Work Text:
Danny normally likes his job, really. There are days when it's not exactly his favorite thing to be doing but you know, most days it's chill. It's next to the university he's attending so he can go from work to class pretty easily. It's also usually quiet in the mornings when he opens.
It's the weekend shift that he doesn't enjoy. At least he wasn't alone in his misery as Tucker also had the early weekend shifts with him. Sam, the lucky rich bitch, had everything paid for by her parents so she usually hung out in a corner of the shop while the boys worked.
"God, this blows, Danny," and listening to Tucker complain all day wasn't high on the list of things that Danny likes to do on the weekends. In fact, it was pretty gosh darn low.
"You've said so, Tuck. Like 10 times already…" he mumbles because he was sure Tucker wasn't looking for a reply. Danny would rather focus on his text book since there was a huge test coming up soon. History was never his strong suit so he'd need all the help he could get for this damn test. Saturday mornings were never that busy so he usually had a good amount of time to study. He was interrupted in his little study session by the door opening and the chime going off. He glances up at the two guys coming in the shop and had to blink because they weren't the usual hipsters that liked to come by.
The two guys were fit. Like, Danny would bet money they were in college on some kind of sports scholarship. The blonde guy was pretty easy on the eyes too, lightly tanned skin, bright eyes and an easy smile. He had broad shoulders and a tapered waist, at least from what Danny could tell since he had low slung sweats and a tank top on under an unzipped hoodie. The other guy was obviously Asian, built almost the same as his blonde friend but a bit more stocky. He had on the university's sweatshirt and a pair of sweats as well, basically confirming Danny's initial thought of 'jocks'.
"Hey, what can I get you guys?" He greeted them as they made it to the register to order. They glanced at him for a second before going back to the menu board. Tucker had been playing around with it earlier and had drawn a coffee machine as a robot in one corner with a speech bubble that said "can I take your order?"
"Well, I doubt he can make it right…" the blonde guy spoke to his friend and Danny's easy (fake) smile fell just a bit. "This doesn't even seem like a good coffee place… just because Star likes it…"
"Dude. Don't be rude, just order your drink," the Asian guy smiled at Danny like he was sorry. He should be for such a shitty friend, Danny thought. "I'll have a large caramel macchiato,"
"Ugh. I guess I'll have… a medium mocha frappe with soy and no whip," the blonde said as much with a slight sneer to his mouth. Which was a shame since Danny thought he had such a good looking set of lips.
"Right, that'll be.." and as Danny was about to say the price the blonde guy just waved a $20 in his face and frowned. "Thanks. Names?" He got the change and grabbed his sharpie to write their names on the cups, like any good hipster coffee shop does.
"Kwan," the Asian guy smiles. Danny smiles back at him and writes his name.
"Dash," the blonde grunts out. Danny frowns and writes the name 'Crash' on the cup before setting it aside and out of the way so the blonde doesn't see it.
"I'll have them right up for you guys," he states and turns away. Tucker is grabbing Kwan's cup to make his coffee and Danny is slightly glad that he can make the blondes drink to show him he knows his shit. Aka his job.
He's finished quickly and taking care of another customer when Tucker calls out the names on the cups.
"Order up for Kwan and Crash!"
"You've gotta be shitting me," he hears as he writes the name of the customer he's helping out, Amhika , as she leaves a small tip in the jar.
He does smirk in the blondes direction as he leaves with his frappe and a chuckling friend behind him. The friend, Kwan, waves as they leave the shop.
Danny feels that today was a good day, even if it was only 10am.
-----
The next time the blonde jerk comes through is a Wednesday. He was with the Asian guy again, Kwan, if Danny remembered. They were dressed for school though and not looking like they stepped out of the gym a second ago.
The jeans that blondie wore were a heaven-send to Danny though as they seemed to be that somewhat in-between of tight and just right fitting. The shirt though was form fitting yet woefully covered by a worn letterman jacket from a high school.
He gets up to the register before realizing who was behind it, Danny assumes, because he sees Danny and instantly his easy smile is gone and replaced with a flat look.
"Hi, what can I get you guys?" Danny is smirking at them when they finally glance his way.
