Two young gentlemen's struggles to be together.

The sun has sprung out of the horizon. In one of the district of Grantz sky island, the shine of it pierced through window curtains of a small square bedroom with white walls and illuminates it. Beside the tall thin oak wardrobe and above the small studying table were shelves installed on the walls, stacked with novels and magazines. On a single bed beside the table was a young man who started to stretch his body and blinked his eyes.

Its already morning, thought the young man.

Never does he need an alarm to wake up early in the morning. It was habitual for him to wake up right as the sun appears. Lazily, he pushed himself to the left side of the bed and pulled up the curtains behind him, bathing himself and the room with sunshine. From his bed, he looked down on the ash wood floor and scratches his right eyes to improve his sight. It was always blurry after waking up. Raising his head ahead, he saw an image of a young man with thin almond shape green eyes and messy wavy blonde hair. He had a thin face, thin nose, and thin shaped lips. His skin was fair white and his body was lean. Zacharias Morrisson liked the way his reflection looked in the morning.

“Good morning, me,” he said to his himself and stood up, forcing his way out of his drowsiness and rubbed his face with the palms of his hands. It was time for a shower. He grabbed a white towel hanging from the back of his door before twisting and pulling the doorknob. Just as the door swung open, the door on the opposite side of his room opened, revealing Leon, Zach’s younger brother, which had resemblances except for the hair which was brown and slightly shorter. Leon’s physique was smaller compared to Zach but the younger brother’s body was more muscled than his older brother. Both were face to face with each other, both holding towels in their hand.

“Morning,” said Leon grinning and started to dash for the shower room.

“No, it’s my turn today!” Zach exclaimed. Just in time, he grabbed Leon by the hand and pulling him back which put them together in a hand lock.

Both siblings laughed and wrestled. After a minute of fooling around, Zach gave up and chuckled. He released his grip. Leon ran straight for the shower and shut the door. From behind the door, Zach could hear Leon exclaiming, “I win again!” and laughed.

Zach could only shake his head and smiled. “Be quick!” he said.

It was kind of a brotherly game for Zach and Leon to see who gets to get to shower first. At times, they make deals to take turns but rarely follow through. Both siblings are close to each other but own different personality. Zach is quiet and loves solitude while Leon has a loud personality. It is no surprise that Leon has more friends than Zach. Nonetheless, the younger brother loves spending time doing sports and chatting with his older brother. They share everything with each other.

It took Leon ten minutes to finish showering. He came out bare-chested and wearing only a towel. “Your turn,” he said, grinning, to Zach who was waiting outside the bathroom with his towel hanging over his left shoulder. Zach replied by shaking his head, smiled, and took the shower over.

The warm droplets of water freshen him up and did its work. It didn’t take him long to clean himself and prepare for the day. Today, he wore a white long sleeved shirt tucked in a pair of black slack pants which goes with his black leather work shoes and his black leather belt. Once he was ready, he went down.

He could smell it already. In the kitchen, his Talia, his mother was preparing eggs and bacon for breakfast. Morris, his father, was sitting on the chair beside the table, reading a newspaper. Leon was also sitting on a chair at one side of the table, already eating his breakfast and dressed to go to the academy. When he saw Zach, he wagged his eyebrows which were a sign of greetings.

Talia was a thin woman with long wavy blonde hair but today it was braided. Just like Zach, she had a thin face and thin nose just like an elf’s, but hers were feminine while Zach’s was more masculine. Her lips were also thicker and juicier. She works as a florist, selling flowers in their house which is part flower store.

Morris was a large beefy man. At his young age, he was an athlete then a trainer. But now, he’s retired and lives on his penchant money. His hair was brown and his skin was rather tanned compared to his two sons.

Zach’s eyes glanced at the newspaper’s front page. Just like his dad, Zach loves reading the news, but he hates talking about them with his dad. Almost every one of their opinions clashes and it often leads them into a fight. Sometimes Zach wonders maybe that is the reason which he dislikes talking so much.

“Morning,” he greeted and sat next to Leon.

“Morning dear,” said his mother.

Morris remains quiet, concentrating on the newspaper while Leon looked at his older brother and sipped his cup of coffee.

“Are you ready for your first day of work, dear?”

Zach took a moment to think about it, and then answered with a smile: “I’m a little nervous, but I’m guessing I’m ready.”

“Once you get paid, you can buy me the shoes that I always wanted,” joked Leon

Zach replied with a sarcastic laugh. "Right."

A minute later, Talia placed a serving of bacon and eggs in front of Zach which he began eating quickly and finished with a glass of orange juice.

“Well,” he said and ruffled Leon’s hair with his hand which in return was slapped away, “I’d better get going. Don’t want to be late for my first day of work.”

“Alright dear,” said his mother as she rinses her hands. “But wait just a second,” she walked up to him and gently cupped his cheeks. She smiled and looked at his face. “Good luck on your job,” she wished him and pecked him on the lips.

It embarrassed him that his mother still does that even though he was already twenty one. But he doesn’t mind it. He loves his mother. And he knows he’ll miss it if she stopped doing it. “I’m heading out,” he said and walked out the door. A moment later, he walked back in. “Forgot my coat and cane,” he told them and took the long black coat hanging beside the door along with a black fancy cane.

It was chilly outside regardless of the shining sun. He would freeze if he hadn’t had his warm coat on. The cane was hung on his belt at his side, hidden under his coat. It was dangerous in the world filled with beasts, bandits, and pirates. It is a must for any person to have a method to protect them. Although it was safe inside the magical barrier of the small city, no one should take any dangerous chances by leaving their homes unarmed.

Today, Zach starts his works in Mister Taylor’s Tailor Shop as a helper. His job is to give made outfit to customers and take the measuring of the their body as well as dressing them with whatever that they wish. Work is hard to find these days. He felt lucky that he was able to get a work that is in line with his interest. Zach is a fan of style and fashion. He follows them and knows well about them. It is only natural that he dreams to be a fashion designer. Being a helper is far from his goal but it’s a start. Hopefully, in a few years, he will be able to reach his dreams.

Grantz Islands is built on multiple sky islands which are joined together. Zach’s family’s house is located on one of the island which is the housing district. Zach doesn’t owns a car and relies on public transportation such as the bus and the train.

The bus didn’t take long to arrive. It took him a just a moment to reach the train station. He went through some trouble getting on the train because of the crowd of people, just like him, going to work, but he managed. Before reaching the market district, the train will have to pass a few other districts. Standing in the train, he looked out the window and saw that the train had already reached the temple district. The temple district is a district constructed solely for the Holy Temple and nothing else. The massive white Temple which was built by hands of humans to worship the white goddess, Lux. Spread around the other districts were myriads of her shrine which most people in the city visits to pray daily.

Most people of Grantz were rather traditional and basically hated anyone who disrespected their religion. Some loved to judge everyone but no one is allowed to critique about them. Zach thinks it is silly, but kept his thoughts to himself and Leon. A minute later, the train went ahead and the sight of the Temple was lost. It would be some time before the train reaches the market district, so he decided to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Inside a quaint, little home, the inhabitants were beginning to awaken for the day. Upstairs, in a darkly colored bedroom, a young man was stretching in the blankets that covered his bed. When he'd finished stretching, Zayden Harwell remained laying in his bed for a few moments. His amber colored eyes stared up at the ceiling, taking in every line in the paint. He really needed to repaint his room. It had been at least five years or more since he'd done anything new to it and it was getting quite boring to him. Gently running a slim hand over his face, Zayden slowly moved the blankets off of his body and slid out of bed. Standing on the soft carpeted floor, the young man stretched once again, reveling in the feeling of his muscles moving after having been stuck in one position all night.

