The clinking of silverware filled the air. The restaurant, one of the more upscale places near the café strip, buzzed quietly with muted conversations, the faint hum of jazz music, and the occasional pop of a wine cork.
Kaius sat across Eliot, cutting into his steak with precise strokes, chewing absentmindedly, his eyes occasionally flicking up. Eliot, on the other hand, was quieter than usual, because he had nothing to say. Also, he's not the type of guy to waste his saliva for nonsense things. He'd been picking at his food, carefully avoiding one particular side dish on his plate, the roasted potato wedges. He can eat anything, just not potatoes.
For a while, they ate in silence, the kind that wasn't exactly uncomfortable but wasn't easy either, the type that's... just chill. Until Kaius finally leaned back slightly, fork dangling from his fingers, and finally decided to break the silence.
"I have a question, if you don't mind."
Eliot glanced up, suspicious. It wasn't surprising, every time Kaius suddenly spoke, you could expect something funny, irritating, or better yet, to just gag Kaius' mouth."What now?" He said listlessly, his attention more focused on the food he was eating than on Kaius.
Kaius gestured with his fork toward Eliot's plate. "Why aren't you eating the potatoes? They're like... the best part. Golden, crispy, perfect balance with the steak. But they haven't been touched on your plate." No judgment, just pure curiosity.
Eliot's lips twitched, somewhere between annoyance and amusement, of all the things he thought of none of them were right.Kaius is really an unpredictable type of motherf*cker."It's simple. I don't like the taste." He could even tolerate carrots more than potatoes. He can even eat carrots raw.
Kaius blinked. "That's it? That's your reason?" Well, understandable, because there really are persons who doesn't like potatoes, but... maybe, he's expecting something else as a reason behind it.
"Yes," Eliot replied flatly, stabbing a piece of steak. "Do I need a thesis defense just because I don't eat potatoes?" It was supposed to sound like a joke, but... his voice betrayed him. It came out too serious.
Kaius grinned, resting his chin on his palm. "No, but I'm just curious. You don't seem like the type to be picky." He knows that he's being extra annoying for not letting the conversation about that potato die. He just wants to open a conversation, and that's the only thing that came to his mind, as of the moment.
"I'm not picky," Eliot countered as a matter of fact. "I just... know what I don't like." Why eat something you doesn't like? He would only make things difficult for himself if he forced it.
Kaius chuckled, shaking his head. "Noted. Eliot Navarro: certified potato hater." He exaggeratedly said, just enough for the two of them to hear.
"Don't exaggerate." Eliot's tone was sharp, but his lips quirked slightly at the corner, betraying the faintest hint of a smile. Kaius' raised eyebrows were funny, he looked like an idiot.
Kaius caught it, and his chest warmed. Progress, he thought. If you're patient in planting, you will harvest what you planted. He was proud of himself again.
They slipped back into silence, but this time, it was lighter. Eliot kept eating, pushing the potatoes further to the side of his plate, while Kaius slowly polished off his own meal.
Yet while Eliot chewed, his mind wasn't entirely on the food.
Instead, it wandered.
What would he think?
He glanced up at Kaius, who was currently sipping water, his brows slightly furrowed as if he was thinking about something mundane, maybe how to get dessert without sounding greedy. He laughed at his own thought, that's so Kaius.
Eliot's chest tightened.
For days now, he'd been watching this guy, persistent, big YES, annoying, oh! damn, another big YES, endlessly talkative, YES NA YES, but also... consistent. Kaius never seemed to run out of patience, never seemed deterred by Eliot's walls. Things that make Eliot think, how long will this last?
But Eliot wasn't naïve. He knew persistence didn't always mean acceptance.
What if Kaius knew the truth? What if he found out that Eliot wasn't just the brooding guy from the other department, but someone who carried the kind of truth that people sometimes couldn't handle? That people most of the time... belittle, mocked, and considered as a scourge of society.
What if he told him, I'm gay.
Would Kaius laugh? Would he stop pestering him with memes and sarcastic quips? Would he pull back, afraid that Eliot's every glance meant something more? Anxiousness filled him.
Eliot pushed his plate away slightly, appetite waning. Who would have an appetite if your mind were already full of negative things? No matter how delicious the food in front of you is, if your mind... is full of negative things, the food you're eating will lose its taste.
"How deep have you dived?" Kaius's voice cut through his thoughts, "Do you need a rescuer? You might be drowning there?"
Eliot blinked, snapping back. "I'm fine." What Kaius said was too long, if he had just directly asked Eliot if you are, okay? he's really crazy.
Kaius tilted his head, unconvinced, but didn't press. Instead, he gestured again to the potatoes. "So... are you going to finish those, or should I rescue them from a cruel fate?" He's not the type to interfere with other people's food, but... that's Eliot. It's like.. his mouth has a mind on its own. Things that he sometimes doesn't expect to say just come out of his mouth, knowing that he's kind of conscious to things that isn't his.