"Yeah, hey is Star working today?" Kwan asks with a smile and Danny honestly can't imagine this guy frowning. Danny looks behind him to see where his blonde coworker went to.
"Uhm, she's supposed to be. I think she's grabbing more caramel sauce from the back," Danny answers with a shrug. "Oh! Are you the boyfriend I hear about all the time?"
"Oh, yeah. That'd be me, sorry," he's blushing now and Danny just laughs a bit as Star finally makes her appearance from the back.
"Kwan! You didn't tell me you were stopping by!" She smiles wide and sets the caramel on the counter before going to hug Kwan around the neck. It's cute as he lifts her up and kisses her cheek.
"Well, we have a test today in Sports Med so Dash said we needed caffeine," he tells her and Danny can only nod along as Star does too.
"Well, good. Danny here is, like, the best barista we have," she smiles at Danny and he feels the blush on his cheeks.
"Yeah, if only he could actually spell…" the blonde grumbles as he crosses his arms. Star looks confused for a moment before a look of enlightenment graces her delicate features.
"Oh! This is what Dash was complaining about when he was talking about coffee this weekend?" Star giggles into her hand and moves behind the counter. She scoots Danny out of the way of the register to punch in her code for the employee discount as she gets their orders. She gives Danny blank cups with a smile, and pointing to either cup as she says their names. "Kwan, Dash," and then goes back to talking with her boyfriend.
He sees Dash watching him but makes no move to be subtle about writing the name 'Rash' on the cup. Danny finishes the drinks easily enough and sets them by Star, since she was still chatting with Kwan, and goes back to surfing through Twitter on his phone.
"Oh, here. This ones yours, Kwan and then…" she pauses to giggle just a bit before handing the cup to the blonde. "Uhm, here's yours, Rash," she giggles into her hands as the blonde takes the cup and glares at Danny. His brows furrows and he's got a cute little wrinkle to his nose that makes Danny think, "cute," and turns away quickly. Kwan follows his friend out the door after kissing Star goodbye.
Star turns to him with a smirk and just shakes her head.
"What?" Danny chuckles as he keeps scrolling through the feed.
-----
They go through this process a few times a week now.
"Order up for… Bash?"
"Order for Lash?"
"Order for Smash?"
"Flash. Order up for Flash,"
It's getting fun, honestly. Danny gets a mental exercise out of rhyming names and he gets to see that expression on the blondes face every time. It's great, because he's so open with his anger or irritation. It makes Danny wonder if he's open with other emotions.
"Dude, you re spending way too much time figuring out rhymes for this guy," Tucker tells him one Saturday shift. "It's like you have a crush or something on the guy," and Tucker seems to hit it head on as Danny stares at him like a deer in headlights.
"Uhm," he can't find a response and that's all the response that his best friend needs before he's busting a gut laughing at the raven haired boy.
"You do! You do have a crush on angry captain america!" And that's when Sam chimes in. He was hoping that her skull headphones wouldn't allow her to hear this conversation.
"What's this I hear about Danny having a crush?" She's smirking like a Cheshire Cat and Danny suddenly feels flayed open. She's always had a way with knowing exactly what was on his mind.
It. Was. Freaky.
"Nothing! You hear nothing, Sam," Danny tries desperately to diffuse this conversation like the bomb that it was but that proved fatal. To Danny at least.
"Oh no you don't, bub. If you have a crush, you have to tell me," she smiles like she's innocent and Danny narrows his eyes. "I mean, aren't we best friends? Do you keep secrets from your best friend that buys you the newest video game?"
Low blow, Sam. Low blow, he thinks.
"Ugh, no it's.. Its just this guy that comes in with his friend. He's kinda rude so I put the wrong names on his cups," Danny crosses his arms and looks out the window as Sam laughs now.
"That's classic 'Danny Flirting'," Sam tells him and he can't help but gawk at her. "It is!" She defends and tucks a strand of inky hair behind an ear. "You are snarky and that's how you flirt,"
"Whatever,"
-----
The next few times that Kwan and the blonde come by Danny tries to not deal with them. Since revelation of the crush, Star has found out. Which means that Val has also found out so if they come by at night, then blondie probably knows the snarky barista has a crush on him.