He slowly moved out of his bedroom and made his way down the hallway to the bathroom. Zayden was lucky in that he had no siblings that he had to share the hall bathroom with. It definitely made his mornings easy. The young man turned on the shower and got in, washing away the invisible dirt and grim that he felt was covering his body from the day before. He took his time, reveling in the feel of the slightly chilled water running over his body. He spent at least thirty or forty minutes in the shower before he finally stepped out. As he stood in the bathroom, drying off, Zayden eyed himself in the mirror. He was quite handsome, a thin and clean shaven face, full lips and clear skin. His black hair was longer on top, layered, and then slowly got shorter as it reached about halfway down his neck. He usually would keep a dark color of liner around his eyes, even though his father hated it.

Zayden quickly fixed his hair, making sure every strand was placed exactly where he wanted them. He then proceeded to walk out of the bathroom in a thin robe and made his way quickly back to his bedroom. Once inside, he closed the door and lost the robe. He slowly made his way to his wardrobe, opening the old doors. He began skimming through all of the different clothes that were located inside, trying to decide on a outfit for the day. Zayden had always preferred darker clothing. When asked why this was, he would always answer the same. He had always felt that wearing the darker clothing had made him feel..unique..different. Not that being different was always a good thing. Especially in the world he lived in.

Finally deciding on a outfit that consisted of black pants, a white long sleeved dress shirt, a black and silver vest, and a silver tie, he quickly got dressed. Standing before the tall mirror that was in his room, Zayden made sure that he appeared well dressed. When he was satisfied with his look, he made his way out of his room and headed downstairs.

Once his feet touched the main floor of the house, Zayden took the first right and entered the kitchen. His parents were already in there, quietly speaking to one another. His mother, Aleia, was a short and thin woman that took great pride in her looks. Everyone that knew the Harwells always would tell Aleia how much Zayden looked like her. His father, Alden, was the complete opposite of his with and son. He was a tall man and was very muscular, light colored hair. He did hard labor and was often away from home for long periods of time. Zayden noted that his mother had already set out breakfast for him and he approached her, giving her a hug.

"Thanks, Mom. It looks amazing!" he said, walking over to the table and sitting down at his plate. The short woman smiled brightly. "Your welcome, sweetheart. We'll need to be off in about thirty minutes." Zayden merely nodded in agreement. Though he was only twenty-two, Zayden had been lucky enough to be able to work with his mother. She owned a local bakery shop that Zayden now helped to run. While she did most of the baking, Zayden handled most of the customers. Though most young adults preferred to work away from their family, Zayden had been happy to work with the woman that he was so close to.

After finishing his meal, Zayden got up from the table and put his plates in the sink. He was making his way out of the kitchen when his father spoke up. "Son, make sure to take care of your mother. I'll be gone for about a week so I expect you to handle things while I'm gone." Zayden paused for only a moment. "Of course, sir. You don't have to worry about that. You know I'll take care of everything." he said, smiling. The older man nodded, offering his son a smile. "You just be careful while you're gone, old man." Zayden said. His father laughed and nodded before telling his son that he needed to be on his way.

Zayden made his way to the long hallway, grabbing his long, black coat and his small knife that he kept hidden upon his person at all times. When he was ready, he called out to his mother. "Mom? Are you ready to go? We're going to be late if we don't get going." The woman appeared almost instantly, pulling on her coat. "I'm ready, dear. Let's get going. Don't want to keep all of our wonderful customers waiting, do we?"

The two of them quickly made their way out of their home and began walking. They soon arrived at one of the train stations that was located in the housing district and were lucky enough to catch the train as it was loading passengers. They quickly got on and made their way towards the front of a car. As they had been walking to one of the empty seats, Zayden had accidentally bumped into a young man that had been occupied with his own thoughts. "I'm so sorry." he said, amber eyes raking over the young man's form. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I feel terrible. You must let me make it up to you. If you're ever in the market district, I work at Aroma's Delight, the bakery. I'll treat you to anything that you want for lunch. Sorry again." Zayden had noted his mother eyeing him and he'd quickly excused himself from the young man.

He joined his mother who was now sitting a few seas in front of the man Zayden had ran into. He felt oddly compelled to look back at the man, but he refrained from doing so. Instead, he made small talk with his mother for the rest of the trip. His amber colored eyes would flick to the window every so often, taking in the scenery. The train ride always seemed to take so long, as least for Zayden. He only wanted to get the day started. They would have quite a bit to do before they were able to open the shop for the day. "Sweetheart, are you listening?" his mother asked. Zayden quickly blinked his eyes, focusing on the woman that shared his height. "No, sorry. What were you saying?" he asked softly. The older woman smiled gently at her son. "I was asking you what you were wanting to do for supper. Since your father will be gone I thought that we could splurge a bit and buy something in the market to take home. Something special." He thought for a moment. "Yea, that's fine. Perfect, actually." he said at last, smiling.

The train ride continued in this fashion until at last the train slowed to a stop. Zayden stood with his mother and the two slowly began to make their way off of the train. As they were getting off, Zayden's eyes caught the young man's gaze for but a moment before turning his head to listen to his mother as she spoke once again. She linked arms with her son and the two of them were finally off the train.

After getting off of the train, Zayden and his mother quickly made their way to their shop. It was located in the center of the market district so they were usually quite busy. Once arriving, the two entered and began with their opening tasks. Aleia began baking as Zayden began cleaning. It didn't take too awfully long for the two to get the store ready to open for the day. When the last loaf of bread was finished baking, Zayden unlocked the door and flipped their sign over to open. He was ready for the busy day and looked forward to it. Over the past couple of years, working with his mother, Zayden had found that he rather enjoyed being busy. At first it had been fairly difficult but now he seemed to almost breeze around the shop. The little bell that was located above the door jingled, signaling the start of their day, as the first customer entered, ready to order.

A minute later, the train reached the next station. Few people got off compared to the ones getting on. Feeling uncomfortable, Zach shifted on his spot. He felt someone bumped into him. Reflexively, he turned to check.

What he saw mesmerized him. It was a young man with neatly cut raven hair, wearing a black and silver vest over a white long sleeved shirt, a silver tie, and black pants. His ember coloured eyes suited his clean well-shaped face. Little that Zach knows, at that moment, his feelings stirred.

"I'm so sorry,” apologized the young man with his amber eyes raking over Zach’s form. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I feel terrible. You must let me make it up to you. If you're ever in the market district, I work at Aroma's Delight, the bakery. I'll treat you to anything that you want for lunch. Sorry again." With that, the young man excused himself and sat next to an older woman.

Zach didn’t have the chance to respond to the young man. He wanted to say that it was not the man’s fault as it was usual for people to bump into each other in a crowded train but instead, he froze at his spot. Awkwardly, he scratched and averted his gaze to the floor, leaning himself on one of the wall.

A minute later, Zach found himself studying the young man from before which was at that time chatting with the older woman. Zach noticed that both people had resemblance. This gave him a conclusion that they were either siblings or mother and son. He wished that he could learn more about the young man.

