OUR SPOT // SkepHalo

Chapter 3

Warning: Strong language

     It had been almost three months since Zak had a mysterious encounter with that boy in the marketplace. It felt like a fever dream at this point. He never had any more run ins with the man who'd followed them that day, and he'd avoided buying apples when he could.

     Today, Zak was wiping off a few tables after the lunch rush. His boss had just left to grab some more produce from a friend of his. It was a calm day, and fairly warm for a winter afternoon. There had been no rude customers, so Zak had stayed in a pleasant mood for nearly the entire day.

     The raven-haired male wiped a bead of sweat form his brow and stepped back to admire the clean tables. The cafe was empty for the time being, as it was a weird time for anyone to get a meal. With his boss gone and the rest of the employees off shift, Zak was left alone with his thoughts. He settled at a table near the window and let out a sigh.

     His sister's wedding day was fast approaching and his household was a breeding ground for stress, so Zak was thankful for little moments like these, where he could just stop and smell the roses. People on the street outside were frantic and always in a hurry, but in the cafe, time moved at a more relaxed pace.

     Over the coarse of three months, Zak found himself thinking about Darryl in his free time. What was the castle chef up to these days? Had he forgotten about Zak? Or maybe he was busy in the marketplace, stopping apple scammers in their tracks! It certainly kept the young man's mind from descending too far into darkness.

     Zak shook his head, smiling a little at the faint memory of that tree on the hill. He'd been back to it a few times, but he found himself busy nowadays. Managing two jobs and a household wasn't exactly easy to escape from. The tree had probably lost its leaves by now, but there was still a sense of wonder behind it.

     The boy noticed the fire dying in the corner of the cafe, and walked over. He tossed a piece of firewood from a nearby pile into the flames, and watched with solemn interest as the tongues of fire consumed their latest meal.

     The bell at the front of the cafe rang, signifying someone had walked in. Zak didn't look over, assuming it to be his boss. However, a different voice called out, " Waiter? Can I get a table?"

     Zak twirled around, eyes wide. The smile grew on his face as the man walked over to him. They stared at each other for a second, before Zak closed the space by giving the man a hug. When he pulled away, he smiled sheepishly. " Sorry, I guess I'm just surprised to see you."

     " Yeah, I could tell," Darryl laughed. He put a hand on Zak's shoulder, grinning widely. " You're a hard guy to find, you know that?"

     " Oh shut up and sit down, I'll get you a drink," the raven-haired boy joked in return. He entered the kitchen and quickly poured some water, entering the room again with the glass in hand. Darryl had situated himself at a table near the window. Zak set down the drink and then settled in the chair right across from him.

     " Your boss told me you worked here but I forgot to ask which shift, so I had to keep coming back at different times," Darryl explained, sipping his drink. " I figured it was a little weird to go checking the orphanage for you."

     " Wow, stalker much," Zak snickered. The older boy rolled his eyes.

     " At least I looked for you, unlike someone," he huffed. The shorter boy waved away his comment.

     " Hey, it's not like I could just waltz into the castle saying I want to speak to one of the chefs!" Zak rested his head in his hand. " Not to mention, I have a job that I can't get out of, unlike someone!"

     Darryl's eyes flashed with an emotion Zak couldn't read. " Excuse you, castle life is very demanding! I even have to live there in case the King wants a midnight snack!"

     " How's that going by the way," Zak hummed. " How's life in the castle treating you? Any Royal pains in your ass?"

     Darryl flinched, though Zak couldn't tell why, he assumed it was because of the pun. The brunette shook his head. " No, my butt is just fine, thank you. I might be getting a promotion soon as well, which is always fun."

     " Oh, really? What would you be, then?"

     " Just an assistant chef." Darryl shrugged, though he seemed much more excited then he was showing. " I'd get to help the head chef more, but I'm not the sous chef yet. What about you, how's cafe life?"

     " The cafe is the same as its always been," Zak sighed. " Sometimes, when we're short on staff, I do a little cooking as well. I'm probably not as good as you are, but it's fun."

     " You'll have to make something for me someday," Darryl said. " I'd love to test your skills."

     " Come by the cafe tomorrow and I'd be happy to make something quickly," Zak agreed. " We're a bit short on ingredients right now."

     Darryl took a sip from his water, and his smile faltered for a second. " About that, it might be awhile before I see you again."

     Zak's eyes widened, as his mood fell. " Why?"

     " My brother needs help with a job a few towns over," the older boy explained. " I'm taking time off from work to help him out, but I don't know how long it's going to take."

     " Oh, that's fine," Zak stammered out. Truthfully, he was a little sad to hear that. He'd missed the man's company, even if he'd only experienced it briefly. It was hard to explain, but talking to Darryl was like a breath of fresh air. He didn't seem to be as stuffy and closed-minded as the towns people around him.

     " I promise I'll come see you first chance I get," Darryl assured. He stood up, pushing in the chair behind him. " I'm sorry to cut our visit short once again, I always seem to do that."

     " You're leaving.... now?" Zak said quietly. Darryl nodded, his smile filling with sadness. The younger boy got to his feet as well. He moved to give the chef a hug, but decided against it. Instead, he held out a hand for the mysterious stranger to shake. " Until we meet again."

     Darryl winked and shook his hand. " Until we meet again."

     And with that, he was gone.