Espresso in The Rain

Noah couldn't shake the unease settling in his chest. The way Elias looked at him just now—guarded, almost guilty—felt like a warning. A prelude to something he wasn't ready for.

Santa followed his gaze toward Elias and Perth, her brows furrowing. "You think he's finally going to talk to you?"

Noah exhaled sharply. "I don't know."

"Then maybe it's time you make him," Santa said, her voice firm but gentle. "If you keep waiting for him to open up, you might be waiting forever."

She wasn't wrong.

Noah had been giving Elias space, hoping he would come around on his own, but all that had done was widen the distance between them. If he wanted answers, he had to stop hesitating.

With renewed determination, he stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. "I'm done waiting."

Santa smirked. "That's the spirit."

Noah squared his shoulders and strode toward the counter, his heart pounding. Elias was still talking to Perth, but as Noah approached, Perth glanced at him, then at Elias, and let out a quiet sigh.

"I'll give you two a minute," Perth muttered before walking off toward the back.

Elias turned to Noah, wiping his hands on a towel, his expression unreadable. "Hey."

Noah folded his arms. "We need to talk."

Elias' jaw tightened for a fraction of a second before he forced a small smile. "Can it wait? We're about to hit the evening rush—"

"No, it can't."

Elias blinked at Noah's sharp tone, clearly caught off guard. But Noah wasn't going to back down.

"Elias, something's wrong," Noah said, his voice lower now, softer but still firm. "I can feel it. You've been different lately—distant. You barely talk about your past, and every time I try to ask, you shut me out. I need to know why."

Elias glanced away, gripping the counter. For a moment, Noah thought he was going to keep dodging the conversation like he always did. But then Elias let out a heavy breath and turned back to him.

"Not here," Elias said quietly. "Come upstairs."

Noah's stomach twisted. Whatever Elias was about to tell him, it wasn't going to be easy to hear.

---

The apartment above The Roasted Heaven had always been a place of comfort for Noah. A space filled with warmth, with quiet mornings tangled in Elias' arms, with late-night whispers and shared laughter.

But tonight, the air felt different. He followed Elias inside, watching as he ran a hand through his hair before sitting on the edge of the bed.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, finally, Elias broke the silence.

"I used to work in the corporate world," he said, his voice quiet, almost hesitant. "I had everything people think they want—money, power, a promising career. But I hated it."

Noah sat down across from him, listening intently.

Elias gave a dry chuckle. "I was good at it, though. Too good. My father was proud—he always wanted me to follow in his footsteps. And for a while, I did. But it wasn't me. The stress, the expectations, the pressure to be someone I wasn't… it ate me alive."

Noah's heart ached at the bitterness in Elias' voice. He could see it now—the weight Elias had been carrying, the reason he had been pulling away.

"I walked away from it all," Elias continued. "I left behind a life most people would kill for, and in doing so, I disappointed my father. He never forgave me for it."

Noah frowned. "So you opened The Roasted Heaven to start over?"

Elias nodded. "It was the first thing I ever did for myself, without worrying about anyone else's expectations."

Noah reached for Elias' hand, squeezing it gently. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Elias hesitated. "Because I was afraid." His voice wavered. "Afraid that if you knew, you'd think I was a coward. That I ran away instead of facing my responsibilities."

Noah's chest tightened. "Elias, that's not—"

"I know," Elias interrupted, looking down. "But I couldn't shake the fear. And the closer we got, the more it scared me. I didn't want you to look at me differently."

Noah's heart broke at the vulnerability in Elias' voice. He could see now that Elias hadn't been pushing him away because he didn't care—he had been trying to protect himself.

Noah cupped Elias' face, forcing him to meet his gaze. "Listen to me. You're not a coward, Elias. You did what you had to do to find happiness. That doesn't make you weak—it makes you brave."

Elias swallowed hard, his eyes searching Noah's. "Then why does it still feel like I'm running?"

Noah frowned. "Running from what?"

Elias took a deep breath. "From us."

Noah froze.

Elias pulled back slightly, running a hand over his face. "I love you, Noah. But I don't know if I can be what you need."

The words hit Noah like a punch to the gut. "Elias…"

"I'm scared," Elias admitted, his voice raw. "Scared that if I let you in completely, I'll end up losing you. That I'll mess this up somehow."

Noah's breath caught. He had been so worried about Elias pulling away that he hadn't considered why he was doing it.

Elias wasn't pushing him away because he didn't love him.

He was pushing him away because he loved him too much.

A heavy silence settled between them.

Then, finally, Noah spoke.

"I love you, Elias. But I can't keep fighting for us alone." His voice was steady, but his heart was breaking. "If you can't let me in… then maybe we are running out of time."

Elias looked at him, pain flashing across his face. But he didn't say anything.

And in that silence, Noah felt his heart shatter.