Finally, after a couple of stations later, they reached the market district. Zach noticed the young man, along with the older woman, rose from their seat and slowly made their way off the train. For a moment, the amber eyes of the young man made contact with Zach’s. Feeling embarrassed, Zach quickly looked away. Soon, the train reached his stop.


Mister Taylor’s was an old but expensive looking store located at the western part of the market district. The front of the store was glass with carved oak wood frames. Displayed behind the glass were men’s tuxedos, outfits, and dresses of many kinds, all beautiful and elegant. Nervously, Zach took a step forward, then another. He opened the door, a bell on top of the door jingled. It wasn’t the first time he has been in the store and it wasn’t his first time meeting Mister Taylor, but his heart couldn't help but pounded fast.

“Good Morning, Mister Taylor,” Zach greeted.

“Good morning,” replied Mister Taylor, a mid age man with white hair, turning around to Zach’s voice. He had stubble the same colour as his hair, but Zach could see that behind all the white was a handsome man undeterred by his years of experience.

Zach placed his right hand on his chest where his heart is and bowed slightly: a traditional greeting gesture of theirs.

“Oh it’s you.” He seemed rather surprised to see Zach, but his lips creased into a soft welcoming smile and gestured in return. “Come in young man. I’ve been expecting you,” he said cheerfully and walked up to Zach. He placed his hand on the young man’s back then guided Zach into the shop. “The customers usually come in later just before afternoon. But as a start, let me show you where everything is kept.”

For a minute, Zach was shown where everything such as the measuring rope, scissors, and sewing machine was kept. Mister Taylor took him to the back of the store where myriad of outfits and dresses was hung and tagged. That was the second time Zach saw the room. And it was the second time that he was amazed by it. Everything was neatly organized and easy to find. He was used to handling the sort of things since he learned it one of the subjects in school. Seeing and holding the items made him think back of his time in the academy. Most boys in the academy choose subject which requires the use of strength and hard work, but not Zach. He prefers the more relaxed subjects which was always associated with art. It was lonely, but he loved solitude, so it didn’t matter.

“Once the customers come in, I’ll guide you for the first and second customer, and maybe the third, then I’ll leave you to your work. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask.”

Just as he finished talking, the door opened. Once again, the bell that was hung on top of the door jingled. “Good morning.” A costumer walked in, holding a piece of paper. “I’m here to pick up a tuxedo.”

“Good Morning,” replied Mister Taylor, followed by Zach. “Oh, yes, yes,” said Mr Taylor took the piece of paper from the man. “We’ll be right back.”

After a brief inspection, Mister Taylor passed the piece of paper to Zach. “Here. Go find that tuxedo,” he said with a smile.

It wasn’t hard to find the outfit. Gently, he lifts the tuxedo by the hanger and passed it to Mister Taylor. It only took a second for to finish the task.

The white haired man smiled, impressed. “Good work, boy.”

Mister Taylor only had to help Zach a couple of times, then the young man got used to the work. His nervousness at the start of the day was gone. The whole day, Zach gave out people’s finished outfit, dressed people and took a couple of measuring. He was good at it.

Once in a while, seeing that he is new, customer would ask whose son was he and what his name is. Politely, Zach answered their questions while he did his work.

While the shop was free of customers, Mister Taylor chatted with Zach. Surprisingly, it was easy talking with the mid-age man. Zach found out that both he and Mister Taylor shared the same interest in fashion. It gave Zach a sense of warmth gaining the knowledge.

Work ended sooner than he expected. Time flies when you’re having fun. Dusk appeared as the sun went halfway down the horizon.

“You can go home now. You’re work time is over,” said Mister Taylor. “You did a great job today.”

“Thank you, sir,” smiled Zach. “You did a good job too."

Mister Taylor gave a hearty laugh. “You’re welcome boy. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Once again, Zach placed his right hand on his chest where his heart is and bowed to Mister Taylor. Then he was off.

It was a long walk back to the train station. The street light was already lighted since the sun was no longer illuminating Grantz Sky Island. Flicker of lanterns, candles, and even electrical and magical light could be seen in houses and shops. Walking alone, it was easy to concentrate on the details of everything. He decided to take a quick stroll around the district.

The stroll took him to the centre of the market district which was more crowded there than the western part of the market district. The place was still bustling with loud sounds and vehicles. He stopped in front of a bakery to see what kinds of bread were sold. Raising his head up, he saw the name of the bakery. Aroma’s Delight. It was purely coincidental that he ended up at the bakery which the young raven haired man from before mentioned. Zach’s heart started to feel jittery. Slowly, he entered the bakery and looked around, hoping to find the raven haired, amber eyes, and young man.

Their first customer was a regular, someone who would visit the shop every day. Zayden greeted the tall, older man happily. The man that had entered was Mr. Thornhaven, a fairly wealthy man that had gotten his wealth by crafting a rather useful hiking contraption. "Good morning, my boy. How are you doing this lovely day?" the old man asked, smiling behind a large, bushy mustache. Zayden smiled at his customer. "I'm doing wonderfully, thank you. The usual, Mr. Thornhaven?" he asked, moving to the large display counter that was located next to the register. The old man nodded, the smile never leaving his face. Zayden began putting a large box together and then proceeded to begin filling the pretty box with several different types of pastries. When he was finished, Zayden made his way back to the register, sitting the box down on the counter. He quickly rang the old man up for his order. "All right. It'll be Twenty-Two dollars and fifty cents." The old man took his time, pulling out the correct amount of money. As Zayden waited patiently for Mr. Thornhaven to pay him, a few more customers filed into the shop. Zayden greeted them and at last, the man paid him for the order.

For most of the day, Zayden found himself unable to completely concentrate on his work. This confused him. He'd never had that problem before and he couldn't say that he liked it. The young man from the train plagued his mind. He couldn't get him out of his mind. He'd been lucky so far. His mother hadn't noticed his distraction. He couldn't place it, but he felt..different when he thought of the young man. Almost like he'd been destined to meet him. Zayden couldn't dare to hope that the man would actually take him up on his offer of coming to the shop. Actually, he'd probably never see him again.

By about mid afternoon, Zayden's hair was beginning to come out of the style he'd had it in that morning. Though most of it was still slicked back, a few strands were now hanging in his face. He didn't mind so much, especially on days when they were very busy, such as today. Zayden had no time to take a brake. Customer after customer came in, ordering different things. The shop always saw many different kinds of customers from the young to the old. From the poor to the rich. Zayden had always loved seeing the many different faces that always came into the shop. He especially liked seeing the new faces. It made his day a bit more interesting.

When the slew of customers that had been in the shop filed out, Zayden noted that there was no one else at the moment. He took a deep breath, glad to have a moment to breathe. His mother walked out of the kitchen, standing next to him. "Well, today certainly has been busy. We've not had this many customers for some time. Maybe things are looking up." she said, smiling at her son. The slightly taller man smiled back. "Hopefully. It's hard work but I think I'd rather be busy like this all of the time." Zayden said, fixing them each a drink. They took a few moments to rest but soon enough, more customers began filing in the shop.

His mother made her way back into the kitchen and Zayden took his post at the register. He didn't have any more memorable customers but found his thoughts once again wandering to the man from the train. He just couldn't get him out of his mind. Zayden had never really been interested in any of the girls that he'd ever known. He'd been able to play it off quite well for a long time and only recently had his parents began questioning him. He'd simply continued to tell them that he had more important things to worry about other than having a relationship with someone. It was true. He knew that he needed to help his mother with the shop and that required quite a bit of his time. Zayden could not imagine that there were many people out there that could understand his commitment.

