Archive of Our Own

Fuck this compsci homework, Will thought. Why’d they even give us any over winter break? The homework was kinda kicking his ass, metaphorically speaking, and he’d come to this tiny little hipster coffee shop in town to get away from his noisy household and hopefully get some work done, but no such luck. It was crowded and loud and his drink was absolutely not worth the price. But he was determined to finish his problem set, so he settled resolutely in his stool on the edge of the corner countertop and continued to work.

He’d actually gotten a few problems done when a large family walked in, laughing. There were a few adults, two or so toddlers, and a dude who looked about Will’s age, highschool senior. And Jesus, he was attractive. Smooth dark skin, toussled curly hair tucked under a beanie, and an ass that-- Nope, he was not going there. He was just going to hope that the family would order their drinks and leave and he could continue to work in peace.

It was just not going to be his day, clearly. Nope, instead of leaving after getting their drinks, the family just migrated to the counter, right by Will’s workspace. And Attractive Dude ended up on the stool right next to Will, with the toddler next to him, clutching some police Legos. The toddler started babbling, and as Attractive Dude started unbundling all of his winter gear, he let out a laugh, clear and bright. Will was fucked.

~

Striding into the coffee shop, Derek ordered his decaf peppermint mocha and followed his little cousin over to the counter by the window. While pulling off his own gloves and scarf before moving on to Finn’s coat and hat, encouraging the little boy’s babbling the whole time with “Yeah?” and “And then what?” and “Why?,” he backed too far up and hit the stool - and the person - sitting behind him.

“Oh! Sorry,” Derek flashed a smile at the redhead he just bumped into. The lighting was surprisingly good - they were right by a window, and the sunlight bounced off of his freckles and eyes in a stunning way. He was athletically built; Derek could tell with just one glance. In short, he was attractive. Derek was about to continue the conversation - ask about the work in front of him or something - when Finn called him back over to explain the finer points of his fictional Lego justice system.

Derek continued chatting with Finn. The four year old was getting very imaginative, and Derek honestly enjoyed playing with him. They, along with Derek’s aunt and uncle and Finn’s older sister, stayed and chatted for around fifteen minutes, but, as much as he loved his family, Derek couldn’t get his mind off of the boy behind him. He kept thinking of ways to talk to him again - “trip” and spill his drink? No, too dramatic. Start talking loudly about topics he might be interested in in hopes of him responding? No, too much of a long shot. Instead, Derek finished his coffee and resigned himself to disappointment.

Derek had just finished helping Finn pull his mittens back on and he was passing the child back to his mother when Derek’s aunt Alice says to him, “Der, sweetie, would you apologize to that young man back there? He looked like he was working so hard, and I know we were talking so loudly, and I just feel so bad-”

“Sure, Auntie,” Derek cut her off. She had a penchant for talking for way longer than necessary, and besides, she’d just given Derek exactly what he’d been looking for – an excuse.

Reaching up to adjust his beanie, Derek wandered back over to where he’d left his cup. “Hey,” he started. “Sorry for being so loud; I’ve got a talkative family, and Finn’s just learned to tell his own stories, and-”

“It’s no problem,” the other boy cut him off, looking up.

“Anyway, I’m Derek.” He stuck out his hand.

The other boy looked him up and down, appraising, before returning the handshake. “Will. I haven’t seen you around before.”

Cryptic, offered without any explanation, and it obviously wasn’t a question. Derek answered anyway. “I’m visiting my aunt and uncle and their kids for the break. Are you from around here?” He was determined to keep the conversation going.

“My family’s been in Maine for literally two centuries.”

“So… yes?”

“Yes,” Will finally gave a straight answer. “He’s cute,” he said, tipping his head towards Finn.

Derek couldn’t help grinning. “Yeah, he’s a pretty great kid. Uh, do you have any siblings? Or cousins?”

“Three. Siblings, I mean.”

“Cool.” There was an odd pause where neither of them spoke but neither looked away, until Will broke the silence.

“Looks like your family’s heading out.”

