Geng checks the clock for the fifth time in as many minutes, watching the slow drag of the seconds hand with rising excitement. It’s nearly time for his break. And it could not come sooner.

He’d come to Korea to pursue his dreams of being a dancer, but work isn’t exactly falling into his lap at the moment, so the part time job in the cozy bakery down the road seemed like a good idea at the time. His boss, Siwon, is very foreigner-friendly, as evidenced by the rest of the Chinese-born staff who work here. Siwon even speaks a tiny bit of Chinese, which is great for when Geng inevitably has trouble with his still-not-fluent Korean.

But the man is a slave-driver, and a perfectionist to boot. He’d come in to inspect the shop this morning, and demanded that all the store windows – the floor-to-ceiling store windows which line the whole front and half of one side of the building – be cleaned right now. And of course, Geng being the newbie was made to do the hard work.

Geng wipes his face on his sleeve, silently begging the minutes hand to move faster, while he half-heartedly rubs at a dirt spot on the window. The hands of the clock are moving agonisingly slowly. But when the minute hand finally clicks onto twelve, Geng flees for the back room, mumbling to Zhou Mi in Chinese that he is taking his break.

Zhou Mi just chuckles at his antics, not looking up from where he’s arranging the display cabinet.

In the back room, Geng grabs his wallet with a happy sigh, checking that he actually has money in there before poking his head out front again.

“I’m gonna go out, do you want anything?”

Zhou Mi pauses in his task for a moment, pouting a little as he contemplates the question.

“Could you grab me a coffee from Heechul’s while you’re out?” he asks. Geng frowns.

“Heechul’s?”

“The coffee house across the road,” Zhou Mi clarifies. Geng looks out the windows across the road at the pretentious looking café.

“That place?” he asks doubtfully, and Zhou Mi frowns back at him.

“You’ve never been?” he asks, his eyes a little wide.

“Should I have?” Geng wonders, and Zhou Mi breaks out in a grin, amusement dancing in his eyes.

“It’s right across the road, and the owner, Heechul makes the best coffee that you will ever have in your sad, lonely life,” Zhou Mi informs him, rummaging around on one of the back shelves. With an exclamation of delight, he pulls a slightly wonky and a little-too-crispy apple Danish from the back of the row. He pops it in a takeaway box and hands it to Geng, who is feeling a little bewildered by the whole thing. “Give this to Heechul,” Zhou Mi demands, “And tell him you’re the new guy working at the bakery. I think Henry told him about you last week, so he’s got to be expecting you. This’ll help smooth things over. Also, try not to get your heart broken; he’ll flirt with anything that moves, but he’s way out of your league,” Zhou Mi sighs wistfully, propping an elbow on the counter and resting his cheek in one palm, “He’s way out of everybody’s league.”

“Um, ooookay,” Geng arches an eyebrow at Zhou Mi’s dramatics, “I’ll keep that in mind.” He walks to the doorway, before turning and looking back at Zhou Mi, “What makes you think I’m going to fall in love with a guy anyway. I might not even be gay.”

Zhou Mi scoffs.

“Please, don’t think we don’t notice you checking Siwon out when he comes into the shop in those tiny little shorts and tank top.”

Geng opens his mouth to protest, but then just shrugs it off.

“He has the most glorious set of abs I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I’m a dancer,” Geng tells Zhou Mi with a grin, and turns back to the door. “I’ll be back in fifteen.”

“Okay. Heechul knows my order,” Zhou Mi calls after him, which is good because Geng had totally forgotten that that was a thing he should probably have asked before he went to get Zhou Mi’s coffee.

He makes his way over to the coffee shop with a tiny bit of apprehension stirring in his gut. He has no idea why; there’s no way this Heechul guy could possibly be that hot…

He almost swallows his tongue when he walks in the door and sets eyes on the man who must definitely be Heechul.

Okay, maybe he is that hot.

Probably-Heechul is leaning over the counter, chatting with a blushing female customer. His long, dark hair is secured in a messy bun on the back of his head. He has a pair of black-framed glasses perched on his nose, he’s wearing an ed black vest over a white collared shirt and a black apron around his waist.

Geng thinks he might have fallen a little bit in love already.

As he watches, the man reaches out a long- hand to tug on a lock of the girls hair while she giggles behind one of her hands.

Geng wipes his suddenly-sweaty hands on his work pants and slowly approaches the counter.

The man looks up, notices him, and says something softly to the girl, who glances over her shoulder. Their eyes meet, and she moves aside with a small bow and a last, whistful glance at the man. He waves to her, and then turns his full attention on Geng.

Geng gulps. The man’s brows furrow slightly, and he beckons Geng forward a little. Geng shuffles forward until he’s at the counter, and places the box down in front of the man.

“Are you Heechul?” Geng asks, proud that his voice is firmer than he’s feeling right now. The man flicks his gaze down to the box, and then back up to Geng’s face. A charming smile breaks over his face.

