Chocolate Latte with extra foam…
Cappucino with cinnamon on top…
Vanilla Latte with no foam…
This and many more were the orders Minseok had everyday on his little coffee shop.
-"Minseok ge!" his helper, Lu Han, called him. - "New order: a Chocolate Cappuccino with extra foam"
-"Coming right up!" Minseok yelled, preparing the order right away.
-"Just one more hour and we can go, ge!" smiled Yixing, showing his dimple at Minseok.
-"Yeah, it has been a very busy day, don’t you think?" - Minseok smiled back at the other man, giving him his recent order so he could take it to Lu Han, who was the waiter.

Minseok started cleaning the coffee machine, usually at this hour not many people would come in so, he could start cleaning and preparing for next day. The sound of a throat clearing made him look up towards Lu Han, who had a frown on his lips.

-"Uhm, gege, this person complains his coffee is too sweet…"
-“Which order was that?”
-“The Vanilla Latte with no foam”
Minseok sighed and started another one of the same order.
-"Just tell the costumer that I’ll make another one, and that this one goes on the house" - Minseok finished the drink and gave it to Lu Han, who smiled lightly at him and went to serve it.
-“It’s the first time someone complains about your coffee since I’ve been working here, gege” - Yixing said, an expression of disbelief on his handsome face.
-“There’s always a first time for everything, Yixing-ah”

Minseok received the coffee shop as part of an inheritance from his lovely grandmother, who had passed away a little over a year ago. He certainly was surprised when he got the coffee shop as his inheritance (along with a small fortune on the bank); but he couldn’t be happier. Being a barista had always been his dream, one he made sure to tell his grandmother, when she asked him what his dream was.
-“But you have such a wonderful voice, my dear…” - she had said - "Don’t you want to be a singer?"
Minseok smiled at her and said "I would like it, yeah, but I’m not sure if that is something I would want to do for the rest of my life, mama".
His grandma smiled at him and hugged him. “You’ll achieve your dream, then…”
Not less than a week after that conversation, his grandmother passed away. She died peacefully, on her sleep, and with a smile on her lips. Minseok had cried to sleep most nights, he missed his grandmother so much… But he told himself it would be no good for him to keep crying. Besides, his grandmother would scold him if he kept mourning over her and not moving on with his life.
So moving on he did.

And here he was, a year after that, just recently graduated from the Barista Academy on Beijing and running the shop along with his two friends, Yixing and Lu Han. Yixing was a dancer who worked part time on his Coffee Shop to pay for his Dance Academy; and Lu Han… well, let’s just say that Lu Han got there by chance. He was in a Singing Academy, he was in the path to becoming "The Biggest Chinese Star the World Has Ever Seen" (yeah, his ego is of epic proportions).

-“Aish, the nerve of this guy!” - Lu Han hissed, putting the cup on the table, almost knocking it over.

-"What happened now?" - asked Yixing, a bewildered expression on his face.

-"That costumer! Now he says the coffee is too bland! BLAND!” - Lu Han was positively fuming; Minseok just stared at him, a frown on his face.

-“How dare this guy be like this!?” - Lu Han was pacing now.

Yixing took a look at the tables area of the Coffee Shop and he saw a lone figure, staring boringly outside the window.

-“Is that guy over there?”

-“Yes he is" - Lu Han fumed - "He’s the only one left, ge. Can we kick him out?" - He looked at Minseok with a hopeful expression making him want to squish his cheeks and coo at him.

-“No we can’t, he’s a costumer and we can’t do that… even if we want to" - Minseok sighed - "I guess I’ll just go and see what he wants or…something…”

Cleaning his hands and taking off his apron, Minseok walked towards the only man left in the store. He was starting to feel annoyed. His coffee was no less that perfect (he made sure to taste a sample before giving it to Lu Han to deliver it) and here was this nameless guy who certainly didn’t know a thing about coffee, criticizing his work.

Approaching the table, the man looked at him and promptly smiled. Minseok gasped. He thought he was seeing things. He couldn’t believe that  he  was there.

-“J… Jongdae?" - Minseok stuttered.

The man named Jongdae smiled a big smile, his eyes turning into crescents and his whole face lightening up.

-“Hello, hyung… Long time no see”

_______________________________

-"What…What are you doing here, Jongdae?" - Minseok looked at the man named Jongdae disbelievingly, his eyes wide.

-“Can’t I visit you?” - Jongdae smirked at the sight of a flustered Minseok. He had missed this… missed him.

Minseok huffed and frowned. Clenching his fists, he turned around and started walking towards the counter.

-“LEAVE!” - he yelled at Jongdae.

He didn’t notice how the smirk Jongdae had on his face was replaced by a sad, longing look. Look that Yixing and Lu Han had noticed (they weren’t spying on his gege, not really, they were just looking up after him, you know… just in case) they looked at each other, the same question running on their heads.