Zayden couldn't change the way he was, though. From a very young age he'd been taught that the most important thing in the entire world was his family. They were supposed to come before everything..and everyone else. Now that he was older, Zayden had come to realize that there were other important things in life but unfortunately, he'd yet to find something of such importance. Though he'd put off being with someone, Zayden knew that there was a empty place in his heart. He yearned for someone who could understand him and wouldn't judge him for the way that he was. As he went through the motions of every day life, Zayden couldn't say that he was being optimistic. He'd become comfortable with his being single though he did want more.

As the day was slowly coming to a close, Zayden looked to see the time. It was around dusk which meant that he'd be at the shop for a few more hours, at least. Their line of customers had thinned out quite a bit. A couple or two were actually sitting and eating at one of the few small tables that filled the lobby of the shop. Zayden was wiping down the long counter when the bell dinged, signaling a new customer. He looked up, and who he saw almost made his heart stop. It was the young man from the train. He couldn't believe that he'd actually come to the shop. A happy smile quickly placed itself onto his face. "Hello there!" he said, motioning for the young man to approach the counter. "Decided to take me up on my offer?" He paused for a moment, allowing the man to speak. Thrusting one of his hands out for the young man, he spoke again. "Zayden Harwell. Pleasure to meet you. I'm terribly sorry for nearly running you over this morning. I really need to learn to watch where I'm going." He took his right hand, running it through his hair in an attempt to get the loose strands to stay out of his face. However, this only helped for a few moments before the strands would simply fall back to their loosened state.

The bell above the door jingled as Zach entered. The aroma inside the bakery was delicious. The sweet smells filled Zach’s nostrils, lifting up his mood. He saw that there were few people inside the bakery at night. It was quiet and peaceful, just the way the blonde haired young man prefers.

Behind the counter was the raven haired young man Zach was hoping to find, wiping down the long counter. His stylish raven hair was now loose with a few strands covering his forehead, worn down after a whole day of working. When he looked up, Zach’s green eyes met the young man’s ember eyes. There seemed to be a short pause then the raven haired young man lips creased into a smile, causing Zach’s heart to skip a beat.

"Hello there!" said the young man, motioning for Zach to approach the counter.

Once again, his nerves struck him. Zach did as the young man motioned him to do, but his eyes kept looking down, not daring to look into the young man’s ember eyes.

"Decided to take me up on my offer?" said the ember eyed young man.

“Offer?” echoed Zach. At his confusion, he reflexively looked up, meeting with the young man’s gaze.

Thrusting one of his hands out, the ember eyed young man spoke again. "Zayden Harwell. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Zacharias Morrisson," said Zach in return. Stiffly, Zach shook Zayden’s hand and felt the warmth of his strong grip before releasing. “The pleasure is all mine.”

“I'm terribly sorry for nearly running you over this morning. I really need to learn to watch where I'm going." Zayden took his right hand, running it through his hair in an attempt to get the loose strands to stay out of his face.

For a second, Zach’s made a regretful expression and shook his head. “No, No, there’s no need to apologize. There was no fault done, really.” He watched as Zayden’s strands of hair fell to its loosened state. When he realized he was staring, Zach quickly averted his eyes away, tugging on his collar to cool himself. He was suddenly feeling too warm. With a slight stutter of nervousness, he spoke and said, “It’s a… it’s a nice place you have here.” The time of being a quiet person took its toll on him. He didn’t know what to say to Zayden and was feeling quite foolish. What am I doing here? he questioned himself.

The young man..no..as Zacharias spoke, "No, No, there’s no need to apologize. There was no fault done, really.” Zayden kept his amber colored eyes focused on the man before him, merely taking in the man's appearance. Though he'd seen him that morning, Zayden had been in a hurry and had not been able to get a good look. Now, however, he was able to see him more clearly. The man before him was quite handsome and Zayden found that he couldn't tear his gaze away from Zacharias. It did not bother him, however. He simply smiled, happy that the young man had come by the shop.

Zayden could easily see that Zacharias was at least a tad bit on the nervous side. This only served to make Zayde smile more. “It’s a… it’s a nice place you have here.” Zacharias said. "Why thank you. My Great-Grandmother actually is the one that started the place. It has been in the family since. Which is why I've been working here since I was old enough to legally be allowed." He laughed at this . "One day, it'll be mine so I thought it best to get as much experience here before that happens. So, what is it you do Zacharias?" He fell silent, allowing for the young man to speak. When he was finished, Zayden thought for a moment as the man before him spoke.

He felt an unusual need to learn more about Zacharias but he was not sure that the other man even wanted anything to do with him. The only thing he knew for sure was he was acting nervous and he wasn't sure why. He rather liked it, however..made Zacharias appear..attractive. When Zahcarias was no longer speaking, Zayden spoke a bit randomly. "Would you like something to eat or drink? On the house, of course. I still feel terrible for this morning..and don't even tell me that I needn't worry about it. It's just the way that I am." He continued to smile. Zayden found himself wishing that he could merely stand there with Zacharias and just talk...for hours. He had always been rather chatty. It's what had made him so good at his job. All of the regulars loved speaking with him and his energy only added to his appeal.

"Why thank you. My Great-Grandmother actually is the one that started the place. It has been in the family since. Which is why I've been working here since I was old enough to legally be allowed." He laughed at this. "One day, it'll be mine so I thought it best to get as much experience here before that happens. So, what is it you do Zacharias?" A smile creased his lips. "Would you like something to eat or drink? On the house, of course. I still feel terrible for this morning... and don't even tell me that I needn't worry about it. It's just the way that I am." He continued to smile.

Zach could see that Zayden was a chatty fellow, similar to Leon, Zach’s younger brother. With Leon, Zach only had to nod and shook his head with occasional comments of what he thought. If he had enough of listening, he simply had to ignored the teenager. But he couldn't do that to Zayden if he wanted the raven haired young man as his friend. “I… I just started working as a helper at the… at the western side of the market district,” answered Zach, still nervous and not daring to make eye contact. “The shop’s name is Mister Taylor’s tailor.” He walked over to where the pastries are. They were well made and well garnished, an interest that he could relate to. For the sake of small talk, he had to ask: “Did you… did you baked these yourself?”

Zayden listened intently as Zacharias spoke of what it is that he did for a living. He couldn't say that he was surprised that Zacharias worked for Mr. Taylor. Zazharias just looked like someone that worked for a tailoring shop. When he had the spare money, Zayden would visit the shop for a new outfit. He'd never seen the young man before him during any of his trips so he could assume that Zacharias had started working there rather recently. "Yes, I'm a customer of your shop. I've not been in a month or so, however."

He fell silent, listening to Zacharias once again as he stood near the pastries. “Did you… did you baked these yourself?” the young man asked. Zayden smiled at this. He wondered why Zacharias seemed nervous. They were only chatting, after all. He decided not to worry too much about it. Zayden looked to see which pastries his guest was looking at. "Those I did, however usually my mother does most of the decorating. She likes to remind me that my 'pretty face' should be up here..not in the kitchen." He laughed, smiling. It was quite obvious that he did not mind his mother bossing him around or calling him pretty. They'd always been very close and Zayden could not imagine ever not having her around. "Anyway, the pastries that you're looking at are our most popular. We sell through them like crazy." He fell silent for a moment, eyeing the other man closely. He couldn't deny that he was greatly attracted to him, though he could never act on it. He'd always thought it silly that he'd never be able to be with the person that he loved..not that he'd found that person yet. "So, you've not been working over here for very long, have you? Sorry..I'm a rather nosy person."

