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Thirty-two minutes have passed since Ten was supposed to meet Lucas at the coffee shop on the south end of campus. He doesn't need to look at his phone for the time: 4:32pm. It's always thirty-two minutes after any cup of coffee that Lucas starts to get restless, and he'd downed the damn thing almost immediately after sitting down at four o' clock. The cafe's not crowded by any means, but there's a soft bustle of everyone ordering and doing work. Lucas thinks he can feel one of the managers - Jaehyun? - glancing oddly at him every so often.
He figured he'd just get started studying, but he can't get his brain to focus on anything useful. He was already just so tired, and now there are way too many distractions: the wind through the open door, notifications he's missed, all the videos he's got pulled up watch at some point, other students chatting, the mechanical grind of espresso beans, the employees moving back and forth from counter to table, the barista who gets his order every day...the list goes on.
He didn't mean to order coffee. Again. It just keeps...happening, you know?
By the time Ten jogs in, a little out of breath, Lucas has twelve tabs up on his laptop and had just almost knocked his notebook off the table from bouncing his left knee so hard. Ten sits across from Lucas with a tired huff and starts pulling his laptop out of his bag. He looks up at him and raises an eyebrow when he doesn't get a greeting. Or any acknowledgement, really.
"Hey." Lucas doesn't react, busy scrolling through Twitter a little too fast. Definitely too fast to be reading much of anything. Ten clears his throat and tries again, louder.
"Hey!" Lucas startles and looks up. A few students at nearby tables glare at the pair before getting back to their work. "Sorry I'm late, I stayed after studio to ask Jisung about something in the choreo."
"All good bro! I didn't know if you were in for iced or hot today so I didn't get yours yet." Ten's eyes go to his friend's left knee, which, if it bounces any higher, might just knock the whole table over. He looks across the counter expectantly and sees a head of dark blue hair peeking over the espresso machines - suspicions confirmed. He meets eyes with Jaehyun, who's in the same voice class as him, and they both giggle quietly.
Who would've thought handsome, polite Jaehyun was such a gossip about his coworkers. Okay, maybe Ten bothered him about it until he spilled, but still. Ten looks at Lucas with one eyebrow cocked and clicks his tongue.
"It's okay, I might just wait a little to get something. Mid-study pick me up." Lucas nods and they both fall quiet, pulling up study guides and paging through textbooks for a few minutes. Lucas steadies his knee with his hand. It's not long before his energy finds a new outlet in drumming fingers on the edge of the table while he re-reads a page for the third time.
Ten's been trying to ignore the rhythm section across from him, but after another couple minutes, he's just begun doodling on the margin of his notebook. He closes the notebook gently and waves for Lucas' attention before running a hand through his dark hair, mouth tight in a knowing smirk.
"I'm surprised you wanted to study here, we usually just drop in for a drink before our 9am...I don't usually come by in the afternoon. Seems a little loud for you to focus."
Lucas laughs sheepishly and taps his pencil against his laptop. "I know we usually hit the library, but I was already here, so..." Ten sees him sneaking glances toward the counter.
"Right. You already order? Chamomile?" Ten's smirk turns to a grin as Lucas avoids his eyes and laughs awkwardly.
"Yeah, knocked it back, might get anoth-"
"Bullshit."
Lucas tries not to jump as Ten marches over to the order counter. Thank god there's not a line, but Lucas isn't sure that would've stopped him. He puts his face in his hands as his friend leans across the counter and shouts, "Hey you! Tall and cute! Blue hair!" The employees all pause what they're doing to look at him, then all turn to the blue-haired barista in question. He's frozen with a latte in one hand and a muffin in the other.
One of the other staff members overflows his steaming soy milk and curses, breaking everyone's attention as they return to their tasks. There are a few grumbles from other patrons about the noise. Ten's target hasn't moved, but his stare is interrupted by broad shoulders and a mess of red hair. He sees a manager pin next to the name tag, but it's not Jaehyun. Ten knows this one better than three-times-a-week coffee orders.
"Hey, could you not like, just yell at my coworkers? There are customers here trying to do work too." It comes out as more of a pout than a stern request. Ten blinks up at him and flashes a dangerous smile, the one he reserves for getting what he wants. He leans across the counter and tickles under the taller boy's chin.
