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The customer across the counter was a shock to Mini, for several reasons.
One, Mini didn’t know him. The café at the edge of town didn’t get new customers, it just didn’t happen in this town. The same families had lived in the miniscule place for decades, and they were the only people who came in, ever.
Second, he was massive. The man stood tall as a tree, taller than Mini, which was really saying something. He was fairly stocky too, and even though Mini could tell the stranger didn’t work out a lot (he only knew because he went to the gym too much) he still had a really muscular build. Mini was certain this guy could wrestle him to the ground in two seconds flat, if it wasn’t for the third thing.
The guy had the sweetest face he’d ever seen, brown hair that swept up in front and a bit of scruff on the lower half of his face and bright blue eyes that never seemed to stop smiling, because he never stopped smiling and wow was it throwing Mini off. He felt a small blush rise and tried his best to fight it down, spewing out his customary greeting.
“Welcome to the café, what can I get you?”
The man raised an eyebrow, grinning wider. “Sorry, I guess you didn’t hear me the first time. Seems like you could use a coffee yourself.”
Mini went beet red as he realized he’d just repeated himself to the cute guy and completely tuned him out. His mouth dropped open a bit as he searched for words to say. “Uh – shit, sorry. There’s just not many new faces in town. What was your order?” He tried desperately to steer the conversation in a more professional direction.
“I’ll take a latte, non-fat, with a shot of caramel sauce if it isn’t any trouble. Light on the milk and heavy on the ice, please.” The tall stranger leaned one hand on the counter, the other digging out his wallet and handing over a five-dollar bill. “Keep the change, I like this place.”
Mini mumbled out some sort of thank-you before turning away, the blush still on his face. All he could think about was how absolutely adorable the stranger’s smile was, and with a small grin of his own he delivered the latte. He went back to the kitchen as quickly as he could, but he didn’t miss the quiet expletive that left his customer (since when had the man become his, in any way, shape or form?) as he tasted the latte.
“Holy shit, this is incredible.”
Mini would have responded, but just then a family burst through the doors, starving after a long day at school, and he was busy again. By the time the family was seated and quiet, the man had disappeared.
It became a regular routine over the next few weeks. The man started dropping by more and more often, until he was another regular. No matter how busy Mini was, he always had time for a quick joke or two at the till. The man always paid in cash and tipped him generously, catching his eye with a gentle, deep smile that made Mini’s face heat up as he moved to the coffee machine. Even if it meant he had to put someone else at the register, even if the line was out the door, Mini always made the tall man’s latte himself and delivered it. His coworkers teased him some about it, but the ribbing was always gentle and well-intended.
It had been three weeks since they’d first met, and the man sighed deeply as he took a long gulp of the drink. “You know, I can’t move out of this town now,” he said half-teasingly.
“Why not?” Mini frowned, staying at the table for once. The café was empty, save for them. Most people were out on the surrounding farms, taking care of the last of the seasonal harvest. In the final week, even the children went out to help, plucking up anything and everything they could to take back to their own gardens. One kid had even asked Mini to make him a meal out of his findings, and he’d happily obliged.
Mini liked this time of year. Everyone was tired but happy, with no complaints and a happy atmosphere. He always kept his doors open for another few hours during these days to give the last workers their hard-earned dinner.
“Well, where else am I supposed to find coffee this good? Everything else tastes shitty after this drink from heaven.” He sipped at the drink again, eyes flicking around Mini’s face and turning him red again.
Mini sat down across from him, laughing a bit. “If the coffee is all that’s keeping you in town you need to fix your priorities,” he said. “And I just realized… I don’t know your name.”
He snorted. “I told you the very first time I ordered, but you weren’t listening then, clearly. It’s Wildcat. You go by Mini, right? I can’t read your nametag very well from up here.”
Mini smiled, although internally he was cringing at the memory of their initial meeting. “Nice to finally have a name to go with that face – and that coffee order,” he added quickly, nodding at the drink on the table. “If you don’t mind me asking, what made you move out here?”
Wildcat sighed, tapping his fingers on the edge of his mug and staring at some point deep in Mini’s soul. “I was in the city, but it was just too much, you know? I really hated it there. I have some family about two hours east, and since I work at home I figured I might as well live somewhere I like. And lo and behold, there’s this gorgeous café and better yet-“
The door swung open, bells jingling over Wildcat’s words. Mini mouthed “sorry” at his new friend before standing and rushing behind the counter, smiling at the famished workers and scribbling down their orders.
