4.waffle and ice-cream

"You look tired." Sebastian throws a weak smile at his co-worker as he secures the apron around his waist.

"It's nothing I can't handle, Ethan." Sebastian assures the man to which the man nods his head.

Sebastian is glad that he has a caring manager who looks after his staff, a smile finds its way to his lips as Ethan takes a good look at him to see for himself if he is really fine to work. It hasn't been a month since he started working here, yet every employee here makes him feel at home, it doesn't matter that the number of employees is only 7 during each shift.

He is tired indeed, both physically and mentally. Living itself has become a torture to him. It's rare for him to get a peaceful sleep. Oh, what wouldn't he do to sleep a night without getting nightmares?

His sleep and food deprived body is exhausted after long hours of school. But he has to work. In fact, this is the only place where he can be himself, where he can smile freely. Therefore, he doesn't wish to burden anyone with the weight of his gloom.

"I should get to work. Customers seem to form a line this evening." Sebastian mutters, trying to divert Ethan's attention towards the flock of customers.

"Fine. Get to work." Sebastian nods his head and takes his notepad and pen.

"You still didn't tell me about the wound on your lips though." Ethan interrupts when he is about to walk towards a table.

"I'm a high school senior, old man." Sebastian makes the man of 26 years chuckle with his comment.

The evening turns into night but still people keep coming into the waffle House. Sometimes he wishes the amount of customers should be less because he gets tired of dealing with people, some of whom are extremely rude. But his wish can't be fulfilled as more and more people keep coming. The waffle House where he works at isn't something that can be called fancy. It's decent in size but the interior makes the difference. It's cosy and aesthetic, making it a popular hub for the school and college goers around the town. It also helps that the food is good.

Sebastian is tired. There is nothing that he wants more than to crash onto his bed. He groans under his breath when the bell chimes, notifying him of the entry of the new set of customers. It's almost closing time so he wished he wouldn't have to serve more people. It's only him and Ethan who are still serving, the rest went home already.

They are understaffed today as the cook had to rush home for some emergency, giving the responsibility of making waffles to Ethan, rest items are already made. Sebastian is serving 5 tables alone, this will be his 6th. It's never fun to work overtime.

As soon as he turns around, his eyes meet with the customer who opened the door. Bewilderment grips him as his gaze follows Killian Price and his friends taking seats on a nearby table. His shock appears on his face which makes Killian wink at him. Sebastian breaks free from the frenzy and checks his surroundings to check if someone caught it as well. Luckily for him, no one seems to be fazed by the sudden entry of Killian unlike him.

What is he doing here? Sebastian thinks to himself. Killian's mischievous smile tells him that his intention is something malicious. He clearly remembers telling Killian that he doesn't want to interact with him.Killian did comply but that lasted only for a day. He couldn't find Killian anywhere at school today which made him assume that Killian was avoiding him.

His misconception comes crashing down when he realises he will have to attend their table, he will have to see what Killian has for him now and he doesn't look forward to it. Something about Killian ticks him off. He doesn't like how Killian acts so confident and cocky. But he can't deny Killian has this aura around him that draws him in. Sebastian is done with people stepping into his life and stepping out after crushing his heart and soul. He doesn't dare to make the same mistake again.

He freaked out yesterday. The memories of the past flashed in front of his eyes, making him believe he somehow teleported himself back to the hell where all of his suffering started. Killian stood there as his saviour. His heart was broken into several pieces seeing someone hurt just because of him. No wonder he wanted to treat Killian's wounds and scolded him for his reckless behavior.

Seeing Killian now just reminds him of things he wants to bury. He must keep his distance from that boy. With that determination settling inside his chest, he walks ahead towards their table.

"This is your fun place? Are you kidding me, dude?" Sebastian hears one of them grumble while a bored expression is fixed on his face.

"It's you who decided to tag along, Alex." Another one who is sitting beside him says.

"Because Kill said we were gonna do something fun." The boy, Alex, argues.

