Beneath The Blue Realm

"Hey Liam? Can you give this tray to table five?" A dark haired boy turned around as his name was mentioned. He was wearing an apron and had a name tag on his left chest where Liam was written. The boy named Liam smiled slightly despite his features showing that he was tired. He walked towards Eli, his co-worker who had brown hair and a lean figure. Despite his hand shaking from the lack of strength, he still went to get the heavy tray which had orders for those in table five. He smiled and sighed mentally as he got it there without making a mess.

"Enjoy." He simply said with a practiced smile before walking back to finish what he was doing. Mopping the floor. Many people had gone inside in the cafe he worked in today which made him have a handful of things to do. Although he was very tired at this point, he never said a word about it. Despite that, his co-workers noticed his behavior and knew how he really was.

"Psst, Lucca? You free there?" Eli whispered to a boy who also had dark hair and was a bit taller than both Eli and Liam. The latter turned his head around with a glare but soon after heaved a sigh.

"Thank you." Eli whispered to Lucca as he started to walk towards Liam.

"Y-Yes?" Liam spoke hastily. His voice was groggy and his vision was starting to blur out.

"Go sit there. The boss said I can continue this for you." Lucca spoke with a monotonous voice. Liam stared at him for a while before chuckling.

"By boss, you mean Eli?" Lucca sighed and grabbed the mop from Liam and pushed the latter lightly to an empty corner. Liam not having enough energy to persist, just walked to an empty table at the corner where Eli was waiting.

"You didn't have to do that Eli. I can still do the job you know?" Liam spoke as soon as he reached the empty table. The latter rolled his eyes as he wiped some glasses with a dry towel.

"Ahaha, yeah of course. Like I could not see you wearing your last ounce of energy just to walk the tray of order to that table just now." Liam just stayed silent as he rested his back on the cold wall behind him. Breathing slowly, he looked at the clock attached to the wall. He still had to fetch his son from school at four thirty. It was currently three in the afternoon and more and more people were still coming in.

"Don't worry, you can leave by four. I can cover for you." Eli spoke as he placed the glass carefully in the drying tray. Liam sighed yet again and looked at Eli.

"No. Before you say something, I'm not doing this for you but for Alxce. I don't want my peanut waiting thirty minutes outside that school shed while everyone else are getting picked up by their parents." Eli spoke before Liam could reason again.

Liam looked away and rested his head on the wall behind him and closed his eyes. It was pointless to argue with Eli whenever he insisted. He recalled when he first met Eli and the others on his first day working. He was beyond nervous to say the least as this was to say his first actual job ever since he got banished from the realm of five kingdoms. Looking back at it and how it happened gave him so much pain still. So much betrayal and so much pain. Surge of old memories started to resurface so he had to think of something else. He don't want to cry in public and more so in the presence of his workmates.

The first time he met them, he was an outcast of course and did not really know how to socialize. He did not know that much of this world and how things worked and god knows how much time he spent watching videos on how to work at a caffe on an app which they call as Youtube. It was Eli that acted first in being acquainted with him and then the others soon followed. Eli to him is like someone back from home, someone very dear to him and always looks after him. Thinking of that made Liam tear up as he wondered how that person is currently. Is he okay? He remembered how their last meet went. Running away from their own kingdom as it was being invaded. That occurrence was something Liam could never forget. How he ran so fast barefoot, the sole of his feet bleeding from the rough and sharp stones. But alas, their plan failed and they never saw each other again.

"Your eyes always hold something so heavy and deep Liam." He snapped out as he gazed at Lucca who sat on the stool behind him. He then turned away from him to wipe his tears that were threatening to fall. He faked a chuckle as he faced Lucca yet again who was looking outside.

"What can I say? I have issues." He joked while he fumbled with his fingers under the table. He looked at Lucca and smiled at his first memory of him. The person was cold to say the least. He always look like he doesn't care and just in his own world. His gaze were like sharp ice that could tear you into pieces. To cut it short, he looked like the person you don't want to mess with. Unlike Eli who had this beautiful and sunny aura around him that complimented his coffee brown locks and hazel eyes, not to mention his smile and he was short so he was adorable to Liam.

Lucca on the other hand only wore black and white. His hair would cover his eyes if he forgot to put on the side of his ear and his eyes were just as dark as charcoal while his skin was close to snow pale. He would always wear this thing on his ear that makes music and sleep most of the time if not leave early. The only time where his approach towards Lucca was when he and Alxce were threatened by a bunch of shady bystander and asked Liam to give them his money and at that time he did not have much since he was only working one job.

He remembered himself shaking on the spot for as he.... he somehow grew afraid of being.. being hurt. What he went through for that whole month broke him so much that he could not handle even himself but despite that, he was still willing to do everything for his son. That was until Lucca jumped out of nowhere looking so unfazed even when these good for nothing bystander held a knife to threaten him.

Lucca just swung his fist as if it was nothing and just made it known to not mess with him. Although he did get some bruises for taking some punch but he still won and sent those rascals running away. He remembered Lucca walking with him and Alxce till they got to their doorstep and then as soon as they opened the door to their small abode, Lucca left without a word.

"Why?" Liam snapped out from his memory lane as he heard a cold but a caring voice. He realized that Lucca was looking back at him and only did he remember that he was staring at the latter for who knows how long.

"Hehe, nothing." Liam smiled before turning away to look at the clock. Only twelve minutes was left before it hit four so he immediately stood up and went to the back where the crew leave their belongings while on duty and put on his khaki sweatshirt before slipping his white cap onto his head.

"Eli, I have to go fetch Alxce now. Thank you for letting me leave early, again." Eli looked at him and just shooed him away with a warm smile that said it was nothing.

"Psst." He turned to look at Lucca who was laying his head, not looking at him on the table where they sat together.

"Hmm?" Liam hummed lightly as a response.

"Call me if something happens." The latter said in a groggy voice. Liam just smiled before waving his hand as he headed out the little cafe. As soon as he got out, the humid environment of the place sort of overwhelmed him as his body got used to the low temperature inside the cafe. Nonetheless, he squinted his eyes to look for a taxi and called it over when he found one.

"The daycare center by the bridge." He said softly as to which the driver hummed in agreement. The vehicle moved and Liam found himself looking outside the window looking at the buildings they were passing by. This has been his life for quite some time now and to him, he honestly would just have this one over his past. He still feel like he owes something to that part of him but he just know that he wont be able to commit to the idea of coming back, not that he can but the idea of reconnecting to that burnt side of him, it was too much for him.

The taxi came to a halt and Liam soon caught a glimpse of the daycare center where Alxce was going. He paid the taxi driver with the little budget he had for this week's travel expenses before taking his leave.

His eyes were busy scanning the crowd of small kids up until he caught a glimpse of a grey haired boy talking to his friend. He walked slowly towards them with a smile before tapping Alxces's back.

"Papa, are we going home now?" The young boy asked in a soft voice with his doe eyes and chubby face. Liam smiled before saying yes as a response.

"Oh, okay! Good bye Millie! Let's talk more on Monday!" Alxce said his goodbye's to Millie, the brown haired girl that Alxce talks to.

"Okay Alxce! See you on Monday! Goodbye Mr. Liam!" The young girl waved with a smile before turning around to walk where her dad was waiting. Liam smiled and waved back to both Millie and his father, Antonio.

Liam and Alxce started to walk slowly on the side walk while Liam listened to what his son had to say about his day at the day care. He just smiled and hum in response to Alxce while holding his hand to make sure he doesn't trip. This was now his life and he is content with it. What once was the sole heir and royalty to a kingdom is now living a humble life in the human plane with his son. His life.