"Taeyongie! I didn't know you were working day shifts lately. More time for me at night, hm?" Taeyong rolls his eyes at this, but his smile betrays him. "I need a favor, honey." He catches the blue-haired boy slinking away to drop off the drink and muffin.
"I'm just filling in for Doyoung, he's - since when am I honey?" Taeyong hears Jaehyun snicker somewhere behind the pastry case.
"Since you slept over for once on Saturday and had breakfast ready on the table when I woke up. Nice touch. Be a good boy and go get that barista I was yelling about, yeah?" Ten flutters his lashes and lifts himself over the counter just a few inches off the floor to kiss Taeyong's cheek before looking between Taeyong and his coworker pointedly.
Taeyong's blushing but rolls his eyes anyways. "You want to talk to Jungwoo? Sure thing, honey. But get out of line, there are people waiting now. You can pay me back by letting me make you dinner tonight." He says it with confidence but his eyes widen when Ten winks. Ten catches him mumbling something about texting him before Taeyong turns on his heel and chases down his coworker.
Ten looks back to Lucas with a shit-eating grin and two thumbs up, turning back to the counter just in time to see Taeyong pushing this "Jungwoo" up to the pick-up counter. He says a half-hearted "sorry" to the three students who have been waiting behind him before going over.
The barista is quite a bit taller than Ten, taller than Taeyong even. His hair is almost more black than blue, and Ten notices a small silver ring on the right side of his nose. Cute. He points over at Lucas, who's furiously typing on his computer, definitely too fast to actually be writing anything. "Jungwoo, huh? What'd you give him?"
Jungwoo looks at Ten with wide eyes and a furrowed brow. "I'm sorry?" Ten crosses his arms, ignoring a pleading look from Taeyong that says go easy on him. Taeyong sighs and goes back to the register to help Jaehyun clear up the line.
"Lucas, my friend over there, who I'm sure you know because we're here three times a week, couldn't sit still if his life depended on it. I'm his best friend, Ten. Lovely to meet you. What'd you give him?"
A look of confusion crosses Jungwoo's face before he blushes and smiles softly. Lucas, his daily customer, always ready with a smile and one thing or another to talk about with him. "Oh, Ten! I've heard Taeyong talk about you. Of course, Lucas! He got his usual, but I threw an extra espresso shot in there since he seemed so exhausted. Ten files 'Taeyong talking about me' away for later and narrows his eyes.
"Usual? With espresso? Lucas drinks herbal tea. No caffeine. Especially this late in the day."
Jungwoo looks lost and makes eye contact with Lucas, who quickly turns back to typing nonsense. "He drinks tea in the morning, but when he comes later he gets an americano. Is there something wrong?" Realization flashes across Ten's face before he cackles.
"How did I miss it, you're the - maybe you should ask him about it."
"I don't think I know him well enough t-"
"So he's here like twice a day, huh? For how long?" Lucas was doing his best not to eavesdrop, but he can't help but overhear. He sinks into his seat and tries to disappear, simultaneously thanking and cursing his friend.
Jungwoo looks a little scared of the shorter boy in front of him. "T-two months? I don't get it, he just orders coff-"
Ten's determined to make things very clear. "You're telling me you don't ask about each other's days? No 'nice to see you again, how're you doing?' This kid wouldn't send himself into a caffeine attack so often if it was just a coffee order." Jungwoo smiles, embarrassed. Maybe it's not just a coffee order. He'd hoped it wasn't.
His smile grows, but before he can move, Ten starts walking around the counter. "Hey, you really can't come back here, I don't-" Jungwoo doesn't get to finish before Ten grabs his wrist and starts dragging him back over to the table where Lucas is sat, face hidden behind a textbook. Ten grabs the book and snaps it shut, making both boys look at him.
"Lucas, turns out someone doesn't know about your caffeine thing! Crazy, right? How could that have happened? You two should probably talk about it! I'm going to the library to get some actual work done." Sweeping his belongings into his bag, Ten heads out the door, blowing a kiss to Taeyong on the way. Jaehyun's laughing again.
Lucas and Jungwoo stare at each other for a minute, neither sure what to do. Jungwoo turns when he hears a couple of clearly forced coughs back behind the counter. His coworkers, Jaemin and Renjun, are looking at him expectantly, eyebrows raised and smiles wide. Jaehyun peeks over the register to half-shout, "Oh my god, one of you just talk already!" The staff giggle, nearby students distracted by the scene joining in. Jungwoo looks back at Lucas, and they both let out a nervous chuckle.
