Chapter Text
Kurt walked into the quiet café- a small place very much tucked away in a corner of otherwise bustling New York City- and sighed contentedly.
After moving to the city to attend NYADA he had regularly frequented this cozy little place (often more than once a day, even) when needing a fix of caffeine. Although he hadn’t needed to worry too much about finances at first, relying heavily on savings, he soon found himself struggling to support himself. After graduation he was grasping at straws in between various acting and singing gigs, so when he realised the coffee shop he visited so much anyway was hiring, he jumped at the opportunity. He submitted his résumé and voilà! He, Kurt Hummel, was the new barista of Brewed- New York City’s smallest coffee shop.
He wasn’t initially supposed to be working this shift, but someone had called in sick at the last minute and his manager had called Kurt up. Kurt, who was not one to turn down an opportunity to make more money (in the words of his old friend Artie, “Gotta get that dolla, yo!”) It was a later shift than he was used to, the last shift of the day in fact, but he didn’t mind. All that that meant was that there were even less customers than usual and he could just relax for a while.
Kurt, humming Queen’s ‘Somebody to Love’ to himself, strolled into the staffroom to pick up his apron and drop off his bag and coat- slightly damp from the Autumnal drizzle outside. Walking back to the counter he managed to stub his toe. Hard.
“Fuck!” He hissed, hopping around on one leg to rub his throbbing toe better. A deep chuckle stopped him immediately and a blush started to rise high on his pale cheeks. Kurt stood, brushed himself off and tried to regain his dignity. It didn’t last long.
“Are you okay?” The stranger asked, a smirk still plastered on his face. Although the guy was totally being an asshole (you shouldn’t laugh when people hurt themselves! Does no one know basic manners anymore?!) Kurt had to admit that he was incredibly hot. The man had gentle features and a mischievous look on his face, a mop of dark curly hair which he had evidently tried to tame with gel, and he was wearing an adorable pink bow tie.
“Yes. Thanks,” Kurt replied- trying not to check the guy out any more, “Can I help you?”
“Yes! Could I have a hot chocolate please? I knew I should’ve worn more layers-I can barely feel my arms!” The stranger had one of the most expressive faces Kurt had ever seen, and he articulated every single word clearly without sounding like a snob. He had also lost the smirk and his features had settled into a welcoming smile.
Okay, maybe this guy wasn’t a total asshole…
“Sure, do you want whipped cream on top?”
“Of course! I’m Blaine by the way.”
“Kurt.”
And so Kurt piled a sky-high amount of cream onto the rich hot cocoa, topped it with a generous handful of rainbow sprinkles, and then put the mug of drink onto his favourite heart shaped saucer- which he usually never gave out to customers for fear they might break it. This was bad.
Blaine paid for his drink, a blush starting to appear on his cheeks this time, and took it over to the little table in the corner of the shop. The one underneath the canvas print of some obscure British castle. Kurt’s favourite table.
Almost an hour and a half went by- Kurt running various errands and trying not to stare at Blaine the entire time. Blaine had since finished his drink and had become absorbed in a thick novel he had reached out of his satchel. When Kurt had gone to retrieve the empty mug Blaine had looked up at him and grinned, and Kurt felt his heart flutter inside of his chest.
Finding himself with nothing to do (only one other person had come in since Blaine, and they had only wanted to use the toilets), Kurt decided to be brave. He cut a slice of his favourite red velvet cake and took a deep breath. (This was ridiculous, he never got anxious!) He strode across the room to Blaine’s little reading corner and cleared his throat.