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Tiny Herb, as much as it was called a coffee shop when people recommended it, wasn’t exactly a coffee shop. Of course, they served most types of coffee, you could get a latte, cappuccino or as many students did, get a massive cup of black coffee that might actually stop your heart. But despite serving excellent coffee, Tiny Herb was known for its teas. Most people who ended up in the café ordered tea over coffee as each day there was a different speciality blend and the regulars knew to arrive when the owner, Wang Jiexi was on shift.
They liked to joke that he was a witch, that each mix of herbs, most of which were grown in house, was imbued with some kind of magic. Every cup of tea that he made was perfect, taste, temperature, colour, even the smell, it was perfect down to the tiniest detail. So Wang Jiexi had managed to gain a reputation as the local witch which only had him rolling his eyes.
In fact, his eyes helped contribute to his reputation as a witch, being different colours meaning they caught the light differently which unnerved many people. He had a magic touch when it came to tea, people liked to whisper, it’s always perfect. He’s got to be magic.
Fang Shiqian didn’t believe in magic and he didn’t like tea. But when Lin Jie told him that he should try out the selection at Tiny Herb, he went, if only to be able to say he’d tried it. He was surprised the shop was still open before remembering that Tiny Herb was located near a university and he suspected most of the patron were students.
Despite the late hour, one student had clearly consumed far too much coffee as he was chattering away to his friend at a speed of what seemed like one hundred words per minute while the other boy pushed his glasses up and offered a tired smile. There seemed to be a medical student at one of the booths who’d passed out on top of her textbook, the power of coffee seemingly not enough to keep her awake.
“You serve coffee right?” The server startled out of his thoughts before nodded, pointing silently at their coffee menu, something Fang Shiqian didn’t bother with. “A large black coffee please.”
“It’s late for coffee.” Fang Shiqian knew that he didn’t have to justify his choices but he felt the urge to correct the server, put off by his words.
“I have a shift. At the hospital.” Wang Jiexi hummed quietly as he brewed the coffee, wrinkling his nose at the smell, despite running the café for years, he’d always prefer the smell of tea to coffee.
“You should consider switching to tea.” Fang Shiqian scoffed, pouring a large amount of sugar in his coffee and Wang Jiexi was abruptly reminded of Huang Shaotian who often came in sluggish but bounced out after he downed his monstrosity of caffeine and sugar.
“Tea doesn’t keep you awake.” Wang Jiexi felt the urge to disagree but the customer was already paying and he nodded a goodbye before he disappeared out of the door, already chugging his coffee.
Wang Jiexi shook his head and continued wiping down the counters, the only people left in his café were the regulars, Huang Shaotian and Yu Wenzhou, the female medical student who recently made the switch to tea rather than coffee. The only people who were missing were the identical twins who would argue over the other’s tea selection, citing their brew as the superior one.
The loud thud had him turning to see that Huang Shaotian’s head had just collided with the table as his caffeine and sugar high abruptly ended and he crashed. Yu Wenzhou packed their books away before he slung Huang Shaotian over his shoulder, nodding to Wang Jiexi as he left. The commotion woke the med student and she dragged herself out of the café, still seeming more asleep than awake.
Out of habit, Wang Jiexi glanced up at the clock, noting that as usual, his regulars left at the exact same time and he began the process of closing up, falling into the familiar routine with ease. It didn’t take long to finish and Wang Jiexi checked on his garden, humming as he found that some of his plants needed to be trimmed and he fell into bed gratefully, falling asleep with ease.
His last thought before he surrendered to sleep was remembering the man who’d ordered the large coffee so late. He couldn’t help but wonder if the man had a caffeine headache by now as his eyes slipped shut and his breathing evened out.
Fang Shiqian had a caffeine headache. It wasn’t a big deal, he could handle it with painkillers and keeping hydrated but he couldn’t hide it from Lin Jie who raised one eyebrow at him, noting the dregs of another mug of coffee at his station.
“Tiny Herb brews excellent teas you know.” Fang Shiqian scowled, not wanting to admit to his mentor that he had ordered a massive coffee from the café. Of course, he knew Lin Jie already knew that he’d ordered coffee, but he refused to admit it, it was the principle of it all.
“I don’t like tea,” he muttered instead, focusing on the patient charts while Lin Jie continued to talk, tone slightly chastising that just made him feel like a child.
“Wang Jiexi makes excellent teas, they helped me cut back on caffeine. I stopped having so many headaches as well.” The final pointed comment had Fang Shiqian scowling, feeling like he did when he was seven and gave himself a sugar headache and his mother adopted the exact same tone as Lin Jie.
“Fine! Next time I’ll try one of his stupid teas.” Lin Jie’s answering smile did not dissuade Fang Shiqian of the feeling that he was being treated like a child but Lin Jie was called away and he turned back to his charts, pushing the thoughts of Tiny Herb and the server he spoke to out of his mind.
The next night found Fang Shiqian back at Tiny Herb, it was about the same time as the previous night and the same server was at the counter. He glanced up and Fang Shiqian found himself intrigued by the man’s differing eye size. It made him unique and he’d always liked unique features. He blinked, surprised by the thought and the server, Wang Jiexi, broke the silence first.
