Not A Simple Engineer Boy! | ✓

067 • filter coffee | three

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Scrollstck- Suganthi Lakshminarayanan

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The aroma of filter coffee was the first thing to hit Xavier's senses as he woke up. It reminded him of his childhood—his mother always favored filter coffee over Kattan Chaya while indulging in her daily dose of morning news.

Yawning, he rubbed his eyes and noticed the empty bed beside him. Sitting upright, he winced at the ache in his back, a painful reminder of his poor choice to sleep leaning against the wooden bedpost. Genius move, Xav. Physics enthusiast, but zero ergonomics.

Dragging himself to the balcony, he stopped short. Satya was crouched in the far corner, framed by the warm hues of an awakening sky. She looked heartbreakingly small, her gaze fixed on the horizon, tear tracks glistening faintly on her flushed cheeks.

"Sit," she said, her voice quiet, not bothering to glance at him.

He knelt beside her. "Satya, can I do—"

"Don't." Her voice was sharper now, a blade with no room for argument. "Let's not talk about it."

"Okay." He sat down as she handed him a cup of coffee. Taking a sip, he sighed in appreciation. It was divine, as expected. Without thinking, he draped his arm around her and pressed a kiss to her temple.

She smiled faintly and shifted closer, her head finding its usual resting place on his shoulder. "So, you're dating Krithika?"

He let out a low chuckle. "Nothing escapes your all-seeing eyes, huh? Satya Devi and her worldwide spy network?"

"You took her to Chamiers Cafe—that's hardly discreet," she remarked, her gaze still fixed on the orange hues of the sky. "You know the circle of my acquaintances and their... lifestyle."

"I thought they preferred Avartana or The Flying Elephant," he said with a chuckle, taking a sip of his coffee. "Isn't Chamiers too plain for your friends?"

"Point taken. I'll give you that," she sighed. "But that's not what I asked you about."

"I... I just can't help it sometimes," he admitted, ruffling his hair nervously. "I just... can't stop kissing her whenever I—" He bit his tongue mid-sentence, shutting his eyes in frustration. Terrible, terrible mistake.

"I see," she drawled, clicking her tongue in what he could only assume was disappointment. "I thought you were someone who knew where to draw the line. She's our employee, Xavier. That's highly inappropriate, for your kind information."

"Satya, I just—" he began, exasperated. "I just can't control myself around her. One moment we're arguing, and the next... she's in my arms." He trailed off, his voice faltering.

Satya snickered. "Alisha told me ages ago that Xavier loses his mind over the things he craves immensely. That Xavier is, and I quote, 'a passionate fool.'" She wiped the remnants of tears from her cheeks and added, "You once challenged your physics teacher and solved an impossibly tough problem before he could even finish explaining it. You loved science like no one else."

"I still love science—especially engineering," he said, his tone defensive. "And about this 'highly inappropriate' talk, you and Alisha should really stop sharing stories about me."

She turned to face him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Passionate fool, indeed," she teased, lightly touching the skin under his jaw. "Who would've thought my youngest ace executive has a wild streak for my friend?"

He flushed, mortified. "Satya! Just stop," he groaned, swatting her hand away.

Her smile faded, replaced by a stern look. "Don't mess this up, Xav. She's been through enough. Don't add yourself to her list of problems."

"I won't."

"And don't hurt yourself."

"I won't."

"Good. I trust you."

"God, you give so many orders," he said, chuckling. "Do you have to be such an intimidating and assertive pain?"

"You're not even slightly fazed by me," she replied nonchalantly.

"You don't scare me, Satya. I respect you. There's a difference," he countered. "Your ace executives might line up to kiss your ass all day, but that's not me."

"That's jealousy!" she exclaimed, her tone mock-scandalized. "What the hell, Xavier? Are you really jealous of me?"

"People admire you. Krithika probably tops that list," he admitted with a sigh. "You're their hero. I'm not."

"You want to be her hero?" she laughed, the sound bursting out with genuine amusement. "Oh, Xav, this side of you is something else."

"Whatever," he muttered, feigning disinterest, though he couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from lifting.

Satya's laughter filled the balcony, bright and untamed. He smiled, his chest easing at the sound. Watching her laugh after so long felt like standing in sunlight after a storm.

Do tell me what you feel about this and the upcoming chapters, always open to positive criticism.