“I… I just started working as a helper at the… at the western side of the market district,” answered Zach, still nervous and not daring to make eye contact. “The shop’s name is Mister Taylor’s tailor.”

"Yes, I'm a customer of your shop. I've not been in a month or so, however," said Zayden.

Zach walked over to where the pastries are. They were well made and well garnished, an interest that he could relate to. For the sake of small talk, he had to ask: “Did you… did you baked these yourself?”

"Those I did, however usually my mother does most of the decorating. She likes to remind me that my 'pretty face' should be up here..not in the kitchen." Zayden laughed, smiling. "Anyway, the pastries that you're looking at are our most popular. We sell through them like crazy."

Then, there was a moment of silence. From the corner of his eyes, Zach could see that Zayden was watching him, causing the blonde young man's body to tense. Never has he felt and acted the way that he did as today. It confused him.

"So, you've not been working over here for very long, have you?" asked Zayden. "Sorry..I'm a rather nosy person."

Quickly, Zach turned to Zayden, fearing he had somehow hurt the young amber eyed man's feelings. "No, no, it's okay." he responded. The thought of harming the raven haired young man in anyway discomfort him but doesn't have a clue why, his stutter slowly drifting away. "I actually just graduated from Grantz Academy a month ago."

Grantz Academy, the small college of knowledge built on Grantz island where people go to further their studies and knowledge. In Grantz Academy, Zach advanced his skills in tailoring as well as his knowledge in art. The time he had there was not a pleasurable one but it wasn't bad either. In any case, he was glad that he was done with the place.

The bells hung on top of the entrance once again jingled as the door opened. "Zach!" called a familiar voice, attracting the blonde man's attention.

Turning his head, Zach saw the brown haired teenager, grinning at his older brother. "Leon?" said Zach, surprised.

"What're you doing here?" asked Leon, walking into the bakery. "Were you fired already?"

Zach smiled. He knew Leon was only teasing. "No, not yet. I was just looking around before heading back home." He turned to Zayden and introduced his younger brother: "This is Leon Morrisson, my little brother."

Leon averted his eyes to Zayden, pressed his hand to his chest and politely bowed: the traditional greeting gesture. "Nice to meet you." Then, he was silent, occasionally switching gaze from Zach to Zayden and then back to Zach, waiting for his older brother to introduce Zayden to him.

Zach stood there silent. Then his eyes widened. "Oh, sorry," he apologized and suddenly felt nervous once more, embarrassment enveloped him. "This... this is Zayden... Har... Harwell..."

The sound of bell was heard again and a girl with red haired peeked in beside the entrance door. "Psst, Lee," she called. "Are we going or not?"

"Oh yeah, sure, sure." Leon said to the girl and bowed at Zach and Zayden. "I have to go." Then to Zach, "I'll see you at home later." With that, he strode out the door. Through the bakery's window, Zach could see Leon with his friends, walking away, cheerful and full of life.

Zach took a deep breath and released it with a nervous laugh. The corner of his mouth rose in a half smile. "I think I've taken enough of your time. I should take my leave," he said to Zayden and put out a hand to shake, his eyes looking straight into the raven haired young man's irises. "But I... I'd love to take up with that offer tomorrow...” Zach was referring to the something to eat or drink that Zayden offered earlier. He just realized that he never gave an answer to the question.

Zacharias quickly turned to Zayden. "No, no, it's okay." the young man said. "I actually just graduated from Grantz Academy a month ago." Zayden smiled brightly at hearing this. "That's one thing that I've never done. I've never seen any reason to. I've learned everything that I need to know right here. However, I can only imagine what it was like going there." Zayden was smiling, clearly not at all upset that he'd never gone to the Academy. What he'd not told Zacharias was that though he'd chosen not to go there had been no way that his parents could have paid for the extra schooling. Zayden had never really thought that he'd needed to go to Grantz any way.

Suddenly, the bell that hung above the door jingled. Zayden quickly turned his gaze to the door, seeing a young brown haired man. Zayden could see a resemblance between the newcomer and Zacharias. He assumed that they were related in some way. Zayden remained quiet as the two spoke to each other. It wasn't until Zacharias spoke to Zayden did he focus back on the lighter haired man. "This is Leon Morrisson, my little brother." Zacharias said. Leon greeted Zayden as was customary and Zayden mimicked the action. "The pleasure is all mine." he said eyeing the younger man. It was not lost on Zayden that it took Zacharias a few moments to introduce him. When he did, however, his stutter seemed to have come back and it brought a smile to Zayden handsome face.

Zayden watched Leon as he left, leaving Zacharias behind. It was then that he turned his gaze back to the young man that he felt so drawn to. Zacharias smiled slightly at him before speaking. "I've think I've taken enough of your time. I should take my leave.." Zacharias held out his hand and Zayden gladly took it, returning the shake. When Zacharias's eyes locked onto his own, Zayden was a bit surprised. He..felt so drawn to Zacharias. "But I... I'd love to take up with that offer tomorrow..." Zayden laughed lightly, answering the young man. "That sounds wonderful. I'm here everyday so I'm not too hard to find. I look forward to seeing you. Be careful out there."

With that, Zayden slowly removed himself from behind the counter and slowly walked to the front door. He gave Zacharias one last smile as he slowly opened the door. "I'll see you later?" he asked, watching as the handsome young man left the store. When Zayden made sure that Zacharias was out of sight, he closed the shop door and locked it. Quickly, Zayden began his closing tasks. He could hear his mother already cleaning in the kitchen. It would usually take them about a hour to get everything ready for the next day. By the time he'd wiped down all of the surfaces and swept, his mother was coming out of the kitchen. "Zay, you ready to head home?" the older woman asked, coming to stand near the door. Zayden looked at his mother and gave her a tired smile. "Yea, just let me grab my coat and then we can head home." He quickly picked up his coat that had been sitting behind the counter and slid it on.

Zayden followed his mother out of the shop and patiently waited for her as she locked up their store. She joined him and took hold of his arm. Together, the two made their may back to the train station. For once, they did not have to wait very long for the train to arrive. Since it was getting late there wasn't all that many people getting off the train. Zayden and his mother boarded the train and quickly found a seat. The train ride didn't seem to last very long and for once, Zayden was glad. He slowly stood and walked with his mother off of the train.

They made their way slowly back to their home. The first thing that Zayden noticed was that his father was already gone. It would be at least a week before the older man returned. They entered into the darkened home. Zayden headed upstairs while his mother went into the kitchen. Aleia began to fix supper for the two of them.

Upstairs while his mother was cooking, Zayden had gone into his bedroom and had changed into something a bit more comfortable. He ran his fingers through his hair and stretched, hearing a few of his joints pop. Zayden headed downstairs and grabbed a plate of food, thanking his mother. He went back upstairs and entered into his bedroom. He sat down in a chair that sat in the corner and quickly ate. He needed to get to bed soon. He'd have to get up early to start all over once again. As he ate, Zayden found himself thinking about Zacharias. The handsome young man would not get out of his thoughts and Zayden wasn't quite sure why. He didn not mind it, though. He hoped that Zacharias would come by the shop the next day. He wanted to get to know him. The half smile that the young man had given him earlier. He would like to see him smile more and he would like to be the one causing Zacharias to smile. When he finished eating, Zayden sat his plate on his small desk and quickly slid into bed. It did not take too awfully long for him to slide into a deep sleep.