Yeah, Alex. He'll take ' embarrassing situations for a coffee shop employee ' for $200.
Yeah, no.
Danny makes excuses instead, like any sane and rational person with a crush.
"Oh, we need more beans. I'll get them,"
"Look, we're out of caramel sauce,"
"I've gotta mop the bathrooms,"
There were only so many times that he could avoid them though. Well, not them but more the blonde. They seemed to be a package deal though, never one without the other, as Danny saw it.
"You're avoiding us," Danny froze up as he was walking backwards from the bathrooms and mopping as he went. He knew that growl. Blondie.
"No, I'm not," he replies without looking. "I do actually work at my place of employment. You know, it's a job?" Danny can't help but drawl out the word 'work' as he continues mopping.
A large, muscled arm reaches over his shoulder and grabs the mop handle to stop him. Danny can only imagine the strength in his grip and swallows as he can imagine those strong arms around him, gripping his hips hard enough to save bruises.
"Let go! What're you doing?" Danny speaks out and turns to face Dash. Only to come face to chest with him. Where as most guys continued growing out of high school, Danny was sadly settled at a height of five foot nine inches. Dash was obviously taller.
"I'm getting your attention, dipshit," he growls out and Danny can almost feel the vibration in his chest. "You're so… annoying. Just… listen for a moment okay?"
"Uhm," Danny starts and Dash looks at him sharply, making Danny shut up instantly.
"I'm not that good with… with expressing feelings other then anger so…" Danny see the blush on his chest first before it reaches his cheeks and oh, Dash has freckles. "I just think you're cute… and kinda funny in a bitchy way… so go to dinner with me,"
Danny is struck speechless for a moment. Two moments. Then Dash makes a noise like pain and pulls his arm from over Danny's shoulder with the mop still and slams it into the yellow bucket of water so that it splashes lightly.
"Never mind," he mumbles and shoves his hands in his front pockets before turning from Danny and walking away. It's then that Danny notices that Star is giving him the Look and that Sam has the same one pointed at him from her corner of the shop. He turns back towards where Dash was and notices that the man had left the shop.
"Go, you dumbass!" Star tells him with a wave of her hands.
"Right," and Danny rushes out the door to catch up with the blonde.
-----
"Dash! Hey, Dash! Fucking stop!" Danny was sure before this moment that he was fit but holy shit, he wasn't.
Lucky for him, the blonde had stopped walking and was looking at him slightly irritated. People were looking at them as Danny stood in front of the blonde, hands on knees and panting as he caught his breath.
"What." It wasn't a question. Or at least, not phrased as one.
"I just… fuck, I thought I more fit then this… I didn't get a chance to tell you…" Danny looked up at him through his mop of raven hair. "That isn't how you ask some one out,"
And now Dash looks pissed. Face red and brow furrowed so his nose is scrunched up. He glares at something to the right of them and Danny chuckles.
"But I do. I do want to grab dinner with you," Danny smiles at the blonde as the brow unfurrows and the glare turns to a glance through blonde lashes.
"What..?"
"Dinner. You and me, tonight. I get off at 7," Danny bites his bottom lip as he grabs one of Dash's arms, uncaps his sharpie and writes his cell number across a nicely toned forearm. He finishes it with a little heart and his name before capping the marker again and feeling his own face heat up with a blush. He chances a glance up at the blonde and is almost blown away.
The grin on Dash's face was… stunning. He could put the sun out of work, Danny thought.
"Call me?"
"Yeah, I'll, uhm… I'll do that. 7, tonight," Dash is stumbling his words and Danny smiles shyly as he starts backing up.
"I should get back to work," he gestures back towards the shop and sighs.
"Uh, yeah. Okay. 7, tonight," Dash smiles again and Danny nods. "See you," he grins and Danny swallows with a smile himself as he starts walking backwards.
"7, tonight. Don't forget," Danny's turning now. "I'll see you later, Crash," he smirks and Dash barks out a laugh before turning around himself and walking away. Danny watches him go, biting his lip and thanking whatever benevolent creature was controlling the universe for an ass like that.