Eliot rolled his eyes but pushed the plate forward. "Go ahead. Be my guest." He doesn't mind giving it away, why? he doesn't eat it anyway. Besides, Kaius was the one who asked, not some other person.
Kaius grinned like a kid, fork already diving in. "Bless you." He wanted to slap himself. He looked more like a starving person. Annoying, it's really different when you're trying to get attention. You become a different person, or more accurately... your hidden charm comes out.
As Kaius happily munched on the potatoes Eliot couldn't stand, Eliot studied him carefully. The way he chewed without a care in the world, how he managed to still look annoyingly good even while savoring food, and the way he seemed... unaffected by his gaze.
If I told him right now, would he still be like this? Eliot thought. Would he still sit across from me and steal the things I don't like, like it's the most natural thing in the world?
He hated the uncertainty. He hated that it mattered to him what Kaius thought.
"Stop staring," Kaius said suddenly, his mouth half-full.
Eliot blinked, caught. "I wasn't staring."
"You were."
"I wasn't."
Kaius smirked, leaning closer. "Then what do you call that? Intense potato-watching?"
"Idiot." Eliot shook his head, but this time, his chuckle escaped before he could stop it.
Kaius froze mid-bite, eyes widening. That laugh, it was short, barely there, but it was real.
And it made his heart stutter.
He reached for his camera instinctively, then stopped himself. Not every moment had to be captured on film. Some moments, like this one, were better kept in memory. And... that laugh, it is something he would love to keep to himself. No evidence other than the memory stored in his brain.
Kaius simply smiled and leaned back, letting the quiet settle between them again.
Eliot, meanwhile, tried to compose himself, returning to his food but with thoughts still spiraling.
If I told him, would he still smile at me like that?Would he still look at me like I'm just... me? Not some label. Not some stereotype. Just the Eliot Rainier Navarro that he knew.
The doubt gnawed at him, but so did the flicker of hope. Because Kaius didn't strike him as the type who cared about such things. Kaius cared about the little details, like who didn't eat potatoes, or who hadn't had lunch yet, or who needed a stupid meme to smile.
Maybe... maybe he'd care about this, too.
Or maybe not.
Eliot stabbed the last piece of steak on his plate, exhaling softly. Just earlier, it seemed like he didn't want to finish it because he lost his appetite, but now... he's eating it again.
Kaius noticed the sigh, his brows furrowing. "You sure you're, okay? You've been sighing a lot since you sat down." He might not look like he's paying attention, but no, he's noticed it for a while now.
"I'm fine," Eliot repeated, more firmly this time.
Kaius studied him, then nodded slowly. "Okay. But if you ever feel like telling me what's on your mind... you know I'm not going anywhere, right?"
Eliot's fork paused mid-air.
His chest tightened again, but this time, not with fear. But with something else. Something warm. Like, in the middle of the cold... a warm embrace is hugging him.
He didn't answer right away. He just looked at Kaius, who had gone back to happily eating the potatoes Eliot abandoned, like he belonged in that chair, across from him, with no intention of leaving. Was that true?
And for the first time in a long time, Eliot thought, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he knew.
The restaurant had grown quieter as the lunch rush passed. A few tables away, a couple laughed softly over their food. Somewhere near the back, a waiter cleared glasses.
But at Eliot's table, the air was far from calm.
Because Kaius, with his elbows propped neatly on the table and his wine glass cradled in long fingers, was at it again.
"You know, Eli," he started, voice lowered but still brimming with mischief, "you look like someone who secretly enjoys my company."
Eliot raised a brow without lifting his gaze from the glass of water he was sipping. "Eli? and do I, really?"
"Eli, that's my nickname for you. Eliot is too long. And oh, yeah. Don't deny it, you secretly like my company." Kaius smirked, leaning forward just slightly, his voice dipping low enough that only Eliot could hear. "If you really were annoyed with me, you wouldn't treat me to lunch. You would've let me starve to death. But looked at you, sharing the steak, letting me steal your potatoes, and even laughing earlier."
Eliot rolled his eyes, setting the glass down a little too firmly. "You're delusional." He really couldn't handle Kaius' thick face, he suddenly wanted to meet his parents, specifically, his mother. So, he could ask what Kaius was conceived under, so he could avoid it. Saying he wants to avoid it as if he actually has the ability to get pregnant.
"Delusional but charming and handsome," Kaius shot back quickly, his grin widening.
Eliot's brow arched higher, his silence heavy. He wanted to contradict what Kaius said, but... it was true. Perks of having a freakin' handsome face. Even if he sometimes looked like an idiot with the things he said, his face made up for it.
Kaius pressed a hand dramatically against his chest. "See? That eyebrow raises; you save it only for me. I'm honored."
Eliot sighed, though there was no real bite in it anymore. He was, God helped him, getting used to this. The constant chatter, the teasing remarks, the way Kaius' eyes gleamed with something unspoken whenever they locked on him. And most importantly, his delusional ass. If it was always like this, you would really just get used to his foolishness, even if most of the time he wanted to put duct tape on his mouth just so he would shut up, and they could have a peaceful day.