"Well, waffles are fun." The other boy mutters.

But before he can hear more of their loud quarrelling, he realises he has reached their table.

"What can I get you all?" Sebastian asks, looking at the two whom he saw arguing earlier, trying his best to ignore Killian.

"For you not to rob us." Comes an amused reply from the devil himself.

"Excuse me?" Sebastian asks, turning to Killian finally. He tried to sound polite but he knows his question came out as somewhat rude.

"I heard you offer your generous smile to customers along with waffles. How come you are depriving us of it?" Killian asks, giving Sebastian a charming yet annoying smile.

"It's almost closing time. Please, place your order before the shop gets closed." Sebastian reminds him instead of giving him a smile.

"Do you have coke?" Alex butts in, gaining Sebastian's attention.

"We do." Sebastian informs.

"That's not what he means. Please, ignore him. We will have-" The other boy tries to say but he gets cut off in the middle of his speech because of a loud noise.

"Damn it, Kill. Just pick up your girlfriend's call. She has been blasting my phone since forever." Nick exclaims, annoyance dripping from his tone.

Sebastian doesn't know why hearing about Killian having a girlfriend doesn't sit well with him. He feels uneasy and disappointed. It's beyond his understanding why it matters to him.

"Ignore her like you ignore your brain and do all the brainless stuff." The boy who was trying to order mutters.

"Oli, oil your own machine or else-" Nick is about to threaten when Sebastian clears his throat.

"Your order please." He reminds them, getting annoyed by the delay.

"Oh, hey Seb! I totally forgot you work here." Sebastian raises an eyebrow at the nickname. He didn't know they became so close that Nick could give him a nickname.

"You knew I work here?" He asks dumbfoundedly.

Of course he does! Why else would Killian grace this place with his presence?

"The whole school knows, dude. You are quite a hot topic." Nick confirms which makes Sebastian nod his head awkwardly.

"Oh! You are the boy whom Killian needs to ba-" Alex groans instead of completing his sentence.

Sebastian notices Killian throwing a meaningful look at the boy which tells Sebastian that Killian is the reason why Alex looks like he is in pain.

"Ba what?" Sebastian urges Alex to speak up, voice sounding desperate.

He didn't know Killian talked about him to his friends. What do they talk about him? Do they make fun of him? Do they say bad stuff behind his back? He wants to believe that Killian is nothing like that but his past encounters with people compels him to assume the worst about people. He hates being that way but it has become his second nature.

"Like I said before, please ignore him. I'm Oliver by the way, it's nice to meet you, Sebastian." Oliver smiles politely as he speaks which manages to put Sebastian into an awkward situation again.

What is he supposed to say in this situation? He doesn't know. Therefore, he opts for nodding his head along with giving him a polite smile in return.

His smile vanishes as soon as someone clears their voice. He knows it's Killian. His voice will stand out even if he speaks gibberish. Not only that. It also possesses the power of grabbing every bit of Sebastian's attention. Sebastian hates how even Killian's voice reeks of confidence and dominance.

"We will take whatever you recommend." Killian utters while folding his sleeves up to the elbow.

Sebastian can't help but stare at the cool lion tattoo on his left sleeve. It doesn't help that Killian's veins elevate the beauty of his sleeve tattoo.

"The lion is cool, isn't it?" Sebastian's face burns in embarrassment, getting caught staring at Killian.

"Umm…"

"Like someone I encountered yesterday. You guys should have seen how he threatened Joseph." Sebastian's embarrassment increases when he realises Killian is talking about him.

"You won't be able to finger your girlfriend anymore. That's what he said." Killian says, looking at Sebastian. He smirks seeing Sebastian's cheek embracing the adorable shade of pink.

"How about I offer you some poison instead?" Sebastian whispers under his breath which doesn't go past Killian's ears.

"That would be fine as long as I get a cute bandaid like this on my throat, restricting the poison's effect." Killian gives Sebastian a closed mouth mocking smile, tapping on the bandaid on his cheek.

