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There are two different types of people that stumble into Burger King at 1AM in the morning and Jongdae is well equipped to deal with both of them. The first type is the average, slightly tipsy businessman looking for a cheap snack before boarding the last train home. Jongdae usually recommends water to supplement their orders.
The second type are students at the local university who come stumbling in because all the other restaurants have closed for business three hours prior, and the McDonald’s down the street is too full. Type Two customers are usually well behaved, and to be honest, Jongdae enjoys their rants about organic chemistry and last-minute papers as they fish for crumpled bills in their backpacks. If he is feeling generous, Jongdae sometimes includes a complimentary coffee with their orders. He has to reward their hard work and willingness to choose Burger King over McDonald’s after all.
Then there are the occasional weirdos.
“Can I just get one of everything?” The boy at the register asks cheekily, smiling as if his cute face will excuse his unreasonable request.
“No you can’t,” Jongdae says tersely through his for-the-customer smile, hand still poised over the register. “We don’t allow orders like that. Especially if you aren’t serious.”
“You’re probably right,” The boy nods thoughtfully. Of course I’m right, Jongdae thinks but keeps his smile firmly attached on his face.
“Fine,” The boy says. “Give me a number four to go, please. With a small drink.”
“That will be seven-sixty-five,” Jongdae says and the boy hands over a card he fishes out from the depths of his backpack.
“This is a ten-dollar gift card for Starbucks,” Jongdae says patiently and the boy laughs apologetically, hand plunging back into his backpack. Jongdae prays he won’t fish out a bag of pennies next.
“Sorry about that,” The boy apologizes, handing over his credit card. “I have a midterm coming up and I’m really not myself tonight.”
Clearly.
“It’s alright, Kai,” Jongdae says instead as he glances at the name on the card.
"Thanks, Jongdae!" Kai says, tapping Jongdae's nametag before he can properly react. Kai moves to stand next to the condiment island, taking a textbook out of his bag to read while waiting for his order. Assembling the meal takes a few minutes (Xiumin is a burger flipping pro), and Kai grabs his meal happily before speeding out of the restaurant.
Well that’s the end of that, Jongdae thinks.
*
Except it’s not because Kai returns to Burger King a few nights later. He looks a little calmer than the last time Jongdae saw him, bundled up in a pink Alpha Kappa Psi sweatshirt with his backpack slung over one shoulder.
“Back so soon?” Jongdae asks before his brain to mouth filter kicks in.
Kai raises his eyebrows. “Oh! I didn’t think you’d remember me.”
“You tried to order everything on the menu. Hard to forget,” Jongdae says as casually as possible.
“Fair enough,” Kai grins. “I’d like the five-piece chicken strips please.”
Jongdae nods and begins to key in the order. There’s a small line forming behind Kai and Jongdae is keen on moving things along.
“You know, you’re pretty cute,” Kai says bluntly and Jongdae types the wrong numbers and has to start over. So much for moving things along.
“Compliments don’t feed the family,” Jongdae says, trying not to choke. He points to the tip jar. “But extra cash for your favorite cashier won’t hurt.”
“Who says you’re my favorite cashier?” Kai laughs but stuffs a few bills into the jar.
“Nevermind,” Jongdae sighs.
*
“How’s the coffee here?” Kai asks the next evening. “I need to pull an all-nighter.”
“Well you’ve come to the right place,” Jongdae says. “We’ve been aiding students in their last-minute cramming with our coffee for years. Guaranteed delirium by tomorrow morning.”
Kai laughs. Jongdae thinks it’s a nice laugh.
“Maybe just a Coke then.”
*
Some nights Jongdae works the drive-thru because it’s a welcome change of pace. He can only stand so much face-to-face interaction in one day.
“Hyung,” Sehun calls, poking his head into Window One’s station just as Jongdae finishes directing a car to Window Two. “Your boyfriend is asking for you.”
“What boyfriend?” Jongdae asks though he’s pretty sure what the answer is.
“The boyfriend who didn’t really want me to take his order because I’m not you.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Jongdae says a bit too loudly, remembering to cover the mouthpiece in time.
Sehun raises his hands in mock surrender. “Just relaying the message.”
He looks like he has more to say but the intercom is buzzing and a hazy “Hello? Is this Burger King?” filters through so Jongdae trades interaction with one idiot for another.
*
“What can I get for you?” Jongdae asks in what he hopes is a professional tone when Kai shows up yet again.
Kai makes a show out of contemplating the contents of the menu before he decides. “I’ll have a cheeseburger with a side of you. What do you say, McGorgeous?”
“Kai, this is Burger King, not McDonald’s. We don’t serve Mc-anythings,” Jongdae says flatly. He unsuccessfully tries to suppress the redness already blossoming from the tips of his ears.
“That’s a shame. I came here because I thought that I could have it my way,” Kai pouts but gives Jongdae a break and orders the number five combo meal.
Jongdae slips an extra packet of ketchup in the bag before handing it over.
(“Your boyfriend is a smooth operator,” Sehun laughs from his place at Register Two.
“Kai’s really lame. Also, your boyfriend’s main goal in life is to get employee-of-the-month with his fancy burger flipping,” Jongdae retorts.
“Shutting up now.”)
*
The customer currently standing in front of the register is seriously getting into Jongdae’s personal space. Jongdae understands that personal space can be relative, but he’s pretty sure that being within six inches of someone else’s face isn’t normal under casual circumstances.
“Is there something on my face?” Jongdae finally asks before the boy can get any closer. He can practically feel the other’s breath on his face and the sensation is a bit unpleasant.
“Nothing’s on your face,” The boy grins widely. “But Kai was right. You are cute.”
“Can you just order something?” Jongdae groans, restraining himself from banging his head against the register.
“Sure thing, man. I’ll have a number seven to go, please.”
*
Kai doesn’t return to Burger King for a while, and while Jongdae has better things like his double shift tonight to worry about, he can’t help but wonder why.
“He may be on a diet. All of that greasy food can’t be healthy,” Sehun suggests with only minimal amounts of sarcasm.
“I didn’t even say anything,” Jongdae furrows his eyebrows.
“You think pretty loudly,” Sehun shrugs before turning towards his customer. Jongdae adds Sehun's opinion to the growing list of things he never asks for but gets anyways.
Kai shows up later that evening, and even under the harsh and unflattering fluorescent lighting he looks good.
“How are you?” Jongdae asks. He hopes the concern in his voice isn’t too evident.
“I’ve been so busy I can’t even find the energy to drag my lazy here to see you,” Kai wiggles his eyebrows. “Why? Did you miss me?”
“How can I miss you when you’re always here?” Jongdae says with a small smile.
*
“Eating all this Burger King can’t be good for you,” Jongdae says when Kai comes into the restaurant yet again. Not that Kai looks particularly out of shape or unhealthy, with his slender body and skin as creamy and smooth as the Vanilla Hand Spun Shakes being sold for a limited time only. Jongdae thinks he could have come up with a better analogy but he’s tired and Kai really isn’t helping.
“I’ll get a salad then,” Kai says cheerfully, cutting off Jongdae’s inner monologue.
“I don’t think the salads here are actually any healthier than the burgers.”
“Well then, what would you recommend?” Kai plays along.
And although Jongdae thinks being with Kai may be a bad thing, he thinks being with Kai may also be a really, really good thing, so he responds with “Me. I’d recommend me.”
Kai smiles radiantly and Jongdae’s heart flutters.
“Then I’ll have one of you to go, please.”
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