After leaving the Aroma’s Delight, Zach started making his way back home. Occasionally, he jumped from delight and gave out a silent cheer. The reason for his joy was that Zayden had agreed to meet each other on the next day. It was a weird feeling, filled with thrill and rush of adrenalin. The one time he felt that way was at the academy, fighting with an equal duel in a fencing competition. But the feeling he had at the moment was more intense. Though he doesn’t truly understand why he was feeling such way, he did not mind.

The journey back home did not take as much time as it did going to work that morning. Most people either headed off work earlier or much later. Upon reaching the front of the yard of the house which was a flower store, Zach saw his father on the water tank which was on a small tower located to the left of the house.

“Dad!” exclaimed the young man with his hands cupping his mouth. “What’re you doing?!”

“I’m fixing a leak!” Morris replied.

Without even needing to ask, Zach went up the tower with the help of a ladder and stood at Morris’s left side. Next to the mid-age man was a toolbox.

“Pass me the wrench will ya?” said Morris who was taping the thread of a steel pipe without looking at his son.

Wordlessly, Zach rummaged the toolbox for the wrench and passed it to Morris.

“So how’s your first day of work?” asked Morris, taking the wrench off Zach’s hand and replacing it with a tape.

“It was okay, I guess,” answered the young man while Morris tightened the pipe connector with the wrench. “I think I’m quite good at it actually. It’s comfortable working there with Mister Taylor. He’s a very thoughtful mentor.”

“That’s good then. It’s not easy to find work that you’re comfortable with,” said Morris, tugging on the pipe to see whether they were tight enough. “I’ve tried a couple of different works after I was done being an athlete, but I could say all of them didn’t suit me. You’re very lucky indeed to find work that suits you.”

Once Morris was sure that the pipe would hold, he turned the valve located at the bottom of his work. Zach could hear water flowed through the pipes and poured into the tank without a leak.

“That should do,” said Morris.

Together, the two of them descended down from the tower and went inside the house.

In the kitchen was Talia, cutting sorts of herbs and vegetables to be used later as ingredients for dinner. She glanced at his older son and smiled. “Welcome home, Zacharias,” she said to him. “How was your first day of work?”

“It was good. Dad said I’m lucky to found a job I’m comfortable with.”

“Good for you dear,” she said and wiped her hands on her apron. Just like in the morning, Talia cupped Zach’s cheeks and gave him a quick peck on the lips then continued with the dinner preparation. “It’s been a long day. You should go take a shower.”

With that, he nodded and went upstairs.





He didn’t realized how tired he was until the droplets of water touched his flesh. But quickly, the same droplets of water washed his exertion away and replaced it with freshness. He came out smelling wonderful and dressed in a grey and white loose short sleeved T-shirt which exposed his chest slightly, short cream colour khakis, and white flip flops.

Leon came home just in time for dinner. On the dinner table, the family talked about their day and gossip. They were discussing about school when Leon changed the subject and questioned his older brother, “Was the person at the bakery a friend of yours from the academy?”

Zach shook his head. “The guy ran into me on the train and then told me to go to the bekery. He offered me something to eat and drink.” He drank water from his glass and continued. “I'm taking up on that offer tomorrow.”

“Ahh,” Leon nodded. “My friends told me that the pastries there are to die for. You should buy some for us at home.”

Talia frowned slightly at the teenager. “Leon, darling. Zach just started working. You should save those kinds of jokes for Zach's pay day at the end of the month.” Everyone laughed at Talia's advice which had a pinch of joke in it and continued eating. She then turned to Zach. “Dear, you should take some flowers with you tomorrow. A bouquet for Mister Taylor’s Tailor and a bouquet for the bakery would be perfect.”

“Yeah it’ll be good to promote mom's flower store,” said Leon. He then stuffed a serving of potato pie into his mouth.

“What's the name of this bakery?” asked Morris.

“A Roman's Day Light,” answered Leon with his mouth full.

Zach chuckled and shook his head. “Aroma's Delight,” he corrected with a smile.

Everyone then laughed, amused by Leon's miss name, and continued with their conversation on a different topic.





Zach usually reads his books before going to sleep. That night, he tried to do the same but Zayden's image kept playing in his mind, interrupting his concentration. Constantly he had to re-read a paragraph and occasionally a whole page to grasp the meaning of what he was reading. Finally, he gave up. Putting the book on the shelf, he sighed, landed on the bed, and looked up to the white ceiling with his head resting on his forearm. He surrendered to his thoughts and let the images flow through mind. First, he saw Zayden's amber eyes, then his raven hair. Then he saw Zayden's nose followed by his attractive smile. Zach felt funny when he thought of the smile. Shifting position to his side, he killed the lights, closed his eyes and tried to sleep. The image kept repeating itself into his vision, but at last, he was able to fall into a slumber.





The next day, Zach did as suggested and brought along two bouquets of beautiful mixed lilies to work. He went to work earlier as he rather not endure another train ride packed with people going to work like sardines jammed in a can. Once he reached Mister Taylor's Tailor Shop, he put one of the bouquets of flowers in a black vase and placed them on the counter as a decoration. Mister Taylor loved the flowers and thought that it brightened up the shop. He also did not mind that Zach kept one of the flowers at the back of the store. In fact, on that day, he gave Zach a storage compartment to keep his belongings.

Even though he enjoyed his new job, the time seemed to pass by slowly while he waited for work to end. Once it did, Zach rushed to Aroma’s Bakery. It was only after he had walked two blocks that he remembers something. He had to turn back to Mister Taylor’s Tailor to get the one bouquet of flowers which he had forgotten and once more, went on his way.

He was less nervous on that day than he was on the day before. A smile creased his lips when he entered the shop, holding the bouquet of flowers like a baby on his right hand. The bell jingled. “Good evening,” greeted Zach.

Zayden had slept very peacefully that night. When he awoke in the morning, he felt refreshed and exited for the day. He got up and got ready much as he had the day before. His mornings were always the same. Get up..shower..dress..eat..leave the house and then go to work. Honestly, Zayden didn't mind at all. He loved working with his mother at the bakery. He was one of the lucky few that got to do such things. This morning, as his mother and he were on the train, Zayden had kept his eyes open for Zacharias. He did not see him however and felt saddened by this. He couldn't help but wonder if he would actually see him that day or not. He truly hoped that the young man would stop by the store.

Once the train came to a halt at their stop, Zayden and his mother got off as they had the day before..and as they did every day. It did not take long to reach the bakery and once they arrived, they quickly entered and locked the door once more. This morning, Zayden got done with his tasks much quicker than he had the day before. He went into the kitchen and began helping his mother with the baking and decorating of all of their different pastries that they always needed before they opened up the shop.

It didn't seem like long before Zayden was filling up the large display cases that ran through the front of the store where the register was. He went back into the kitchen to get some more bread and pastries and went back to the shop windows. He then proceeded to fill up the cases that they used to help draw in customers. By the time the shop normally opened, the two of the had everything ready for the day. Zayden unlocked the door and flipped their sign over to open.