Derek spun a little towards the door to see his aunt and uncle sheparding the kids outside. “Oh, um, I guess they are.” He mustered up some nerve. “Will I see you around? I’m here for another few days, so…” He trailed off, nervously playing with the fringe of his scarf.

“It’s a pretty small town, Derek.” Will’s deadpan expression had barely changed throughout the whole exchange.

“So… yes, again?” Derek secretly crossed his fingers that he didn’t sound as hopeful as he felt. He needed to be chill if anything was going to happen.

“Yes, again.” Will actually cracked a small smile this time, and Derek just knew he had to see the full version.

“Alright then, Will,” Derek grinned. “I’ll see you around.”

~

Why is it so fucking cold in Maine, Derek thought as he aimlessly kicked pebbles with the toe of his shoe. It’s not this cold in New York, and there I don’t have to be upset about stupid country boys who I don’t even know–

Derek’s internal monologue was interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice calling “Alana! Alana, don’t slip.” He looked up, and sure enough, it was Will. It had been nearly three days since the coffeeshop and Derek hadn’t run into Will at all, and to be quite honest, he was a bit upset about it. How often does a hot dude from a coffeeshop promise to “see you around” and then just disappear from the face of the earth? Although apparently he hadn’t disappeared, because he was in the exact same playground where Derek was playing with his cousins and aunt.

Or, supposedly playing. He had been too busy moping about Will. But now…

Now he could talk to Will. And that’s what he did. Wrapping his long coat a little tighter around his torso, he strode confidently across the playground and planted himself right next to the redheaded not-quite-stranger. “Hey, fancy meeting you here!”

“Derek!” Was Derek fooling himself, or was that a face that looked happy to see him? “What brings you to the grand playground of Eastport?”

“Playing with Finn and Ava. Ollie thought they should get some fresh air, even though it’s so freaking cold here I don’t know how you guys manage it all the time.”

Will laughed a little, and Derek felt so accomplished it was frankly ridiculous. “Who’s Ollie?”

“My aunt. Olivia, but she hates it, so Ollie.”

“Gotcha.”

“And you? What’s your business at this, ah, fine establishment?” Derek was genuinely curious.

“Same as you, basically. Watching my sister.” Will pointed to a young girl in a thick yellow sweater and polka-dotted pants.

“Alana?” Derek guessed.

“Yeah, she’s four and a total monster, but I love her. Absolutely unafraid of everything. I’d admire it if it didn’t scare me half to death.” Will’s face lit up when he was talking about Alana, even more than it had when it was actually sunny out.

Derek snorted. “She sounds great.”

“She really is. The baby of us, so we all gotta pitch in and protect her, you know?” Will looked over at Derek.

Derek didn’t know, being the much-younger brother to a singular older sister, but he thought of how he felt about Finn and Ava, and agreed. “Yeah, that makes sense. It’s awesome that your other siblings pitch in like that.”

“You know, they’re in seventh and ninth grade, so honestly a bit flaky but I love them too,” Will smiled fondly.

“Ah, middle school. The garbage years,” Derek quipped.

“You can say that again,” Will looked up into the horizon for a moment then quickly back at Derek. “But we got through it, right? So they can too?” He was smiling, joking, but Derek saw just a little pain in his expression.

“They absolutely can.”

“Yeah. Yeah, um,” Will let out a small huff of air. He looked nervous, Derek thought. “I… have to head out in a minute, Alana’s got practice, but…” He trailed off, still not making eye contact.

“But…” Derek prompted, very curious and just a little hopeful.

Will jammed his hands into his coat pockets. “But you seem really cool. I’d like to text you, sometime, maybe?” Only now did he look into Derek’s face, his whole expression timid.

Derek broke into a grin. “Yes! Yes. I mean, I’d love that.” Internally Derek was freaking. out. Here he was barely convinced that Will tolerated him, but now he has his number and the possibilities are limitless.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool, then, I’ll just… text you?” Will was smiling now, not nearly as nervous but still exactly as attractive. Derek was… just a little fucked.

“You’ll text me.” Derek answered, just like that. Just like that.