Kaius, of course, didn't know when to stop. "Eli, do you realize? If looks could kill, I'd be dead twenty times over with the way you glare and roll your eyes at me."
"Then I should try harder," Eliot muttered, stabbing the last bit of greens on his plate.
Kaius leaned closer again, his lips curving into a sly grin. "Careful. The more you try, the more you'll fall."
That made Eliot finally look at him, eyes sharp. "You sound like an idiot."
"Correction," Kaius said, swirling his glass, "a graceful, charming and handsome idiot. With impeccable etiquette." He boasted.
"At least you admitted you're anidiot" Eliot replied heartlessly, which made Kaius act as if his heart was hurting, complete with a fake cry.
And there it was, that duality Eliot couldn't quite figure out. Kaius moved with such poise, every gesture refined... every smile is calculated, his tone is playful but always respectful of boundaries. He teased, yes, relentlessly so, but never crossed lines. His hands never wandered, and his voice never rose loud enough to draw attention.
It was as if Kaius had mastered the art of being too much without ever being too far.
And somehow, that amazed Eliot more than he cared to admit.
He studied him in that moment, the way Kaius' brows arched as he teased, the curve of his smile, the spark in his eyes. Everything about him screamed, persistent troublemaker, yet his movements contradicted it. Grace, restraint, elegance.
How does he do that? Eliot wondered. How does someone be both chaos and order at the same time?
And then, inevitably, the thought returned. The question he had been circling since earlier, the one that gnawed at the edges of his mind whenever Kaius was nearby.
What would he do if he knew?
Eliot's stomach knotted. He wanted to know, badly. Would Kaius still look at him the same way? Still tease him, still push at his walls with the same persistence? Or would that spark in his eyes dim the second Eliot told the truth?
He couldn't keep circling it forever.
Kaius' voice tugged him back. "You're staring again, if I were ice cream, I would have melted already," he teased, smirk softening into something almost fond.
Eliot's jaw tightened. Enough.
He set down his fork deliberately and lifted his gaze. Straight into Kaius' eyes.
For a beat, silence stretched between them. Kaius, ever the provocateur, didn't flinch. His smirk lingered, his brows raised as if daring Eliot to say something, anything.
So, Eliot did.
"I'm gay."
The words slipped out steady, low, just enough for Kaius to hear.
Time seemed to pause.
Eliot's pulse hammered in his ears, but his gaze didn't waver. He waited, for the smirk to fade, for the laughter to turn mocking, for Kaius to pull back with discomfort.
But none of that happened.
Instead, Kaius blinked once, then tilted his head, eyes still locked on Eliot's, the smirk curling back into place. "That's it? That's your big reveal?"
Eliot's brows furrowed, thrown off. "...What do you mean that's it?" He didn't know if he should be offended or what.
Kaius leaned back, taking a slow sip of his wine, deliberately dragging out the moment. Then he set the glass down and smiled, genuine this time, softer, though still tinged with that teasing glint.
"I mean," he said, his voice low and even, "you said that like it was supposed to scare me away. Or shock me. Or make me treat you differently."
Eliot's fingers curled against the tablecloth. "And it doesn't?"
Kaius shook his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Eli, please. Do you really think so little of me? If you're waiting for me to act weird, sorry to disappoint. I'm still me. You're still you. Nothing changed. You, being gay, doesn't make you less a person."
Eliot stared, dumbfounded. "...Nothing changed?"
"Nothing," Kaius repeated firmly, though his grin slipped back into place a second later. "Well, except maybe now I have even more reasons to annoy you. Because, at least now, I know you won't run off thinking I'm just flirting with you for the heck of it." He teased laughingly.
Eliot's mouth parted, stunned into silence.
Kaius chuckled at the look on his face, leaning forward again. "Relax, Eli. You don't scare me. Not with your eyebrows, not with your eye rolls, and definitely not with that little bomb you just dropped. If anything," His gaze softened, almost imperceptibly. "...I'm glad you told me."
Eliot swallowed hard, something unfamiliar tugging in his chest.
He'd expected tension, maybe distance. What he got instead was Kaius, still witty, still insufferable, but steady. Unshaken by what he dropped.
The silence between them now felt different. Not heavy, not uncertain. Just... full. And his mind is finally at peace.
Finally, Eliot rolled his eyes again, though his voice was quieter when he spoke. "You're unbelievable."
Kaius grinned. "You've said that before. Say something else, I'm tired of that one."
"How about,idiot."
"Fine with me, our callsign is cute. Unique, when you say that in public, all the attention will go to us." Kaius said with a shrug, picking up another potato wedge with perfect composure. "But, yeah, as long as you keep saying it while sharing meals with me, I'll survive."
Eliot huffed, fighting the curve threatening his own lips.
For the first time, he realized, maybe he could survive this too... with Kaius beside him.