Minseok has never been so nervous in his life. 

It's a rainy Wednesday morning that only reminds him of today's special guest. Luhan would be coming in to work and would be learning the ways of the cafe under Minseok's guidance, something Kyungsoo borderline threatened him to agree to. 

He does't hate the idea. He's just high-strung because he'd be working alongside the man he may or may not have developed a teeny little crush on for an entire day. And to top it all off, Kyungsoo decides to work today simply to see Minseok embarass himself.

Well, he didn't actually tell why he decided to switch up his work days, but Minseok's 99.9% sure that his assumption is almost correct.

"You ready to get it on with your deer boy?" he hears Kyungsoo say after passing a green tea latte to a waiting customer.

"Please don't call him that when he gets here. I'm going to legitimately start to cry, if you do."

"That sounds really tempting."

"Please, Kyung. If you don't embarrass me this one time, I'll take you out for dinner."

"My choice?"

"Your choice."

"And if I don't do anything for an entire week?"

"Don't push it. I'm being generous enough." 

"I guess dinner is good enough, then. We're going to Jjigae Hotspot." 

Minseok realeses a loud sigh. It's not that the food is bad, but the fact that he eats there whenever he and Kyungsoo go out together -- which is pretty often if not every single day mind you -- makes the food tiring to eat. He's pretty sure he's had everything on their menu at least twice over the course of a year or two. He wonders how Jongin feels about the place every time Kyungsoo drags him there for all three meals of the day.

"You know you love that place, Min."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Kyung." 

After wacking the cashier with the towel he draped over his shoulder (Minseok admits that it made him cry a little), Kyungsoo resumes his task of lowering the amount of waiting customers -- but not before spotting someone that fit the description of Minseok's mystery man shyly stepping into the cafe with a soaked umbrella clasped tightly in his hands. He doesn't bother with warning the other and instead turns to make one of many requested caramel macchiatoes.

He watches as the man joins the growing line, bouncing nervously in his spot, and he has to admit that Luhan is beyond gorgeous; he can see why Minseok turns into a stuttering mess. This man, Luhan, is quite beautiful, more beautiful than the bouquets Jongin comes up with when he gets bored while working at his sister's flower shop, yet at the same time, his serious expression and childish gaze make him seem more boyish. His back is so straight, it looks inhuman, and his head is held high on his shoulders, adding to the height he already has on both himself and Minseok. Though he seems as intimidating as he is hot, Kyungsoo finds the twitchy hands fiddling with his tie cute, and the faint blush on his cheeks makes him want to faint. How can a man be so y yet so adorable all at once? How is that humanly possible? Honestly, if Kyungsoo wasn't already two years into his relationship with Jongin, he wouldn't mind going after the handsome business man. 

Sometime in the middle of his oggling, he overflows a plain cup of coffee (he can practically hear Jongin scolding him about his lack of attention), and Luhan gets even closer to the counter. He ignores the burn his hand sustains from the hot liquid and redoes the order, forcing his eyes away from the beauty of a man. All the while, he silently hopes that Minseok doesn't screw anything up.

When The Cottage's new worker steps up to the counter, Minseok has a hard time trying not to hyperventilate. Is it always this hot inside the cafe? It's too humid; summer isn't due for another few weeks, so why is the air so thick? And is he sweating? Gross. Now he's sweaty, shaky, and five seconds closer to passing out. Way to ruin your chance, Kim Minseok. 

"Minseok? Are you okay? Do you need to sit down for a second? You look like you're about to faint," he hears Luhan fret through foggy hearing. 

This scene feels like an eerily similar version of their first meeting however-many days ago, and he suddenly feels bad that Luhan had to go through this awful mortification. Poor guy. 

"D-don't worry about m-me. I'm fine. You're here pretty early though; you didn't need to come in until around 12:00," he responds, internally beating himself up. He'd rather not stutter every time he has a conversation with him.

"I am a tad early, aren't I?" he belatedly realizes that he's an idiot because no . He's a full four hours early; tad is a mere understatement. But he tries to laugh it off through his silent crying and says, "I usually get up pretty early in the morning to go to work, but I apparently forgot that I'd be here today instead. I couldn't get back to sleep after that, but I tried. Obviously, it didn't work, so here I am bright and early, ready to make some coffee. You really don't mind me being this early, do you?" 

