Thread: The Little Cafe on the Corner [CitrillicxKveria]

Moe's words sparked something emotional inside Rin and his eyes burned just slightly no one who knew the truth would be able to blame him for tearing up at this point. The cafe did mean the world to himit had been his dream from childhood to open a place like this where he could showcase his talent and also give families a comfortable and affordable experience. Unfortunately, affordable didn't happen concerning gourmet pastries Rin would only use the finest, freshest ingredients and usually ended up paying a small fortune and then nearly had to sell his pastries at cost so that he wasn't stripping the pockets of the general public. He felt bad enough raising prices as it was having to fire employees hit just as hard or harder. He had a personal relationship with each of the members of staff, and there was no good way to tell a friend to take a hike without divulging the truth to them. But... going bankrupt.... Well... that was embarrassing. There was no way he needed that getting around, and he wasn't sure how many of the staff members wouldn't resent him for having to let them go and blab about his finances. The last of his staff, he was sure, would understand in its basest form if he had to cut wages especially Ainsley and Noel, though he was sure they already knew in one way or another what was going on. The two had been neighbours of Rin and Miyabi in the first apartment building they'd lived in. Living next door and working generally the same hours, the four of them saw each other quite a bit and eventually became quite good friends. It had been Noel who had stepped up and started the whole thing he was a tall and handsome man with soft features, thick dark brown hair that he left in a shag and pinned his bangs out of his face with bobby pins, claiming that it refused to stay out of his field of vision otherwise. To top it off, his dark brown eyes were warm and inviting, allowing his understanding and gentle nature to show through. Rin remembered about a month and a half after moving into the building, he and Miyabi had passed Noel on the way to look at the cafe with a realtor for the first time, and he struck up conversation without any forbearing. Hey, can you guys keep it down a bit? I don't know if you've lived in an apartment complex, like ever, but we can all hear you. Rin had turned a fiery shade of deep red and covered his mouth in mortification, but Miyabi just laughed it off. He became quite close with Noel after that, whereas Rin took to Noel's partner, Ainsley like flies to honey. Ainsley was much different in comparisonhe was short and thin with large blue eyes and light blonde hair that he kept just long enough to gather into a small ponytail at the base of his neck. He was shy and naturally used to fumble for words quite a bit, but working with someone as gregarious as Rin had opened him up quite a bit Rin's favourite part about him was how much he looked like a woman on the right angles and how he'd retaliate and insist his manliness if one were to ever bring it up. Still, though they had such a close relationship, Rin couldn't bring himself to admit the truth to them. When Moe took his arm, Rin felt a tingle shoot up through his nerves and down his back. Along the way, something very akin to what he'd felt for someone back in high school was growing in the pit of his stomach and he wasn't sure how to address it. If he were to come out and change his professional friendship with Moe, what would that mean? There were so many variables that he was reluctant to address them all at once, wanted instead to sort through and come to terms with each of them one-by-one. When Moe had asked Rin what he thought of him, he'd left out quite a bit of things that he wanted to say, but just couldn't find a way to voice them. He figured... maybe he just wasn't ready. But he could allow himself to indulgeperhaps just this one timeand turned his willowy figure to face the other, slipping his arms around his waist and resting his chin on his shoulder. Thank you I needed to hear that more than anything. So... please, do whatever you can to help. I need this to stay alive.