-“What’s going on in here?”

The sound of a chair scrapping wood and a door closing was what Minseok heard. He didn’t expect Jongdae to listen to him, after all this time… He thought Jongdae wouldn’t listen to him and would stay… but apparently, he was wrong (he suppressed the tears that were threatening to surface and the painful tug at his heart).

How he missed him…

__

A few years ago

He was running late, so very late. He stayed until late at night talking to Jongdae on the phone and the next thing he noticed, it was 2 in the morning and he had to go to school the next day. He was graduating from high school while Jongdae was on his last year there.

They met each other by chance; Minseok was running towards one of his classes (being late apparently one of his traits) when he collided with someone on the hall, both bodies fell to the floor.

-"Are you okay?" -  asked a boy’s voice on top of him.

Minseok opened his eyes and promptly blushed. He was looking at brown orbs and a beautiful smile.

It took his breath away.

-“Y..yes, I’m ok…” - he whispered, blushing a light pink.

-“You shouldn’t be running, you know? You could fall or maybe hit a door… and I wouldn’t want to see that pretty face of yours bruised…”

Minseok blushed red and pushed the boy, scrambling to get up from the floor.

The boy smirked and extended his hand.

-"My name’s Jongdae… what’s yours?"

-“M…Minseok” - he took the offered hand and shook it, ignoring the spark of electricity he felt.

-“Figures… your name’s as pretty as you…”

Minseok eeped and ran the other way. Jongdae chuckled at his retreating back.

_

After that, they became kind of inseparable. Whenever Jongdae was, Minseok was. And whatever Minseok was doing, Jongdae was doing too.

Everybody noticed the chemistry between them. That is, everybody except them.

_

On the day of his graduation, Jongdae had invited him to a dinner on their favorite restaurant.

It’s not a date  Minseok thought Just a small dinner to celebrate my graduation.

Despite that, he made sure to pick his best clothes. He didn’t want to impress Jongdae, not at all. He just… wanted to look nice because it was his graduation day… Yes, that’s the only reason.

He left his house with his heart on his throat and shaking hands due to nervousness. A block away from the restaurant, he noticed a familiar mop of hair talking to another person. They were close. Too close. He kept walking towards them despite the voice that was telling him to go back and return to his house.

Suddenly, the two figures were kissing.

Minseok stopped. He could feel his heart breaking a little at the scene and his eyes watering.

He ran and ran, not caring that he was bumping people on his way back.

He arrived home and fell on his bed, sobs were wrecking his body and his heart couldn’t take it. He realized he was in love with Jongdae, only to discover that he was with another person.

He sniffed and thought of his grandmother, the only familiar he had left.

With a big sigh he took the phone and started dialing.

He booked a plane for China the next day.

___________________________________

Just thinking about that day made Minseok’s heart ache.

Why did he have to come? How did he find him? Why now? When he was back on his feet and had moved on?

He closed his eyes and let sleep carry him away.

_

Yixing & Lu Han certainly didn’t know what to do. Since the day that guy had come to the Coffee Shop, Minseok had been acting differently. His smiles were off, his eyes seemed dull, and he jumped to any noise around him.

His coffee was still good, but the after taste, was a little bit bitter. The sales on pastries (Lu Han made them, thank you very much) have increased due to that.

Minseok was just… different, and the two just didn’t know how to help him. They didn’t know why Minseok acted the way he did, neither did they know who that guy was and what his story was with Minseok.

-“Lu Han ge, what can we do?”

-“I don’t know, didi… It’s the first time I see him like this”

Mondays were usually slow days at the coffee shop, so Yixing and Lu Han sat at the table by the window, watching the people pass by and hearing Minseok’s slow movements behind the counter.The cafeteria was spotless, so they allowed themselves a moment of relaxation before closing time.

-“I wonder who that guy was… Minseok ge seemed very distraught when he saw him”

-“Yeah, I wonder the same thing…”

-“Do you reckon they have a story together?” - asked Yixing in a whisper.

-"It certainly looks like it, Xing xing…" -  Lu Han sighed, watching how Minseok blew on a cup of coffee, taking a careful sip and sighing for the hundredth time that day, a faraway look on his face.

The sound of the doorbell chiming indicated a customer just walked by, which seemed weird since it was just about closing time. Yixing stood up and walked towards the man who was looking at the floor while taking off his gloves.

-“I’m sorry sir… but we’re about to close…” - he said, bowing a little at the man.

Lu Han looked towards the counter and noticed Minseok’s expression; he was looking at the man unblinkingly, a frown on his lips.

-“Yixing, di…” -  Lu Han called. - “Want to go with me to the bookstore? There’s this book that I really want to buy” -  Lu Han threw a significant glance at Yixing and sent a prayer to the heavens when Yixing nodded, catching what he meant.

-“Oh, of course Lu ge.” - Yixing grabbed both their coats and started to leave. - “See you tomorrow, Minseok gege!”

