Mindset.

Jack sat in the coffee shop, sipping at an espresso absently. It was too early for this crap. He woke up late and had to run to the coffee shop so he was actually awake for work. He was staring blankly out of the window he was sitting in front of, coffee cup warming one hand, the other stuffed in his pocket. He watched the people outside the corner café hurrying around, desperately trying to get to work on time.

Jack wasn’t too bothered about being on time to work; no one would really notice if one of the phone-answering, order placing lackeys was missing, now would they?

He got up and ripped the plastic lid off the cardboard coffee cup so he could get the last half an inch or so from the cup. He walked out of the coffee shop and out onto the street towards his car.

A younger man came rushing past him and jolted him, spilling coffee down Jack’s shirt. The other man froze, his eyes wide.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I’m in such a rush, I have to get to work, it’s my first day!” He apologized profusely, looking up at Jack.

“It’s cool.” Jack replied simply, captivated by the other’s eyes. They were a strange shade of dark brown, with honey-colored flecks running throughout them. Jack loved them the moment he saw them.

“So where do you work? The least I can do after you spilt coffee all over me is give you a lift.” Jack said, tailing the younger down the street.

“That shipping office on 54th. You’ll probably have seen it.” The other replied.

“No way! I work there!” Jack exclaimed, pulling the younger towards his car.

“Whereabouts?” The honey-eyed male asked.

“Tenth floor.” Jack sighed “Order Placement Department or some rubbish. Where are you?”

“I’m just a runner. A go-between sort of thing, I think.”

“So what’s your name?” Jack asked as they climbed into his car.

“Alex. Alex Gaskarth. And you are?”

“Jack Barakat. Pleased to meet you.” Jack answered, grinning.

*

Jack’s day was spent sitting behind his desk - which he shared with Michael - taking about five orders and just thinking about Alex.

Michael looked across at him around one in the afternoon and saw him staring dreamily out of the windows. So he hit him around the head with a stack of order forms.

“Ow!” Jack squeaked, rubbing his head “What was that for?”

“Staring blankly and leaving me to answer all the phones.” Michael replied in his lilting Australian accent.

“What, all two of them?”

“Yes Jack, all two of them.”

“And for the record, I wasn’t staring blankly! I was thinking!”

“Who about?”

“No one!”

“Please. It has to be someone; you had that dopey ‘Jack’s-in-love’ smile on your face.”

“Did not!”

“Heads up.” Michael said suddenly, glancing over Jack’s shoulder and seeing Alex heading towards them. Jack smiled and waved as Alex stopped by his desk.

Alex left a folded up note in Jack’s ‘in’ tray, and left, flashing a quick smile over his shoulder as he went.

Jack picked up the note quickly and unfolded it. As soon as he saw what it contained, he smiled.

Call me later.

And then Alex’s number.

“It’s him, isn’t it?” Michael asked, turning back to his laptop, which was sat on his half of the office cubicle.

“Who?” Jack asked, burying the note in his jacket pocket and smiling.

“That runner guy that left you that note.” Michael replied, glancing across at Jack.

“Okay… Fine. You got me. It’s Alex.” Jack answered, defeated.

“I knew it.” Michael replied smugly “Just don’t fall too hard, okay?”

*

When Jack got home that night - after dropping Alex off at his home, of course - he emptied out the pockets of his jacket. Amongst coffee stirrers and used tissues was Alex’s note. Jack went and disposed of the other rubbish and then returned to his room, where the note still lay.

He looked at it, wondering if he should call Alex yet - would it be too early? He decided that maybe he should just call Alex now - but what on Earth would he say?

Jack didn’t call that night, but Alex was constantly creeping into his mind; when he was on the phone to his sister, sat watching TV, video-calling Michael, he was always there.

The next morning, Jack decided to call Alex.

“Hello?” Alex said groggily. It was too early to be civil on the phone.

“It’s… It’s Jack.” Jack replied nervously.

“Oh! Hey…” Alex said softly.

“I was wondering, do you want a lift to work today, or what?”

“Sure… I’ll meet you at the coffee shop?”

“Okay. See you soon.”

Jack put the phone down and tried to calm the fluttering in his heart. It didn’t work.

It was worse by the time he reached the coffee shop. Alex was already inside, sat down at a table with two coffee cups before him.

“Morning.” He said quietly, pushing a cup across the table as Jack sat down opposite him.

“How much do I owe you?” Jack asked, digging around in his pocket for his wallet.

Alex waved his hand.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Jack stopped looking for his wallet and relaxed. He was still nervous.

“Do you not own a hairbrush?” Alex laughed, frowning at him. Jack raised an eyebrow.