Lucas speaks before Jungwoo can, gesturing to the empty chair across from him. "Do you want to maybe...sit? Actually, I'm not so good at sitting right now. Walk with me?" He's smiling, a little embarrassed, and Jungwoo is impossibly endeared.
"I guess I could take my break a little early," he says, untying his apron and tossing it on the table. "Your friend is very forward." Lucas nearly chokes as he throws his things back into his backpack.
"What did he - I only heard a bit, I - I'm sorry for him." He's looking anywhere but Jungwoo's eyes as they walk out the door together. He vaguely registers someone behind the counter hissing "finally".
Jungwoo smiles and knocks his shoulder against Lucas as they step off the walkway and start across the wide open lawn toward nowhere in particular. "I don't mind, looks like he read the room and did the heavy lifting for us. Taeyong won't shut up about him, so once I had a name for the face it made sense." They're both smiling now, as much to themselves as to each other. "So this no caffeine thing?"
Lucas blushes for what must be the tenth time in the last hour as they walk, other students sitting here and there enjoying the weather. "Yeah, I'm not really supposed to drink it, or at least I wasn't allowed to growing up. It makes me a little...bouncy. I'm not as strict with it as Ten made it seem, we just agreed I would stay not-caffeinated for studying because I can't do a damn thing otherwise. It's probably annoying, me just moving around so much."
Jungwoo notices Lucas' hands are clenching and flexing back and forth on either side. Lucas inhales sharply when he feels Jungwoo take one of his hands and interlace their fingers.
Jungwoo smiles, and Lucas knows he'll think about the way his eyes make little half-moons for the rest of the night. "I don't think it's annoying. It's pretty cute, actually. You're pretty cute." Scratch that, Lucas will be thinking about that comment for the rest of the night. They're approaching a bench, so Lucas decides to summon his inner Ten-confidence and pull Jungwoo over to sit before he speaks.
"The first time I went in there, you were at the register and I literally just...blanked? When you asked what I wanted, I mean. I kind of panicked and ordered the first thing I thought of, which is what Ten always asks me to get him."
"An americano."
"Yeah." Lucas laughs quietly, embarrassed again. Jungwoo squeezes his hand and he feels better about continuing. "Then the next time, you asked if I wanted the same as last time, and I was just so surprised you remembered me that I said yes...and then you asked if I wanted 'the usual', and I just couldn't say no."
Jungwoo giggles into asking, "For two months? More than once a day?" Lucas joins his laughter and they lean against each other, shoulders shaking.
Lucas catches his breath and considers the question. "Yeah, I really like americanos actually, they just make me a little crazy. Especially if I haven't eaten. I guess I just wanted an excuse to talk to you too." Lucas looks up to meet the other's eyes.
Jungwoo feels his face get hot and, without breaking the gaze, almost whispers, "You know you could have just told me to make tea your usual and asked me out. I've been hoping you would."
Lucas gives an enormous grin, voice equally soft. "I'm a little shy about that, despite how generally loud I am. It'll be tea from now on, but maybe coffee before 4pm is okay here and there." Jungwoo smiles back even bigger, and Lucas continues with a high-pitched shout. "You should've seen me the one time you put three shots in that thing when I came in looking like hell after an exam."
Jungwoo gasps. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I didn't-"
"It's okay, really! I appreciated that you noticed I was tired, made my day honestly. I ended up going to the gym for three hours, cooking everything in my kitchen, cleaning the apartment, playing video games, passing out at 4am...slept right through that alarm." Lucas is laughing, but Jungwoo's the one embarrassed this time.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't meant to make you miss class! I thought maybe the free extra shots would hint that I liked you but...I probably should've just said something." Lucas squeezes his hand.
"Do you want to maybe go out tonight? Not for a cup of coffee, and without Ten." Jungwoo nods and Lucas beams.
Ten, meanwhile, did not go to the library. He's been leaning quietly against a tree a little ways off texting Taeyong the whole time, grin plastered across his face. No wonder Lucas wouldn't shut up about this kid. He mentally pats himself on the back for this one.