It didn't take long before customers started pouring in. For Zayden, the day seemed to drag on. Every time the bell would jingle, he found himself hoping that it was Zacharias..and every time he saw that it wasn't the man he hoped it was he found himself feeling rather let down. He did not, however, let any of that affect his work. He was still running around the shop with a bright smile on his face.

After most of the day had passed, Zayden realized that it was about the same time that Zacharias had arrived the day before. He felt his heart speed up in hopes that the man would in fact stop by that day. The small bell jingled, signaling another person entering the shop. Zayden had finished with all of the customers that had been in the shop and the only ones still in there were sitting at the tables, talking happily between each other. His amber eyes fell onto Zacharias and he quickly noted that he was carrying a bouquet of flowers. “Good evening,” Zacharias greeted. Zayden smiled more brightly, if that was possible. "Hello Zacharias. A good evening to you as well. I trust that your day was well?"

He motioned for the young man to come to the counter. Zayden was so glad that Zacharias had come by. He felt himself feeling rather happy. At that moment, Zayden's mother came out of the kitchen, dusting her hands on her apron that she wore. Her pale eyes landed on the young man that was at the counter. "Hello there! You were in here yesterday, were you not? You are friends with my son?" she asked smiling. Standing side by side, it was easy to see that Zayden and Aleia were related. They looked nearly alike..same hair color, same eyes..only for Zayden he had a small mix of his father in him. "This is Zacharias Morrisson. He's the young man that I nearly killed on the train..remember? I told you about him.." The older woman thought for only a second. "Oh yes. I remember now! Well..it's very nice to meet you Zacharias! Zay..I need you to make me a list of what we're running low on up here so I can get started on it so we hopefully won't be here late." The woman waved at Zacharias and made her way back to the kitchen. Zayden pulled out a small piece of paper and walked over to the long display case. He opened it up and began writing quickly. "Who are the flowers for? Heading to see your girlfriend?" Zayden asked smiling. His pale eyes flicked up to look at him for a second before returning to his work.

Zayden was behind the counter.His smile creased wider and seemed to brightened up the place as well as Zach’s heart. “Hello Zacharias. A good evening to you as well. I trust that your day was well?”

When Zayden motion him, Zach slowly walked over to the counter. Just as he reached the counter, a woman walked out through a door, which Zach assumed was connected to the kitchen. The woman was with Zayden on the train on the day before. Her pale eyes landed on the young man with blonde hair.

“Hello there!” she greeted with a smile. “You were in here yesterday, were you not? You are friends with my son?”

“This is Zacharias Morrisson. He's the young man that I nearly killed on the train, remember? I told you about him,” said Zayden to the woman.

There was a second paused before she answered. “Oh yes. I remember now!” She turned to Zach. “Well, it's very nice to meet you Zacharias!” Then to Zayden. “Zay, I need you to make me a list of what we're running low on up here so I can get started on it so we hopefully won't be here late.” She then waved at Zacharias and made her way back to the kitchen.

Pulling out a small piece of paper, Zayden walked over to the long display case. He opened it up and began writing quickly. “Who are the flowers for? Heading to see your girlfriend?” He asked Zach, smiling. His pale eyes flicked up to look at the young blonde man for a second before returning to his work.

Zach glanced at the bouquet then to Zach with a surprised look. He had forgotten that he was holding the gift. “This bouquet of lilies is courtesy from Talia’s Floral Shop, located on the 3rd housing district, to Aroma’s Delight.” he paused for a minute to looked around the bakery. “It was my mother’s idea to promote her flower shop.” He would’ve passed the flowers to Zayden but the young raven haired man was busy writing down a list with a pen and paper on his hands. For the moment, Zach was content with watching the young raven haired man work.

“This bouquet of lilies is courtesy from Talia’s Floral Shop, located on the 3rd housing district, to Aroma’s Delight.” Zacharias paused for a moment. “It was my mother’s idea to promote her flower shop.” At hearing this, Zayden smiled. "Why didn't you say so earlier?" he said, laughing lightly. Zayden sat down the paper and pen that he'd been using and gently closed the display case. He then slowly walked over to stand before Zacharias. "Here. I'll put them in a vase. Don't want them going bad." He waited for Zacharias to hand the flowers over. Once he had, he headed to the kitchen. Once in there he quickly found a vase, filled it with water, and then placed the flowers into the vase. He then made his way back up to the front of the store. "There we go! Sorry, I don't normally keep vases up front." he said as he sat the vase down next to the register so that the flowers would be seen by all that entered the shop. "We thank you and your mother. Feel free to bring some any time. We don't mind helping to promote your mother's shop."

Zayden walked back over to the display case to finish what he'd been doing. It did not take him very long to finish the task that his mother had given him. When he was done he slid the paper through a opening that was in the wall. "So, Zacharias, I believe that I promised you something to eat. Are you hungry? I believe that I should be able to actually sit down with you..if you'd like." He stood there, eyeing his new..friend. He was still quite taken with the young man and he honestly wasn't sure why he was. He spoke to many men..and women on a daily basis and several of them even flirted with him every single time they saw each other. He felt..as if something was different about the young man before him. Something that he just couldn't put his finger on.

As he stood there, waiting for Zacharias to answer him, Zayden allowed his pale eyes to study the man before him very closely. He did not care that he was openly staring at the handsome man. It was something that he'd never been afraid to do.

“Why didn't you say so earlier?” said Zayden with a slight laugh then sat the pen and paper down on the counter before closing the display case. “Here. I'll put them in a vase. Don't want them going bad.”

Gently, Zach passed the flowers to Zayden, a small smile creased his lips. The young raven haired man then strode to kitchen. For a minute, Zach waited. The moment silence in the bakery gave him time to appreciate the wonderful smell and scenery of the bakery. The colour of the decoration really was beautiful and yet tasty looking. His mother has great hands for decorating, thought Zach.

Zayden came out of the kitchen carrying the lilies which was already in a water filled vase. “There we go! Sorry, I don't normally keep vases up front.” he said as he sat the vase down next to the register so that the flowers would be seen by all that entered the shop. “We thank you and your mother. Feel free to bring some any time. We don't mind helping to promote your mother's shop.” He then continued with his work. When he was done, he slid the paper through an opening that was in the wall. "So, Zacharias, I believe that I promised you something to eat. Are you hungry? I believe that I should be able to actually sit down with you, if you'd like."

Zach noticed Zach was watching him attentively, causing the young blonde haired man to feel embarrassed. “Ye… Yes, we should sit down,” he responded, once again struck by his nerves. Awkwardly, he just stood in place, frozen, not daring to sit without an invitation. “I… I’m not really hungry… but… but a hot drink would be nice.”

As Zayden watched Zacharias, the young haired man stuttered a bit. “Ye… Yes, we should sit down,” Zacharias said, “I… I’m not really hungry… but… but a hot drink would be nice.” Zayden's eyes lit up. "Please..go ahead and take a seat. I'll fix you up something." Zayden smiled at Zacharias, trying to show him that he didn't mind at all to fix him something. He made his way over to the counter that lined the wall that he'd placed the piece of paper through just a few moments before. He found a mug that was located in one of the few cabinets and sat it down on the counter. He then proceeded to pull out a few ingredients out of the small fridge that was hidden from the view of the customers of the shop. He sat the ingredients on the counter. He took the milk and poured some into a a plain looking plastic cup. He then placed the cup into a small machine that would quickly warm the liquid.