Sebastian is surprised to see the bandaid lasting this long. He thought Killian would be embarrassed enough to take it off the moment Sebastian went away from his line of vision. No matter how surprised he is at it, Sebastian is annoyed. He can't just figure out Killian's intentions and it frustrates him beyond limit.

"What's your deal with him?" Sebastian hears Oliver ask as he makes an exit from there. He no longer wants to eavesdrop on their conversation.

By the time Sebastian comes back with their order, most of the customers have left the shop.While Ethan Clears the register in preparation to close the shop, Sebastian places their order on the table.

"The waffle looks dry." Killian comments as soon as Sebastian puts a plate in front of him.

"Just like your sense of humour." There he goes again chuckling in that husky voice of his.

"I try not to take offence but you keep on pushing my buttons." Killian continues, bantering with the waiter while completely ignoring the existence of his friends.

"Install some stronger buttons then." Sebastian advises, flashing him a lopsided smile, clearly mocking him.

"Why do you two keep bantering like a married couple? What the hell happened between you two?" Alex questions with a mouth full of waffle and ice-cream, making Sebastian cringe internally.

Sebastian doesn't want to be the centre of attention anymore. That's why he wants to take his leave. But before Sebastian can tell his customers, no matter how annoying they are, to enjoy their waffles and ice-cream, the bell on the entrance chimes again.

"Sorry, we are about to close the shop." Ethan declares to the man from the counter but the man pays no heed to him, rather he advances towards the table where Killian and his friends are at.

Within a second, Sebastian finds himself on the ground owing to the fact that the man pushed him hard. So brutal is the force that Sebastian collides with another table, breaking the plates placed on the table in the process.

"Let me taste some." The unknown man says, grabbing the waffle from Killian's plate and crushing it.

He looks at Killian with an evil glint in his eyes before throwing the crushed waffle at Killian.

Sebastian picks himself up, fuming in anger and pain. What does the man think he is? He will have to give him a piece of his mind.

"Seb, are you alright?" Ethan runs up to the boy, checking if he is hurt somewhere.

"You are the boy who dared to beat my nephew? Stand up, brat." The man orders, making Killian smile humorlessly.

Killian slowly stands up from his seat before turning his darkened eyes on the man standing before him. Killian's incredible height and his perfectly fit body do intimate the man a bit. But the man stands still, smirking at Killian, thinking he is just dealing with a school boy. It's gonna be a piece of cake.

But before Killian can do anything, Sebastian takes charge and punches the man hard on his face after turning the man towards him. He isn't the one to be messed with, not anymore. He is done being treated like a trashed up rag doll. With suppressed anger finding a surface and raw determination urging him to stand up for himself, Sebastian punches him again.

"What the fuck do you think you are, you little bitch?" The man threatens before raising his hand to knock Sebastian out.

Sebastian must have lost his mind. He should have considered the man's enormous body before even thinking of punching him. He is in no shape to win against a man like this. Though the man is a few inches shorter than Sebastian, no doubt he holds more strength than Sebastian can imagine. But he couldn't help himself, could he? Rage can turn anyone blind, it can cloud everyone's judgment with irrational thoughts and Sebastian is no exception.

Sebastian is ready to face the wrath. He can feel Ethan coming towards him but he knows the man will strike before he can be saved. His busted lips are yet to be healed. Guess a new bruise will make its way towards his face.

But nothing of the sort happens. Instead of feeling a heavy punch on his face, his nose hits something, more specifically Killian Price's back. For a brief moment, Sebastian feels warmth in his heart when Killian stands in front of him and blocks the man from hitting him by hiding Sebastian behind him, his left arm secured behind Sebastian protectively. However, the warmth turns into astonishment when Killian punches the man with his right hand. With just one punch the bull of a man falls to the ground.

Sebastian's face moulds into the shape of "O" when Killian punches the man again, rendering him half-unconscious.