“Speak for yourself, Gaskarth.”

“Come here. You’re useless, you.” Alex sighed, holding back a laugh. He reached across the table and flattened Jack’s messy hair, brushing a few stray strands out of his eyes.

“Being with you is like being with my mother.” Jack said jokingly.

Alex pretends to be insulted and takes a quick sip of coffee.

He left his hand resting on the table and it takes Jack everything to not reach out and hold his hand. He didn’t want to move too fast.

When they arrived at work, Michael was waiting for them at the doorway.

He and Jack turned towards the elevator, but not before Alex had pulled Jack into a tight hug.

“See you later.” He said quietly, nuzzling against Jack’s neck.

He turned and walked away towards one of the many staff rooms.

“So tell me everything.” Michael demanded as they stepped into the elevator. He jabbed the button marked ‘10’.

“How’d you mean?” Jack asked, looking at him. The elevator started to move.

“I mean, how far have you gone, have you kissed him, have you asked him out? That sort of thing.” Michael explained, leaning against the wall of the elevator.

“I’ve hugged him. And we went for coffee this morning, if that counts.” Jack said simply.

“Wow. Barakat’s working slow today.” Michael replied, shocked.

“Shut up!” Jack retorted.

“If you want my advice Jack, just ask him out. It’s kind of obvious you like each other.” Michael suggested, looking at the younger.

“But I met him yesterday!” Jack exclaimed.

“So? That never stopped you before.”

The elevator stopped and they stepped out onto the tenth floor. They walked through the circuit of office cubicles until they found theirs.

“Just think about it, okay?” Michael said quietly. Jack sighed, and nodded.

*

At five o clock that day, Jack was standing just inside the doorway of the office’s reception, waiting for Alex.

The younger comes hurtling out of the staff room and very nearly ran into Jack.

He threw his arms around Jack’s neck and the elder was caught off-guard as Alex pressed his lips against Jack’s.

They were standing there for what felt like years, but in reality was barely a minute.

Alex pulled away and blushed.

“Sorry… I just…” Alex said, staring at the floor “Never mind.”

He turned away and started to walk down the road.

Jack headed straight after him, stopping him and turning him around to face him.

“Hey, don’t go.”

Alex raised an eyebrow.

“I was wondering, if you wanna go out tonight?”

Alex’s eyes widened, the blush spreading across his cheeks even further.

“… Okay.” He said quietly.

*

“Tell me you made a reservation?” Alex laughed as Jack opened the door to the Italian restaurant.

“Relax.” Jack sniggered “I know the owner.”

“Hey Rian!” Jack shouted above the hubbub in the room “Could you hook me up with a table?”

“What, for one?” A voice shouted from the kitchen. A few moments later, a man emerged from the room and raised an eyebrow across the room at Jack.

“Oh hell, you have company?” Rian continued, looking at Alex “I pity you, kid.”

Alex giggled, and Jack frowned across the room at Rian.

“Anyway, table!” Rian shouted, beckoning them over to him. Jack grabbed hold of Alex’s hand and pulled him across the room.

“Jack, you know where the stairs are, go up there and Zack should direct you.” Rian explained. Jack pulled Alex off in the direction of the staircase.

Sure enough, Zack was waiting at the top and directed them to a table. It was much quieter upstairs.

Over two bowls of pasta, Jack and Alex finally got to know each other.

“So you’re nineteen? Crap, you make me feel like a cradlesnatcher now.” Jack said whilst twisting spaghetti around his fork.

“Almost twenty.” Alex confirmed, smiling “And relax, it’s not like you’re thirty or anything.”

“I know, but still. Twenty-three’s still old.”

“Will you just chill?” Alex asked “You’re not old.”

Jack finally cracked a smile and Alex relaxed.

An hour later Rian showed up with the bill. Jack fished around in his wallet and paid, before leaving with Alex on his arm.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to pay any of it?” Alex asked, concerned.

“Nope, it’s cool.”

Alex stopped Jack outside of his car and kissed him gently.

“If this was your genius way of seducing me, then it worked.” Alex said, kissing him gently.

Jack smiled and slipped his arms around Alex’s waist, pulling him back for another kiss.

*

The next thing they knew, Jack’s alarm clock was ringing loudly from the bedside table. Alex groaned and rolled over, searching blindly for Jack between the sheets.

He finally opened his eyes and saw Jack running around the room like an idiot, trying to find suitable clothes for work.

Alex reached out and grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him back into bed. He kissed the elder’s cheek gently and moved to whisper in his ear.

“You do know I won’t be able to stop thinking about you now?”