If he's being 100% honest, he actually didn't have anything better to do. Getting at least the reccommended amount of sleep is already a struggle, so there is no way in hell he could force himself to actually sleep in past five in the morning -- if he didn't wake up earlier that is. He truly had nothing better to do at the asscrack of dawn than read over a bit of paperwork before heading to the cafe a little after its opening time of eight. 

On the other side of the counter, Minseok gushes at Luhan's obvious embarassment. Never has he found a man worrying about the back of his neck so cute before. Then again, that was before Luhan, soaked in rain water, stumbled into the cafe that day. 

And since when has he gotten so mushy? His little sister had to have rubbed something off on him the last time he visited. He sounds just like her when her favorite idol does something stupid, and gosh, does he want to avoid squealing outloud. He might just have to throw himself off the nearest cliff, if Luhan hears.

"Ah, well, you being a little early isn't so bad. That gives me enough time to teach you the basics before our lunch-hour rush starts. You can follow me to the back. I'll bring you to the employee room to grab a uniform and show you your locker. The gate's over on the right." 

Luhan follows Minseok's slightly stubby finger to a tiny slab of wood that must have been the "gate", and he walks through it as the other calls over a coworker, a boy named Jinyoung, to have him man the register while he's gone.  

It turns out that the cafe is much bigger than Luhan thought. Off to the side through a plain, wooden door that Minseok leads him to is a hallway with three different entrances. To the far left is an office, the middle a spacious bathroom, and to the far right is a room for the employees -- all of which he firgues out because of the shiny plaques sitting beside each door.

As far as the employee room went, he had been expecting something small with rusty lockers and dust on every suface, but the room is a far cry from being rundown. It's actually quite roomy, and the lockers look like they've never been touched. There's even a little kitchen in one corner, too, fit with a fridge, a techy microwave, and a whole slew of other appliances scatter over the marble countertop. 

And then he sees the oh-so-wonderful monstrosity that is the uniform. 

Minseok walks over to the mini rack and picks out a random one after giving Luhan a quick once-over. He hands it to him with clammy hands and shoots him a sympathetic smile, as if to say 'I know. They're horrendous'.

"Well, here's your new outfit for the next few hours until we close; if it doesn't fit, just grab a different one, and try it out. You can put your things in any of the empty lockers. The combinations for them is on a sheet taped by the sink," he says, eyes looking everywhere but at the person standing in front of him. He's alone with a cute guy. A cute guy that happens to be Luhan, of all people. Who wouldn't have thoughts?

"Will do. I guess I'll get changed, then, and head out to the front when I'm done?" Luhan answers awkwardly. Why is he so awkward? 

They stand there in the silence of the room avoiding each other as much as they can. Maybe this is a bad idea. If he can't even manage to look at Minseok, how in this world is he going to work with him? What happened to the smooth guy that slyly gave him his number on a napkin? 

"I-If you don't have a-any q-questions, I'll be outside," Minseok comments, his words a jumble of ununderstandable syllables that Luhan can just barely comprehend. 

And then he darts out of the room, leaving Luhan alone with the buzzing of the overhead lights and his mustard yellow uniform top. 

He sighs to himself as he heads out as well to change in the bathroom. Really, why did he sign up for this? It probably would have done him good to just stay where he belongs: in his lonely office with the obnoxious PA and dorky accounting chief couple. This place just isn't for a tired bussinessman like him. 

But when he steps out of the hall and makes his way to the counter in all his burnt mustard glory, he remembers why, when he sees him pouring a cup of coffee with the daintiest smile on his face, his chubby cheeks upturned as he hums a tune to himself. He came for this cutie, the one currently enamored by the smell of the brewed coffee beans. 

He gets so lost in his admiration that he doesn't even notice the cat-like eyes gazing right back at him with just as much admiration, nor does he register the sound of Kyungsoo groaning in the background.  

And people said him and Jongin were cheesy. 

Luhan wishes he had gone to college to be a barista instead of a business man.

Except he's the least skilled person to handle actually making a cup of coffe.

"Still taste like motor oil?" he asks cautiously, when Minseok takes an experimental sip of his umpteenth attempt at brewing a cup of joe.

He can already tell by the way his button nose subtly scrunches that the flavor is the same as it was three hours ago, and he cries a little on the inside after Minseok says, "Maybe more along the lines of dirty dishwater this time." 