Sebastian witnessed Killian punching Joseph yesterday at school. But now he knows Killian had held himself back from using his full strength. How powerful is the boy? Sebastian wonders.

"He is a gold medalist youth boxer of the school." Oliver informs Sebastian, noticing his baffled expression.

"Tch tch. Get up, uncle. You hit the ground before your nephew did. Does weakness run in the family?" Killian sneers, looking down at the man.

When the man weakly speaks some rubbish that Killian isn't able to comprehend, he turns to Sebastian.

"Are you alright?" Killian asks so tenderly that Sebastian is forced to feel the worry radiating from his tone.

Somehow Sebastian manages to nod his head while trying to read Killian's eyes. He comes up with an empty result, not being able to know if Killian really does care. Why should he? They don't know each other. Why is Killian so clingy towards him?

"Alright. I'm calling the police." Ethan warns, grabbing all of their attention.

"No, please. It's my fault that the man is in this condition, Ethan." Sebastian pleads to his manager who is already at the counter.

"Don't flatter yourself." Killian jests, making Sebastian roll his eyes.

"I mean I hit that man first. Please don't drag the matter. " Sebastian says as he walks towards the counter.

Killian is already in enough trouble because of him. Even though Killian annoys the hell out of him, he can't show a cold shoulder when all of it started because of him.

"Fine." Ethan agrees, putting the telephone down, "what to do with the man?"

Killian looks at the man on the ground and smirks.

"Do you think he will file a complaint knowing he is the one who hit a minor first?" He questions amusingly.

"He does look like a fool. Can't really tell." Nick replies to him.

"You won't, will you?" Although his tone is questioning and calm, there lies a threat within it.

"Help him get up, guys. At this rate he will pass out. And I believe the manager won't like it." Oliver advises, fixing the rim of his glasses.

Alex, Nick and Oliver help the man get up and carry him out of the shop.

"You should have sought legal action instead of barging in and hitting a minor. " Oliver scolds the man, being not able to control the teacher inside him.

"Are you trying to get me in trouble, idiot?" Killian yells from behind after listening to Oliver.

"Your father is a lawyer anyway, Kill. You will be out in a jiffy." Oliver assures, as if it's supposed to console Killian.

When they leave the place, Only Killian and the two employees of the shop remain.

"I will pay for the damages. Don't worry about the man either. I will handle him legally." Killian reassures.

"You better." The man says.

"You should go home, Ethan. Your wife and kid must be waiting for you. It's late. I will close the shop. Don't worry." Sebastian suggests.

Whatever happened must be overwhelming for Ethan, Sebastian thinks. It's not like everyday a man barges in like this and creates mess. Sebastian himself is at a loss of words. Trouble seems to follow him no matter where he goes. Although the man came here with the intention of getting even with Killian, he can't run away from the fact that he is as much responsible as Killian. None of it would have taken place if only he hadn't had that encounter with Joseph.

"How can I leave you here like this?" Ethan asks, eyeing Killian.

Sebastian understands the hesitation. He doesn't fully trust the boy either. But Killian did nothing but help him. He will let his annoying trait slide for now.

"He's from school. Don't worry about him. He can't hurt a fly." Killian snorts at that.

"I totally believe you. As if he didn't just punch a man until he bled like a damn waterfall."

"I said a fly. That man wasn't definitely a fly." Ethan fixes him with a serious look, making the boy huff.

"Don't worry, Ethan." He reassures the man, holding his shoulders.

"Fine. But let me help you clean all the mess."

"He will help me with it." Killian cocks an eyebrow at that.

"Hey! When did I sign up for that?" Killian opposes, taking a few steps towards the counter where both of them are standing.

"Why are you still here then?" Killian falls quiet at Sebastian's question.

"Fine." Killian sighs in defeat after a few seconds.

Although Ethan is still skeptical of Killian, he trusts Sebastian's judgment and leaves them to be.

Sebastian hands Killian a mop, "Get to work." He orders.

It's gonna be a long night, isn't it?