As he waited for the milk to warm, Zayden began mixing the rest of the ingredients together. At last, the milk was done. He poured the mixed ingredients into the now warm plastic cup. Taking a long metal spoon, Zayden mixed the drink well, making sure that everything was well blended. When he was happy with it, he poured the drink into the mug. Zayden then made his way over to where Zacharias was sitting. He gently sat the drink down in front of Zacharias. He then sat down across from the young man. "That," he said motioning the drink that he'd just made, "Is a special blended hot chocolate. I created the formula myself. I hope that it is not too bad." He laughed lightly.

In all honesty, the drink was quite popular in the shop. They sold tons of it during the colder seasons. It was something that Zayden was very proud of. "I'm actually working on a new recipe. Top secret, you know. A coffee blend. I don't think it's ready though. I've not really had a lot of time to work on it right now. My dad is out of town right now so I'm helping out more around the house than I normally would have to. " He smiled at Zacharias. "So, Zacharias..why don't you tell me more about you? I feel as if I have not given you any time to talk..I'm sorry. I get carried away most of the time."

Zayden's eyes lit up. "Please..go ahead and take a seat. I'll fix you up something." He gave a comforting smile then headed towards one of the counters.

Thus, the young blonde haired man sat down. A small smile was kept on but he remained quiet, both his hands resting on his left thigh, tensely sitting with his back straight, while Zayden prepared the drink. Zach carefully studied the young raven haired man moving back and forth from one station to another. It took a moment but Zach's nerves finally relaxed. Passed a minute later, Zayden walked back over to the table, placed on it a smoking hot mug filled with dark liquid and sat across the table facing the young blonde haired man.

"That," Zayden said motioning the drink that he'd just made, "Is a special blended hot chocolate. I created the formula myself. I hope that it is not too bad." He laughed lightly. "I'm actually working on a new recipe. Top secret, you know. A coffee blend. I don't think it's ready though. I've not really had a lot of time to work on it right now. My dad is out of town right now so I'm helping out more around the house than I normally would have to. " He smiled at Zacharias. "So, Zacharias..why don't you tell me more about you? I feel as if I have not given you any time to talk... I'm sorry. I get carried away most of the time."

Zach chuckled. "Thank you," he said and held the mug up by the handle, placing it near his lips. "It smells wonderful," he gave Zayden a quick friendly nod before lightly blowing into the mug to reduce the temperature of the drink. He prefer not to burn his lips and tongue. After a short while, he sipped the hot chocolate. The drink had a light and soft texture to it with bitter and sweet sensation. "It tastes lovely," he told Zayden and placed the mug back on the table. "let's let it cool down a bit." Then, he rested his arm on the table, his eyes on the mug. All that time, the smile never left his face. "Well, about me, I don't talk much, you should know that. People tend to think that I'm a stuck up person because of that part of me." He scratched the back of his head and gave an embarrassed chuckle then lifted his head to look at Zayden, grinning, revealing his pearly whites. "How about you? I'd love to know more about you."

Zayden was glad that Zacharias liked the drink that he'd prepared for him. If he was honest with himself, Zayden had been worried that his new friend would not like the hot mixture. He felt as if he could breathe a little bit better. Zacharias then had his eyes on the mug that Zayden had sat before him. "Well, about me, I don't talk much, you should know that. People tend to think that I'm a stuck up person because of that part of me." The young man spoke, scratching the back of his head and then looking up at Zayden..smiling. "How about you? I'd love to know more about you."

The dark haired young man smiled at Zacharias. He was glad that they were sitting there and actually being able to talk to one another. In all honesty, Zayden was surprised that no one had come into the shop since he'd sat down with Zacharias. "Well, I don't believe that there is much to me..but if you really want to hear more about me..I'll tell you." He paused for a moment, eyeing Zacharias. Almost as if making sure that he really wanted him talking again.

Zayden kept his pale eyes on Zacharias, smiling. "I was born into a middle class family, of which I am the only child. I have always loved being in the kitchen with my mother..but..I'm sure you could have guessed that." he said, winking at Zacharias. "I actually spend most of my time either in the kitchen, or reading. Stuff like that. I also like singing..though I'm afraid that I don't think that I'm any good. I'm afraid that I'm not all that interesting. My days are all pretty much the same. I'm always here or at my house. Speaking of which..I was going to ask you if you'd want to do something this weekend? It's the only time that I don't have to work a full shift here. I rather enjoy your company and that way..we wouldn't have to worry about a customer coming in."

After he'd asked Zacharias his question, he wondered if perhaps he shouldn't have. He was being rather forward. He just really enjoyed spending time with the young man and wanted to spend some more with him without having to worry about work at the same time. "Of course..you are more than welcome to come by here as often as you like. I can't say that I mind seeing you." He smiled brightly at Zacharias. He hoped that he was making sense. For some reason..he felt as if he wasn't.

“Well, I don't believe that there is much to me. But if you really want to hear more about me, I'll tell you.” They exchanged gaze, both smiling. “I was born into a middle class family, of which I am the only child. I have always loved being in the kitchen with my mother… but… I'm sure you could have guessed that,” he said, winking at Zacharias. “I actually spend most of my time either in the kitchen, or reading. Stuff like that. I also like singing… though I'm afraid that I don't think that I'm any good. I'm afraid that I'm not all that interesting. My days are all pretty much the same. I'm always here or at my house. Speaking of which… I was going to ask you if you'd want to do something this weekend? It's the only time that I don't have to work a full shift here. I rather enjoy your company and that way… we wouldn't have to worry about a customer coming in.” He paused for a minute and continued. “Of course… you are more than welcome to come by here as often as you like. I can't say that I mind seeing you.” He smiled brightly at Zacharias.

Zach, in return to the wink, chuckled. He found the gesture amusing. “I love to read too. I read almost every night and I have shelves full of novels and short stories,” he smiled at Zayden and took a sip of his hot chocolate. “It’s been a while since I’ve been out with anyone other than my family. I’d love to spend the weekend together. If you don’t mind, would you accompany me to the library for a short while on that day? I need to return a few books and borrow a couple of new ones. You could help me choose.” He grinned; surprised that he could muster more words that he usually do and that he dared to ask.

“I love to read too. I read almost every night and I have shelves full of novels and short stories,” Zacharias said, smiling at Zayden and took a sip of his hot chocolate. “It’s been a while since I’ve been out with anyone other than my family. I’d love to spend the weekend together. If you don’t mind, would you accompany me to the library for a short while on that day? I need to return a few books and borrow a couple of new ones. You could help me choose.”

Zayden smiled at Zacharias. "That's somewhere that I've not been in a long time. I would love to accompany you there. I may even look around for something as well." he said, his pale eyes glued to his new friend. "So tell me, Zacharias..you said that you had 'just started' working with Mr. Taylor..so..how was your..second day? Not horrible at all, I hope. You know..my first couple of days actually working here were terrible. We were so busy and I had no idea what was going on." he laughed, a smile still on his face. "Sorry..there I go again. Please..anytime that I start talking over you just smack me. I'm terrible about doing that." He looked apologetically at his friend. He really needed to work on his talking. After all of this time, Zayden thought that he should know better. Obviously, however, he was still interrupting people. He hoped that it had not bothered Zacharias too awfully bad.