the weight of his own words sinking into him. He wanted to laugh at himself. He knew he could do it, but the question is, would Eliot let him? He laughs softly, because... where's the lie?
And he meant it.
If Eliot didn't show up soon, he'd find him. No questions asked. Even if Eliot didn't want him to, he wouldn't care.
Kaius rubbed his chest lightly, as if easing the strange heaviness there, then reached for his phone again to check the time. Almost 12 noon.
And he was still waiting.
The Click
Kaius drummed his fingers lightly on the table, staring at his phone screen that still had no new notifications.
Almost 1 p.m. now.
From a supposed 7:30 a.m. call time, he had been waiting for almost five and a half hours. Any other person would've walked out after the first thirty minutes, maybe an hour. But for some unknown reason, he couldn't bring himself to leave that place.
Not today. Not with Eliot.
He let out another long sigh and leaned back, scanning the café. He needed something, anything, to distract himself from the gnawing worry in his chest. His eyes landed on the familiar black case resting on the chair beside him.
His camera.
"Fine," he muttered, grabbing it. "If you still won't reply, at least I have something to keep me busy."
The weight of the DSLR felt comforting in his hands, almost grounding. His instincts automatically kicked in, adjusting the lens, checking the light, finding angles. He raised the camera, peering through the viewfinder, then started clicking away.
Click. A shot of the sunlight streaming through the large glass window, casting soft streaks on the wooden floor.
Click. A candid photo of a barista laughing while steaming milk, her face glowing under the café lights.
Click. A table of students hunched over books, coffee cups scattered, a slice of cake barely touched.
Little by little, the familiar rhythm calmed him. His breathing steadied. For a moment, he almost forgot the heaviness in his chest. Photography really was his safe place, it makes him calm whenever his heart and mind is in chaos.
Then, without much thought, his camera swiveled toward the entrance of the café.
Through the lens, the door opened.
And there, framed perfectly in the screen, stood the person he had been waiting for.
Eliot.
Kaius froze, finger hovering on the shutter button. For a split second, he wasn't sure if what he was seeing was real or just a result of his excessive worry. But then, instinct took over, his finger pressed down.
Click.
The image locked into the memory card, a moment he captured... that he could bring anywhere.
Kaius slowly lowered the camera, heart hammering. He blinked, and this time, no lens, no screen, just his bare eyes.
It was him. It was really him.
Eliot Rainier Navarro.
And he looked... different.
He wasn't the Eliot he was used to, who was always irritable, always ready to utter words that he had already gotten used to, sometimes even using them unconsciously. No. The Eliot standing at the door of the café carried something else entirely.
His face, though still marked by subtle redness on his cheek as if fresh from some storm, radiated something raw. It was as if his eyes were saying, I was once vulnerable, but f*ck vulnerable. I'm free. And that's what matters.
That kind of beauty, it wasn't the kind you could polish, dress up, or fake. It was born out of fire, pain, and survival. And seeing it so up-close stunned Kaius
"Damn," he whispered under his breath, eyes still glued to him. "That's... different."
He leaned back, the camera still clutched in his hands, but this time it felt heavier. He'd captured countless faces before. Models, strangers, landscapes that people often described as breathtaking. But this?
Eliot wasn't just beautiful. He was something else. Similar to the beauty that captured his attention as a photographer the day he saw him in the shed of the engineering and architecture department. The only difference is, now it had a different flavor.
Something unforgettable.
Kaius couldn't quite explain it, but there was a magnetic pull. A raw truth that his camera, his trained eyes, had never failed to catch, and now it was telling him that Eliot was the kind of beauty you don't just stumble upon. He was the kind of beauty you remember.
He swallowed hard, trying to compose himself, but his heart refused to steady.
Almost six hours of waiting, and yet, he wasn't angry. He wasn't annoyed, not even a bit. The only thing flooding him now was relief.
Relief that Eliot was here. That he was safe.
Still, he couldn't ignore the slight limp in Eliot's step, the way he pressed his lips together as if fighting back words, or the faint shadow of exhaustion in his expression.
Kaius' brows furrowed. Something happened. Something bad.
But instead of blurting questions, he stayed seated, waiting. Watching.
Because deep down, he knew Eliot hated pity. He hated being cornered. So, Kaius stayed where he was, his chest thudding like a drum, his mind replaying the moment he saw Eliot through his lens.
Free. Beautiful. Untouchable.
He lifted the camera again unconsciously, scrolling through the last shot. And there it was, the photo.
Eliot at the door, framed by sunlight, his expression unguarded yet fierce. It is like a silent declaration of survival.
Kaius exhaled shakily, smirking to himself despite the worry. "Partner, you really don't know what you just did to me." He said mischievously, with a pout that immediately made Eliot frown. Kaius wanted to laugh right away, but... he'd tease him first. As a payback for the almost 6 hours, he waited for him.