"Honestly, I've never seen someone at making a normal cup of coffee. You're a business man. I'm sure you've had plently enough cups to know how to make it yourself," Luhan hears Kyungsoo scoff as he fills the display case with freshly-baked pastries. He's learned over the course of his time here that despite his height and his superb baking skills, he isn't to be messed with, and he slightly cowers in fear every time their gazes clash (but he won't admit that to anyone else because he's manly and totally not afraid of a humanized owl).

"Yes, I have, but no, I don't really have to make it myself because my PA usually likes to slack off and do everything he shouldn't." 

Kyungsoo shoots him a look that says he can't relate before quietly turning his attention to the tray of blueberry scones skillfully balanced in his hand. At least he's stopped teasing him for the time being. 

"Since you can't really make coffe, I guess you'll just have to work the register with Jinyoung until you can upgrade yourself from dishwater to actual coffee," Minseok comments after a short pause. 

He spares a glance at the college student that every girl to enter the cafe has fawned over, and he can see why; the guy is actually quite the looker, one of those who could be ranked up there among the "flower boys" of Seoul. Were all the men so pretty here? 

"Good timing, too, because the lunch rush is about to pour in. I could use the exta help," said boy says after his name is mentioned, turning around to join the conversation.

The cafe is already crowded as is, with a few already on their lunch breaks and others merely trying to hide away from the rain pounding down on the bustling city, so Luhan imagines that the lunch rush must be a terror.

And a terror it is, he discovers half an hour later when noon rolls around. 

He works in a colossal company with employee upon employee scattered around the building, but he's never seen this many people in one place in his life -- unless he takes into account those boring business "galas" his father enjoys dragging him to. Beside him, Jinyoung handles it like a pro, like this is a normal, everyday thing, and Luhan doesn't know how he hasn't had a mental breakdown yet. He's already awkwardly rejected at least five girls, butchered ten orders, and pissed Kyungsoo off enough to earn him a death glare.

"Will the ham and cheddar sub, fruit mixer, and berry smoothie be all for you?" Luhan confirms and high-fives himself when he recieves an enthusiastic nod from the lady in front of him. This is his third correct order in a row. "Your total is ₩15,375. Your name will be called as soon as your order is completed." 

When he slides her card, gets her name, and hands her the receipt, he slumps against the counter and wipes the imaginary sweat off his forehead. Damn, that was hard. He can only imagine how much of a pain it was to have but three workers to handle that big of a horde of impatient bodies. And how in the world does Jinyoung play it so cool when he gets flirted with? Luhan's pretty sure he accidentally crushed a poor girl's heart, and he hasn't stopped thinking about it since she scampered away.

"Rethinking your decision, loverboy?" Kyungsoo voices, handing a man, who blushes pretty obviously, his tray before stalking over to where Luhan has just about collapsed.

"Yes? No? I don't know?" is his response. He can't comprehend words that aren't orders right now, and Kyungsoo's jabs aren't helping.

Minseok, who has just emerged from the back with more than a few bubble tea straws, goes to add in on the conversation, but before he can, the tinkling sound of the bell above the cafe's glass doors reverberates in their ears; and Luhan holds in a groan. He really would prefer not to screw up more orders right now. 

"Wow. I didn't know this place was so nice on the inside." 

Upon hearing the familiar voice, his head snaps up from the wood of the counter, and he actually thinks he might cry. Near the entrance gazing around the door like a lost traveler is Tao, Kris shaking off rainwater from his flimsy black umbrella a few steps behind him. He knows the two aren't here for a cup of tea and a slice of cake, which makes him want to make a mad dash for the kitchen to wait out their departure. But he doesn't end up dashing anywhere since they spot him before he can even twitch.

Tao's laughter is as offensive as the door's bell, his finger aimed at an unamused Luhan. Kris simply stands behind the younger with a cocked, bushy eyebrow, clearly confused as to why his lover is currently cackling like a hyena. 

"So much for Armani suits. You look like an expired banana right now. I think your father would actually disown you if he ever saw you dressed like this," he says through his boisterous guffawing, and Luhan kind of wants to hit him out of embarrassment.

"Shut up, Tao. I can still fire you," he shoots back.

"Like hell you will. Aren't you supposed to be nice to me anyways? I'm a paying customer."

"As far as I know, you haven't paid for anything. It'd be a great favor if you could just leave." 

"Oh, come on, Han. I just wanted to see how my dearest friend was holding up at his new job. The one time I go out of my way to be nice, you kick me out." 

