Stab. "Die..." Stab. Stab. "Die....." Stab. Stab. Stab. "Die!!!"

"Minseok!!" All eyes land on Café Nemo's star barista, as the coffee machine splutters and spews drops of the dark liquid everywhere behind the counter. Minseok blinks. Registering the mess he has created for the first time. Usually it would be Tao, the new intern, who destroyed everything he touched.

"Err.... you okay...?" Asks Luhan with an awkward smile, still keeping his distance from the other.

"Yeah...." He sighs, surveying the damage. Wiping the countertops, while Luhan takes over the brewing, Minseok glances up at the clock. Nine twenty-five.... a few more minutes and—

"Ooo la la~ Look at this mess~" A vein pops on Minseok's head as the sing-song voice plays out. He raises his head just enough to shoot a glare through his bangs at the man in the suit who was grinning at him.

"What do you want Jongdae?"

"Tut, tut, so rude, Kim Minseok-ssi. Customer. Barista. You're supposed to treat me like a God."

"You should be the customer at a psych ward. I'll ask again— What. Do. You. Want. Jongdae?"

"One americano to go, extra sugar, a little stirrer and 'Lord Jongdae, Vanquisher of all Evil' written on the cup." Jongdae flashes him a smile, his eyes turning crescent and his cheekbones highlighted. Minseok grits his teeth and places a plastic cup with the coffee and stabs a stirrer into it causing Luhan to flinch. Jongdae's smile doesn't waver.

"Here," mutters Minseok through gritted teeth.

"Nope."

"Nope?!" Asks Minseok incredulously. Luhan takes a step away from him.

"Nope, you need to write something on that first."

"Take. The. Coffee. Or I'll personally vanquish you!!"

"It's americano actually. You should know that."

"Just take the damn coffee!!"

Luhan sighs as he watches the exchange. There was a time when Minseok was the go to barista. Not just for coffee brewed to utter perfection, but for friendly chatter and a smile that could turn even the most depressing of days around. Well, Minseok was still like that, except from nine am to ten am. Luhan still remembers the day it started, about a month back when Kim Jongdae, an IT expert from the office two blocks down, walked in and ordered fifteen espressos to go. He then proceeded to recite fifteen different preferences for each of the fifteen cups till Minseok had to stop him to take down the order, after which Jongdae made changes every now and then saying things like "Kyungsoo likes sugar.... Or doesn't he...?" and "Would it be rude if I get Jongin a tall black....??" or "No sugar in that one, sugar makes Joonmyun hyung lose his marbles." In all it had taken Minseok about half an hour to get everything down at the end of which, Jongdae had decided to cancel all the orders, saying his workmates might not like coffee after all and decided to settle on cookies for everyone and an americano for himself. That was the first time Luhan had seen him snap plastic coffee stirrers in two halves, but of course now it's something he sees on a regular basis. There are times when Jongdae just stares at Minseok unblinkingly and loudly announces that the barista has cute Baozi cheeks, then there are times when he messes up the sugar and ketchup sachets on realizing that it upsets an obsessive-compulsive Minseok greatly and then there are those when he comes up with generally nefarious schemes to get under Minseok's skin, much to his own glee, Minseok's annoyance and the widespread fear of the other baristas and patrons.

The next morning, Luhan walks out of the supply room to see Jongdae already flashing his cheekbone-accented smile at Minseok who was glaring holes into the other's head.

"Say that again." Minseok says, his patience growing thin.

"Bip bip.... Bip beeeeep bip bip.... Bip bip.... Beeeeep bip beeeeep.... Bip.... Bip bip beeeeep."

"In. English." Luhan flinches as Minseok snaps another coffee swirler between his fingers and wonders if his boss is going to notice the sudden rise in swirler consumption, but he's probably too busy with his girlfriend.

"Oh, I didn't know you didn't speak Morse. One caffe latte to go, extra sugar." Luhan watches curiously, as Jongdae scribbles something on a tissue and hands it to Minseok when he receives his drink and then walks off without another word.

"What's it?" Luhan asks, peering over the other's shoulder to see the tissue filled with dots and dashes.

"He's trying to piss me off, that's what," replies Minseok as he stashes the tissue under the counter and stalks off. "Someday I'm going to stab him very slowly with every stirrer I can get my hands on." Luhan shudders. Acquaintance with Jongdae has definitely turned Minseok over to the darkside.

The next day, when it's almost ten and Jongdae doesn't show up in spite of it being Tuesday, Minseok drums the counter impatiently.

"Missing the cheeks guy?" Asks Sehun, lazily chewing his gum, from the cash register. Minseok shoots him a glare.

"The what guy?" Asks Yixing, entering with a tray of cakes.

"The guy with the sharp cheekbones," says Tao, pressing his own.

"Minseok hyung has a very volatile relationship with him."

"What on earth?!? Shut up Tao before I stuff you in the ov—"

He pauses, hearing someone curse very loudly, having bashed into a chair. A very disheveled Jongdae runs up to Luhan's side of the counter, leans against it panting and manages to say, "one tall black, high caffeine, extra extra sugar." Luhan raises an eyebrow but pours the coffee out from the machine, dropping twice the normal amount of sugar in it, and hands it to him.

"Busy?"

"Meeting in five. Gotta run, thanks!"

Minseok watches as Jongdae rushes out, without so much as a second glance at him. Sehun lets out a low whistle. Luhan looks at him apologetically and Minseok glares at him fully aware of his implications. It's only then that he remembers the tissue from the previous day. "Is that Morse code?" Asks Yixing, causing him to start and drop the tissue which Yixing picks up.

"Who do you like...?"

"What?"

"Who do you like...? It says 'I like you', so I'm asking if you like someone."

"I didn't write— wait!!! It says what?!?!"

"I like you...."

"I.... What the hell?!" Yixing stares uncomprehendingly, Luhan bursts out into a fit of laughter while Sehun pops a bubble and says,

"Ooo la la~"

On the following morning, Jongdae walks in barely able to stand on his feet, dropping into one of the stools before the counter rather heavily. "You're early." Minseok hovers above him.

"Really....? I don't know what time it is...."

"About eight."

"Oh.... I've been auditing all night...." Jongdae looks like a small child, rubbing his eyes. For a moment Minseok wavers. But only for a moment.

"You could use some coffee." When Minseok returns, Jongdae has just about dropped off to sleep on the counter, using a pile of tissues as his headrest. Minseok puts the cup down as hard as he can, enjoying the satisfaction of seeing Jongdae start awake and flounder for a moment. Jongdae takes the cup and takes a gulp of the liquid inside it— and gags.

"What the freaking hell is this?!?" The bitter taste spreads in his mouth. "Where's the sugar?!" He makes a grab for the sugar sachets, emptying one on his tongue, and a few into his cup.

"That's double brewed coffee, all black, no sugar. And here's a tissue. In case you can't read the Morse in your current state, it says 'you jackass'."

"What does that mean....?" Mutters Jongdae, still shuddering from the bitter taste.

"It means, first, I'm going to pay you back for every moment you've tormented me, and then I'm going to maybe agree to go on a date. Enjoy your coffee."

If this were a movie, muses Luhan, there would be cheers and clapping as Minseok walked back into the kitchens and Jongdae would wear a goofy grin. This wasn't one though, and no one cheered because the cafe was still empty (though Sehun popped a bubble) but Jongdae had the grin on.