~

Will walked into his kitchen in a daze. He hooked his lanyard with his keys in the usual spot by the door, and toed off his boots on autopilot. He poured a glass of water and then took a seat at the counter, thinking about Derek the whole time.

He heard his mom before she started talking, the quick shuffle-shuffle of her slippers being a familiar sound. “So, Will…” she started. “I’ve noticed you’ve been… different these last few days, sweetie.”

Will grimaced just a little.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Her voice was light, she knew it wasn’t something serious, but she was curious about her son, and Will could tell.

He set his glass down on the table, buried his head in his hands, and groaned. “Mom, there’s this boy .”

She laughed. Will looked up and continued, “He’s just so nice and funny and he smiles all the goddamn time but he’s only in town for like another day and I don’t even know where he lives but I have his number now and-”

“Will!” His mom exclaims, smiling. “You got his number!”

“Yes, mom, I do know how to talk to people, thank you very much.” He’s mock-annoyed; it really does feel good to talk about Derek. “Anyways, I have his number but I don’t know what to say and I’m worried I’ll fuck it up somehow-”

“Language.”

“Sorry. Worried I’ll mess it up somehow because he just seems too perfect. We met in a coffeeshop. A coffeeshop, ma! It’s like some freaking story.” Will finishes his story a little wound up and a bit distressed. But of course his mom knows exactly what to say.

“Will, sweetheart, you won’t mess it up.” He looks at her in slight disbelief. “You won’t! Because if this guy is truly as great as you say he is, then he won’t judge you for whatever you’re worried about. And as for not knowing where he lives, I’ll admit that’s not ideal but I trust you, Will.” She walked around the table and set her hand on Will’s shoulder.

“Thanks, mom. It means a lot.” Will said. He meant it.

His mom broke into a mischevious grin. “Now go text your man.”

“MOM! You can’t say that!” Will exclaimed, jumping up.

“Yes I can! I mean it! Go text him!” She called the last part behind him as he ran up the staris, both of them laughing.

Will landed on his bed and opened up a new message.

new message to Derek (coffeshop dude) <3

hey! :)

He closed his phone and set it on his stomach, staring at the ceiling. His smile went from ear to ear.

~

They texted all night. Well, until one in the morning, but that counts for Derek. They got through the basics (last names, where they actually live, sports teams, whether hot chocolate was better with milk or water) and also into some surprisingly deep topics (goals for the future, the role of spirituality in personal life, which harry potter was the best and why). They had also arranged a hangout for later that day, a few hours before Derek had to go home to New York. It’s not a date, Derek kept repeating to himself. Not a date, not a date.

But just in case it was, he payed extra-close attention to his hair and brushed his teeth three times in a row and wore the nice green sweater because Ollie said it brought out his eyes.

They met that afternoon at the same coffeeshop where they first met. After they’d ordered and sat down and conversation came to a natural lull, both Will and Derek let out identical quick sighs, preparing to speak.

“Oh! You can go-”

“No, you talk-”

“I mean-”

Derek laughed sharply. “Okay. I’ll talk. Um, I’m going home. Today. And New York isn’t in Maine.”

Will snorted. “Yes, genius. New York isn’t in Maine.”

Derek giggled. “Fine, fine, you knew what I meant. I meant… we’ll be kinda far apart, so I understand if this is weird for you or if you say no or whatever then that’s totally fine, but, um…” Derek trailed off, suddenly nervous.

“But?” Will prompted him and was suddenly reminded of their talk on the playground the day before.

“But I really like you.” Derek inhaled. “And… I’d like to date you. If that’s something you’re also interested in, I guess.”

Will smiled. Really, truly, smiled, and he was in the same light as he was the first time Derek saw him, and he looked so happy that Derek couldn’t help but grin as well. “Yes. Yes, that’s something I’m interested in,” Will answered.

“Okay, then. Good. Yeah. Yes.” Derek stammered, happy and mildly overwhelmed.

“Yeah. Good. Yes,” Will parroted back, lightly teasing.

Derek had never been happier that he’d gone to Maine.