“That’s me. And you are?”

Geng his lips nervously.

“I’m Han Geng. I work at the bakery across the road. Zhou Mi said you should know of me?”

Heechul’s smile turns into a beam.

“Oh, you’re Geng? Henry’s told me all about you. My God that boy doesn’t shut up, I don’t know how he can talk so much when his Korean is crap,” Heechul rolls his eyes a little.

Geng feels his stomach untwist a little.

“Yeah, he can be a bit much to handle at times,” Geng admits, smiling nervously. He pushes the box towards Heechul a little. “This is from Zhou Mi. I think it’s a Danish.”

Heechul accepts the box, opening it and pulling the pastry out. He bites into it with a happy sigh and polishes it of with delight while Geng watches. He tries not to blush when Heechul his fingers clean, each digit sliding past plump lips, a pink tongue chasing away any leftover crumbs or sugar. He’s pretty sure he’s beet red by now. Heechul finishes off the pastry with a small happy noise, and throws the box in a trash can behind the counter.

“God that was good. That boy knows what I like,” Heechul has the most adorably blissed-out expression on his face. “So just Zhou Mi’s usual, or something for yourself as well?”

Geng blushes again. He clears his throat.

“Actually, I uh, I don’t drink much coffee.”

“That’s fine,” Heechul flutters a hand at him, “Wait here, I’ll bring you something.” And with that, Heechul is off, fiddling with dials on machines, pouring liquids into cups, and filling the café with the delicious aroma of freshly-ground coffee. Geng breathes it in happily; he might not drink the stuff, but it sure does smell good.

He hovers off to one side of the counter in case a customer comes in, waiting patiently and watching Heechul work. His concentration is intense, his brows furrowed as he pours frothy milk into a takeaway cup. Geng watches, entranced, as Heechul makes a perfect leaf in the foam on top of the coffee. Heechul puts a lid on the drink, and then pours milk into another cup, making a tiny, curling frond out of the foam, before sprinkling it with a tiny bit of what Geng thinks is probably cinnamon.

Heechul carries both cups over to the counter and hands them over to Geng, who accepts them eagerly.

“The one in your right hand is Zhou Mi’s hazelnut soy latte,” Heechul informs him, gesturing at the appropriate cup, “And the other one is a spice chai latte for you. You’ll like it.”

Geng is pretty much ready to take Heechul’s word for anything at this point, so he nods dutifully.

“I wrote it on the cups in case you forget,” Heechul grins, his whole face lighting up. Geng can’t help but smile back instinctively, feeling the warmth of Heechul’s smile send happy tingles up and down his spine.

“Thank you,” Geng tells him, “How much do I owe you?”

“It’s on the house,” Heechul says, and Geng blinks.

“Wait, what?”

“Sure,” Heechul tells him, “It’s your first time here. You’re going to come back regularly now. I promise. You’ve never had anything this good.”

Geng frowns slightly, and takes a hesitant sip of his drink. Heechul watches, a smug grin on his face as Geng drinks, only getting smugger as Geng’s eyes widen at the flavour. He takes another, longer sip, almost groaning in pleasure as the warm, delicious drink glides over his tongue.

“Oh my god,” he half-moans, and he thinks he should probably be embarrassed by that, but it’s just too good, “What even is this?”

Heechul snorts a little at him.

“I told you; spiced chai latte. And I told you you’d like it. You’re welcome.”

Geng takes another sip from his cup in a semi-daze.

“Now, hurry back to Zhou Mi before his coffee gets cold. He’s a little about that. Shoo,” Heechul shoos him out of the shop, following him to the doorway to bow as he leaves. “Thank you for your business, please come again.”

Geng half floats back to the bakery, the chai latte like heaven in his mouth. Zhou Mi takes one look at him as he steps through the door and laughs at him.

“I told you not to fall in love with him, Geng-ge,” Zhou Mi chuckles at him, taking the coffee that Geng offers him with a ‘thanks.’ Zhou Mi takes a sip of his drink and sighs happily. “How’s your coffee?”

“It’s not a coffee,” Geng corrects him absently, “It’s a spiced chai latte.”

“Ooh, I’ve always wanted to try that, can I have a sip?”

Geng holds out his drink, and Zhou Mi accepts it off him excitedly, pulling off the lid to drink from the cup. His eyes widen as he tastes the flavours for the first time, and he pulls the cup back, studying it intensely.

“Holy , this is fantastic,” Zhou Mi exclaims, his whole face lighting up in a grin, and then he gasps as he sees something on the cup. “Oh, never mind about the out of your league comment from before, Ge,” Zhou Mi says, his whole face lighting up in a beam, “Apparently you’re more than well in it.”

Geng twists up his face in confusion, staring at the cup as Zhou Mi turns it to face him. There in black marker is a phone number and a messy scrawl: You’re cute. Call me ;)

Geng blushes, while Zhou Mi laughs.

He is definitely calling Heechul as soon as his shift is over.