He couldn’t help but wonder, though. And better yet… what? He shook his head as he cooked; Wildcat had probably meant to finish that sentence with a statement about the coffee he was so addicted to. When the food was done, he walked it over to the suddenly-crowded tables, noticing with a sigh that Wildcat had disappeared again.
At least now he had a name to go with his crush.
A few months passed, and now Mini was glumly watching the rain pour down from his stool behind the counter. Wildcat hadn’t been in the past week, and his friend Jaayy hadn’t hesitated to tease him about it while they were alone that morning until Mini had sent him home in a huff, since he wasn’t needed. He was impressed Jaayy had even bothered to come in on a day like this; Mini himself was only here on the off chance a tourist stopped by – but who was he kidding, he was hoping for Wildcat.
It didn’t seem like anyone was coming, though. Mini was on the verge of packing up and going home to read and daydream when a blur out the window caught his eye.
With a whoop, the shadow entered his shop, and Mini grinned when he recognized Wildcat’s voice. Without prompting, he started to make the latte, handing it over before Wildcat could say a word, let alone dig out his wallet. When he raised an eyebrow, Mini just said, “You always tip me, and you clearly can’t get enough. You’ve earned a free one.”
Wildcat’s smile grew even bigger, if that was possible, and no matter how many damn times they’d talked and joked and hung out in general that smile still brought a blush to Mini’s face. He grabbed his own drink from where it had been cooling on the counter – a dark mocha, light on the sugar and heavy on the chocolate – and joined Wildcat at the little table.
Wildcat chugged half his latte before setting it down and breathing deeply. “My fucking god, I missed this,” he groaned, leaning back contentedly.
“Did you really come here before you even went back to your house? Wow, you really are addicted to my lattes.” Mini grinned, glad he had some hold on Wildcat, however tenuous and silly it was. He took a sip of his drink. “Where’ve you been?”
“I was visiting some friends in L.A., some business involved too. Meetings and shit. YouTube wanted… I don’t know, it was some new bullshit to screw us over. I’ll remember it later when I’m wondering where the fuck my ad revenue is.” He sighed, frowning a bit, and Mini wrinkled his nose in sympathy.
Wildcat’s eyes found his again, and he gave a smile that was almost a smirk. “I think next time I’ll have to drag you along so you can meet everyone and win them over with your coffee skills. You’d have them wrapped around your finger in about two seconds flat.”
Mini laughed at that, staring down at his mocha to hide his reddening face. The thought of traveling with Wildcat made his heart rise in his throat. “I’d rule the world in a couple days, if everyone reacted the way you do to a damn latte. Emperor Mini, that has a ring to it.”
Wildcat scoffed. “Please, you’d be too busy making coffee to rule. If, however, everyone reacted to me the way you do just from looking at me, I’d never have to worry about a damn thing in my life.”
He was smirking again, the fucker, and the longer they stared at each other the redder Mini got, the more his heart pounded. “Yes, I noticed, Mini,” Wildcat said with a grin, leaning forwards. “I came here for the coffee, idiot, but I stayed here for you. I like you.”
“Me… me too. I like you too.” Mini couldn’t handle the delighted smirk on Wildcat’s face, so he pressed his burning forehead to the table, hands wrapped around his coffee mug. He squeaked when Wildcat ran his fingers over Mini’s, quickly engulfing Mini’s hands in his own.
“I wish I could stay, cutie, but I have to go pick up my dogs. Take this though, and for heaven’s sake please don’t make me wait too long.” Mini felt a piece of paper slip between his fingers and lifted his head as Wildcat stood up.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, coffee boy,” Wildcat murmured before pressing a kiss to Mini’s cheek. Mini leaned into his scratchy beard without meaning to, feeling Wildcat’s beautiful smile against his face.
When he opened his eyes again, Wildcat had disappeared into the rain. He looked at his curled fist, which opened to reveal a torn-off piece of paper with a number on one side, and a note on the other.
I’m tired of coffee dates. Let me take you to dinner?
Mini smiled, and then smirked, and pulled out his phone.