The Tea Shop [mxm]

XI: Long Talks and Interruptions

(Not proofread sorry I'm a lazy person)

As they were sitting facing each other, Wren sipping his long awaited coffee, he couldn’t help but feel content. Elliot was finally back in the café, and Wren was so relieved to see that the other man was fine. Although confused, as expected after the surprise of Wren wearing the shop’s apron serving customers, Elliot looked well rested again. During the few weeks Wren had been coming to the shop, he had seen the bags under Elliot’s eyes gradually grow darker, and his shoulders grow heavier.

     But Elliot was a stubborn man, Wren had come to understand, and he refused to let the smile drop from his face. He didn’t want people to see how tired he was, he was way too eager to please. People loved his baking, and came back every day to get a taste of it. It was a wonder not everyone in here was the size of a mountain. Elliot kept coming back for them.

     Wren was a terribly observant person, but without Abigail’s subtle hints he wouldn’t have gathered all of this. Maybe eventually, but whenever Elliot wasn’t around Abigail was there. In the last thee days, in particular, he’d gotten to know the young woman, and they shared a special relationship. Abigail was fiercely protective over Elliot, and stubbornly refused to let on that she enjoyed Wren’s presence. A trait both she and Elliot shared, stubbornness.

     But they had been chatting, and Wren had carefully - and more subtly than the first time - coaxed information out of Abigail about Elliot. She never shared things that Elliot wouldn’t feel comfortable with Wren knowing, but surely the man would not tell him such things himself at this point. Wren did feel a little guilty about this, but Elliot truly intrigued him and he wanted t know everything about the man. Sometimes it was just hard to gather enough courage to speak directly to Elliot about such things, because Wren didn’t dare to risk Elliot closing up again, not when he had only just started feeling a bit more comfortable around Wren.

     For the first time in three days Elliot had given Wren his recommendation, and only then did Wren realise how much he had really missed it. Now he had a slice of lemon meringue pie in front of him, and he had to restrain himself from gobbling it straight down. It was delicious, but stuffing his face wouldn’t be very attractive. For once, Wren four himself caring about details like that, whereas usually he would feel confident enough to not give it a second thought.

     Elliot himself had chosen not to eat anything, instead he was just nursing a cup of ginger tea, artfully gripping it with long fingers. His hand were quite elegant, Wren realised. Delicate, small hands with long thin fingers. Well cared for, as his hands were his biggest assets as a baker.

     After several minutes of comfortable silence between them, Wren wanted to start a conversation, but how? After three days of not seeing each other, after the big event that Wren still had no clues about, where would he start?

     With something simple, he decided.

     ”Is it good to back here, then? I reckon you must have missed it.” Baking, Wren figured, would be a safe topic.

     ”It’s great!” Elliot said with a big smile. ”I didn’t realise how much I missed it, but once back in the kitchen I felt at home again. Three days without baking, wow… It’s strange. I’m usually in the kitchen every day of the week, keeping the shop open even on Sundays, but my kitchen at home isn’t big enough. It’s sad really, because if I could I would spend every waking moment baking!”  

    Elliot was so excited as he spoke, and used big gestures and could barely sit still. It was obvious to anyone looking how passionate he was about his job, and it made Wren smile. If only it was like that for everyone. Wren himself was rather bored with his job; tired of the boring office where he sat, tired of the mundane tasks he was faced with every day. Not much changed from day to day, and Wren would love to get a change of scenery. That wouldn’t happen, though. Wren knew that.