Stan x Kyle/Style - Chance Encounter

Chapter 1

Cover art credit: Ribbonentrails, follow them on Instagram and Twitter, super stunning work <33

Kyle stood in line at his local coffee shop, anxiously tapping his foot against the tiled floor and every few seconds looking up at the clock hanging on the wall at the left side of the cafe, keeping track of the time. He woke up slightly later than usual, which he never did, and for a moment he considered scrapping the coffee entirely, but then... he'd be a certified crazy person to do that; he couldn't function without his morning coffee, no sir.

Thankfully the shop owners knew him well as he was friends with their son, and when Richard spotted him after giving a brief look down the cue, he gave him a quick wave. "The usual?" he asked, and Kyle nodded, secretly grateful that his order remained the same as it had since starting college. He wanted to branch out and try new things but at the same time, he just couldn't let go of his sweet Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte. Ike always said it was gross, but of course, he would think that he hates cinnamon with a burning passion. Cinnamon for Ike was like garlic to a vampire, fucking lethal.

He knew he didn't have time to sit down today and eat at his usual table near the window, and he inwardly cursed himself for ignoring his alarm when it initially rang. At the time, his sleep-stricken brain kept repeating, 'I have time, I have time.' when really, he didn't have time, not a lick of it. He was hoping his quick fix of coffee would brighten his already dampened mood—it usually kicked in before classes started which was always satisfyingly convenient and made him seem way more pleasant in the morning than he would be without coffee. When he got to the front of the cue a couple of minutes later, Helen Tweak greeted him with a smile, holding his cup out to him which he very appreciatively took while paying.

"Thank you," he practically breathed, the sweet aroma of caffeine and cinnamon hitting his nose enticingly. God he could drown in it today. Mrs Tweak seemed to understand, and she laughed softly in response. "See you guys tomorrow," he threw his voice out far enough so that Mr Tweak also heard him, and he got another small wave.

"Enjoy your coffee." Richard smiled, and oh he was going to. It was all he'd been thinking about all morning, and he so wished he could just sit down and enjoy it. He sometimes drank it right before going into class but most of the time he enjoyed the serenity that was Tweak Bros Coffee and watching as people walked their dogs or went on a morning walk or jog; sometimes he'd be there early enough to watch the sunrise from the window or on the bench outside, and he loved it. Watching as the gorgeous golden-yellow hues painted the sky, almost like it wanted to add a special kind of warmth to the standalone blue, blooming over the horizon; the flowers of the sky.

He'd walk past the same elderly couple every morning sitting on the bench at Starks Pond, presumably doing what he enjoyed, watching as the world awakened, roaring to life like a motor. He understood the beauty of it, and he hoped that one day, he'd find somebody he could share that same beauty with because these days, it was so hard to come by. He remembers asking one of his exes if he wanted to go and watch the sunrise with him, and the quick, noncommittal no was enough to make him never want to ask again, the only—and last time—he did being when asking if he wanted to go see the sunset instead, in case getting up for the sunrise was too early. Another hard no. He wondered if he would ever actually find someone to do those things with, but as soon as the thoughts arrived he shut them down again because god forbid he let himself get tangled up in romance again. He didn't like how out of his control it was, and if he wasn't so stubborn, he'd admit aloud that maybe, just maybe, the idea of falling in love as a whole scared him shitless.

He sighed to himself, gulping down some of his iced coffee. He hated when his thoughts drifted to that region, because it ended up creating a kaleidoscope of thoughts, all of them surrounding his future and what he was going to do with his life. He already felt far behind with his goals, and whenever he got too deep in his head he'd find himself panicking, worrying that he was running out of time when he wasn't, but sometimes he couldn't help the fear from arising. Seeing some of his friends' achievements and realising he was nowhere near close to his own and feeling like his entire future was slipping away before his eyes. But he was only in college, his life was just beginning, and he needed to remind himself of that before he got genuinely lost in the sea of anxiety and fear. When passing the sweet old couple, he closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the fresh air and letting it expand in his lungs.