-“See you tomorrow, Min ge!”

The door closed and the bell chiming was the only sound on the little cafeteria.

The recently arrived man kept looking at the floor, while Minseok’s frown increased with each passing minute.

-“What are you doing here, Jongdae?” - Minseok asked in a whisper. Jongdae looked up, making Minseok gasp.

Jongdae’s eyes were watery and he wrung his hands in a gesture that, Minseok knew, was of nervousness.

-“I… I wanted to see you…”

It was weird for Minseok to see Jongdae like this. Jongdae, who he remembered to be so confident, so cocky and so full of himself. Seeing him like this was confusing Minseok.

-“And you did, now please leave”  - Minseok said coldly.

-“I can’t… not before you listen to me” - Jongdae looked at Minseok, a set expression on his face. He started walking towards the counter, his steps not faltering.

Minseok’s heart started beating madly inside his chest. He just… froze.

-“Why did you run away like that, hyung? Why didn’t you return my calls? You just… left..”

Jongdae extended his hand to caress Minseok’s cheek but Minseok slapped that hand away.

-“How did you find me?” - he hissed, his voice dripping with venom and his fists clenched at his sides.

-“I remembered once you told me that you liked being in China, that, if you had the opportunity, you would go to Beijing and stay there” - Jongdae sighed - “I’ve been here in Beijing for the past two months… looking for you and now I found you…Why did you leave me, hyung?”

Minseok’s eyes watered. He couldn’t erase the image of Jongdae kissing another man. His tears started running down his face and he snapped.

-“Why did I leave you? WHY DID I LEAVE YOU? After all this time when I’ve finally settle down, you come here and and TURN EVERYTHING UPSIDE DOWN!…” - he clenched his fists and started hitting Jongdae’s chest, sobs were wrecking his body and his tears just wouldn’t stop coming - “Don’t you have enough with that guy you were kissing that now you have to come for me!? Or did you just grow bored of him and remembered me!? HUH!?”

A spark of understanding ignited in Jongdae’s eyes; he grabbed Minseok´s hands and embraced him, hard.

-“LET ME GO!” - Minseok screamed and tried to wiggle his way out of Jongdae’s arms.

Ignoring the way his heart started beating madly. Ignoring the fact that he noticed how their bodies fit perfectly. But most of all, ignoring how his body recognized Jongdae’s, and how he wanted to stay there in his arms for the rest of times.

-“Minseok… you got it all wrong…” - Jongdae whispered, his eyes watering at the realization that it was all a misunderstanding. - “You’re talking about your graduation day, right?”

Minseok stopped struggling and stayed quiet.

-“That was Joonmyun… He was my ex… I was breaking up with him because I couldn’t keep lying to him, lying to myself…”

Minseok didn’t say anything. Jongdae took Minseok from his shoulders and lifted his chin, making Minseok look at him in the eyes.

-“That was his goodbye kiss…” - Jongdae whispered and caressed Minseok’s cheek, cleaning his tears with his thumb.

-“Goodbye kiss…?” - Minseok asked in a murmur.

-“Yes… I broke up with him because I realized I was no longer in love with him… I broke up with him because I realized I was in love… with you”

Minseok could have sworn his heart stopped beating in that same moment, just to start beating vigorously, wanting to leave his ribcage.

-“I love you, hyung…” - Jongdae whispered and got closer to Minseok, caressing his lips with his own. Minseok gasped, giving Jongdae the opportunity to deepen the kiss.

Minseok stopped lying to himself. This is what he wanted, he couldn’t deny it.

-“I love you too, Jongdae…” - Minseok whispered on Jongdae’s lips.

Both of them smiled.

Everything was alright.

______

Outside the Coffee Shop, two figures smiled, one of them cleaning a stray tear from his eyes while the other clapped excitedly, trying to be as quiet as possible.

-“They did have a story together after all, Xing Xing” -  Lu Han smiled happily.

-“Does that mean Minseok ge will no longer be moody, Lu ge?” - Yixing asked.

-“Yes”

Both of them smiled.

They were so not spying on them, they were just making sure everything went right…

-“Let’s just hope this Jongdae guy treats my gege nicely because if not… I know someone who will not hesitate to unleash his wushu skills on him” -  Yixing murmured.

Lu Han giggled… a manly giggle of course.

He had a feeling everything will be ok.

THE END.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: I really really hope you liked it ^^ I don't know where this came from, maybe from those photos of Minseok as a Barista and it kind of progressed form there... Would you believe me if I tell you I wrote this in like.... 1 hour?

Once again, dedicated to my dear Hunter, who is as much of a XiuChen shipper as me (and that is saying A LOT)

Hope you all liked it.

Expect updates on my other fics in the next week or so ^^~~

XiuChen is L.O.V.E

~PepperPumpkin

P.S: If you want, you can go fangirl with me on tumblr ^^