"Nice isn't calling people expired bananas, Tao. Now, what do you want? Actually, why are you even here? Your lunch ended, like, an hour ago."

"I thought we've already been over this. My lunch time isn't up to me; it's up to my stomach."

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Just tell me what you want so you can be gone and do your job."

Kris and Tao's eyes scan the lit, overhead menu board for a few minutes with a few mumbles exchanged between them. As soon as they come to a conclusion though, it's Kris that speaks up instead. 

"We'll just take a turkey sub, a slice of cake, and two iced americanos to go," he says as Luhan punches in the order.

"To go? I thought we were eating in!" 

"It's crowded enough as is, and I know that you're just going to stand up here and tease Han as much as possible. We can just eat in the office."

Tao huffs indignantly but surprisingly doesn't refute Kris' declaration. But as they walk away from their spot to head over to the "pick up" area, Tao turns around, and by the glint in his eyes, he knows it can't be anything related to the 'Have a nice day' he has in mind.

"By the way, Minseok, you're cuter in person than you are through the glass door, don't you think, Han?" he pauses to give him the greasiest smirk of triumph. "Have fun explaining that one!" 

Yeah, Luhan thinks, far from having a good day.

"So who exactly was that, and why would you have to explain anything?" Kyungsoo pesters as soon as the two are officially out of earshot.

"That was my PA, ZiTao and his boyfriend, Kris. And nothing. I don't have to explain anything. He's just messing around," Luhan utters coolly, but if one looks closely enough, he would notice the blush and the trembling fingers.

That one would be Minseok, who is still utterly confused as to what even happened. He leaves for a few seconds to go replenish their straws, and he comes back to a glaring Luhan and a blue-haired hyena? He has quite amazing timing.

He forgets about it for the rest of the day, until it's time to close and the other two, Kyungsoo and Jinyoung, have already left for the day. It's just him and Luhan in the cafe now, double checking that the counters and tabletops are clean and that the dishes are all washed and put away. 

Together, they silently head to the locker room (at least that's what he calls it) to change out of their uniforms, and Minseok decides to break the ice slowly forming between them.

"So that was your PA, right?" he asks as he folds his brown slacks and pulls on his far less hideous pair of jeans. Just who let Yixing pick out their uniforms anyways?

"And his giant of a boyfriend, Kris. Sorry if they caused a disturbance or anything. I didn't expect them to just show up like that," he responds, and Minseoks thinks he hears Luhan grumbling to himself but chooses not to bring it up.

"It's fine. He seems a lot like Kyungsoo."

"He does, doesn't he? I think those two becoming friends would be pretty awful to deal with. They're both too similar to each other to get along, for one, and if they did manage to not be at each other's throats, it'd be like having two children looking to body slam someone off their favorite swing set." 

Minseok's giggle sends Luhan into his own fit of laughter at how cute it sounds. It's only his first day, and he's already gushed over the shorter male more than enough times and embarressed himself a lifetime's worth. There is no way he's going to make it through this deal without faiting on the spot from obsessive fawning.

When they've changed into their own clothes and double checked that the machinery is all off, they make their way out under the cafe's canopy after locking up. Luhan pulls out the umbrella he remembered (for once) to bring, and Minseok does the same as he turns to face his companion.

"I guess that's all for today. You'll be here on Friday, right?" he asks, eyes on his worn sneakers. 

"Wouldn't dare miss it. I'll be here bright and early Friday morning, so don't worry," Luhan answers, his own head ducked as he observes the pattern in his sweater.

It's awkward for an extended beat, and Luhan cringes a bit on the inside for the billionth time that day. Why did he have to be so socially awkward around his crush?

"See you in two days then?" though it's more like a question than he wants it to be.

"See you in two days. Have fun in your office with all your meetings and whatnot. It's okay to stop by for lunch if you can, by the way; employees get a discount."

"I'll keep that in mind. Until then, goodnight, Minseok." 

"Goodnight, Luhan." 

And they both walk in opposite directions, though not without throwing the cheesy, customary glances at the other over their shoulder.

They totally don't already miss each other's company. 

after forever and a half, I've finally got some inspiration to continue this story XD not that I planned on dropping it. I'm sorry if it's a little drawn out or boring, but I'm working on it, and I'll try to makethe future chapters as interesting as I can. I don't know how often this will be updated either with my other ongoing story, but I'll try!! Hope you enjoyed ^^