He glanced up again, catching Eliot's eyes finally locking with his across the café. For a split second, Kaius swore he saw something flicker there, something Eliot tried to hide behind his usual guarded stare.
But to Kaius? The lens had already told him the story. Something that others sometimes overlook.
This was a different level of something...
And he'd make sure to capture it again, and again, for as long as Eliot let him.
Eliot stopped in front of him, raising a brow. "Stop pouting."
Kaius blinked. "Huh?"
"It doesn't suit you," Eliot said flatly, dropping his bag on the empty chair before sitting down. "You look like an idiot."
For a moment, silence hung between them, then Kaius let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Wow. I waited six hours for you, and this is the first thing you tell me. That I look like an idiot?"
"Exactly." Eliot leaned back, arms crossed. "Look in the mirror sometimes, so you can see how much of a fool you look like when you pout."
Kaius smirked, amused despite himself. This guy, he thought. Always armed with sarcasm. Always deflecting with sharp words. And yet, here he was... sitting across from him, alive, safe.
But Eliot's eyes briefly softened as they flicked to the untouched cup on Kaius' table. "Wait... don't tell me..." He looked up again, incredulous. "You haven't eaten anything yet?"
Kaius scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh... maybe?" He said uncaringly, but his stomach... had been screaming at him to eat for a while now.
"Maybe?" Eliot's tone rose, half annoyed, half stunned. He glanced at his own watch, then back at Kaius. "Kaius, it's almost 1:30 p.m. You've been here for a while and you haven't even eaten?"
Kaius shrugged. "Wasn't hungry." He wanted to slap himself on the forehead, what 'wasn't hungry'? His stomach was already hurting because he wasn't used to skipping meals.
Eliot let out a long sigh, rubbing his temple like Kaius was the most frustrating human being on earth. "You're unbelievable."
Kaius opened his mouth to retort with something witty, but he didn't continue. Because right then, Eliot looked at him—and for the first time that day, his lips curved into an apologetic smile.
It wasn't wide, it wasn't forced. It was small, fleeting, almost shy, but... real. A crack in his usual wall.
And it hit Kaius like a train.
His finger, almost by instinct, pressed the shutter.
Click.
The camera on the table had been resting with the lens pointed their way. The soft sound startled both of them, but Kaius didn't even flinch. His eyes stayed glued on Eliot, frozen by the image he knew he'd just captured.
That smile. That rare, rare smile.
Damn.
Eliot blinked, realizing what just happened. "Wait... did you just—"
Kaius smirked, lifting the camera and checking the screen. Sure enough, there it was: Eliot, mid-sigh but smiling anyway, like the sun peeking through stubborn clouds. The description suited him, because he really is like a stubborn cloud.
He chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "Wow... even when you're annoyed at me, you still manage to look..." He trailed off, catching himself before saying too much. "...never mind." That was just for him, because if he said it... he might get hit on the forehead again.
Eliot squinted at him, cheeks warming, though he masked it with his usual glare. "Delete that."
"Not a chance."
The word "delete" was not in his vocabulary especially when the things involved were truly captivating.
"Kaius."
"Nope," Kaius said, smug as he turned the camera away from Eliot's reach. "This one's going in the archives. Frame-worthy." as a matter of fact.
Eliot groaned, dragging a hand down his face. But before Kaius could tease him further, something unexpected happened.
Eliot reached across the table and gently tapped his shoulder.
Kaius froze again.
"Come on," Eliot said, voice softer this time. "Let's go. I'll treat you to lunch."
Kaius blinked, caught completely off guard. "Wait... what?"
"You heard me." Eliot stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Because if I don't feed you, you might throw a tantrum like a child. And honestly, I don't have the energy to babysit you when you're hungry."
Kaius just stared at him for a second, stunned. Of all the responses he expected—sarcasm, scolding, or even Eliot storming out—the last thing on his list was... this. An offer. A gesture that, no matter how sarcastic the delivery, carried something else beneath it.
Care.
He knew for a fact that, he wasn't being presumptuous. Eliot's voice really sounded sincere.
Kaius tilted his head, lips twitching into a slow grin. "You're treating me?" He still couldn't believe it. He thought maybe his ears were playing tricks on him.
"Don't push it," Eliot shot back, though there was no venom in his tone. "Let's go before I change my mind."
Kaius stood, grabbing his camera and slipping it back into its case, his smirk still playing on his lips. "Wow. The great Eliot Navarro, offering me free food. Mark the date, this is historic."
Eliot rolled his eyes. "You're insufferable."
"And yet," Kaius said lightly as they headed for the door, "you're still here with me."
Eliot didn't reply, but the faint twitch of his lips betrayed him.
As they stepped out into the warm afternoon air, Kaius walked a step behind, camera slung on his shoulder, his eyes unconsciously lingering on Eliot's back.
The man who told him he looked like an idiot.
The man who scolded him for not eating.
The man who smiled at him, even just for a fleeting moment.