“Large black coffee with lots of sugar?” Despite the even tone, Fang Shiqian still felt judged and he frowned, hoping his next words would throw the other man off.
“Not tonight. Do you have a tea you could recommend?” Wang Jiexi frowned as he ran through the different blends he had available and settled on a green tea. It was rare for someone to actively dislike the flavour and he steeped it slightly more than usual, sensing that this customer liked a strong taste.
Fang Shiqian took a sip and Wang Jiexi felt dispirited as he scrunched up his nose slightly, clearly not a fan of the taste and he felt the urge to find a tea that the other man enjoyed.
“It’s okay, I don’t understand why you’d drink tea instead of coffee- what the fuck was that?!” Fang Shiqian whipped around to see one of the students, the chatty one, slump, head colliding with the table as his friend didn’t manage to catch him in time.
He looked back to see Wang Jiexi look unaffected and he stared incredulously at the casual shrug Wang Jiexi offered him. The explanation was equally blasé.
“It happens most nights.” He lifted a hand in farewell as the other student dragged his friend away. “Huang Shaotian drinks too much coffee and then he crashes.”
“I suppose that’s the reason I should switch to your leaf juice?” Fang Shiqian’s voice was dripping with sarcasm but Wang Jiexi took the question seriously, leaving the nurse to gape at him in confusion.
“That is one reason.” Fang Shiqian stood there waiting for the rest of the reasons but the server merely blinked at him, “don’t you need to make it to your shift?” The nurse startled and nearly spilt his tea, reminding him to take another sip before he left, calling out one last thing before he left.
“My name is Fang Shiqian and I bet you can’t find a tea that I like.” He vanished out of the door before Wang Jiexi could respond but the challenge caused his lips to twist in amusement. He’d yet to be unable to find the perfect blend for someone and this new customer, Fang Shiqian, would not be the person to defeat him.
He locked up but instead of going to bed right away he began going through the different blends of teas he had, searching for one that he thought might appeal to Fang Shiqian. He pulled out a red berry tea, marking the box for his newest customer and finding that he couldn’t wait to see what Fang Shiqian thought of the next tea.
Lin Jie eyed his travel mug the moment he arrived and pointedly sniffed the air before tilting his head to the side, curiosity in his eyes. Fang Shiqian avoided the older man for as long as he could before he was eventually cornered and Lin Jie seemed content to wait for him to break the silence, sitting beside him, filling in his own case notes as he went.
“Fine! I tried some of Wang Jiexi’s hot leaf juice.”
“What did you think?”
“It tasted like hot leaf juice.” Lin Jie stifled a laugh at that, even as his inner tea enthusiast died at his mentee’s words. “I mean it, I didn’t dislike it but I wouldn’t drink more of it.”
“Did anything else happen?” Fang Shiqian wondered where Lin Jie had learnt how to read people, it was often terrifying how accurately he managed to pinpoint someone’s mood and he didn’t feel the need to hide the challenge he issued.
“I told Wang Jiexi that I don’t think he could ever find a tea that I like.” Lin Jie huffed out a laugh at that, scribbling something else down in his chart as he sipped at his mug of tea, mulling the challenge over in his head for a few moments.
“It’s a bet you will lose,” before Fang Shiqian could protest Lin Jie continued speaking, voice calm and measured. “Wang Jiexi is just as stubborn as you are. He’ll find something you like.”
“Not likely.” Fang Shiqian was aware that muttering things under his breath simply made him sound like a petulant child but outside of ignoring Lin Jie, which he couldn’t do while on shift, this was his only way of expressing his disbelief.
“I’ve never liked tea and I don’t care how magic everyone thinks Wang Jiexi is. He can’t find a tea I like.”
Wang Jiexi had a tea prepared for him before he entered the café. The loud chatterbox and his friend were missing, the med student was still holed away in her corner and there was a pair of identical twins arguing over, Fang Shiqian strained to hear, over the blends of tea they ordered.
Fang Shiqian looked at the contents of his cup and raised one eyebrow, wondering about the colour casually. After all, the liquid was very red.
“I’m hoping this isn’t watered down blood?” Wang Jiexi’s eyebrows drew together in confusion but Fang Shiqian wasn’t finished. “I know I’m nocturnal but that doesn’t mean I’m a vampire.”
“It’s a red berry tea. An herbal tea as opposed to a “true” tea.”
“Fruit teas are for weaklings!” The scruffier, less put together twin called out and his brother kicked at his leg under the table. “You only disagree didi because that’s all you could drink for years.”
“I’m not the one who drank Earl Grey just to spite people, you don’t even like Earl Grey!” Fang Shiqian tuned out the sibling’s argument in favour of taking a drink of the liquid. Wang Jiexi frowned when the same slightly scrunched face was made and he mentally crossed the blend off the list of teas to have Fang Shiqian try.
“What don’t you like about it?” Wang Jiexi was certain that he was going to crack this, that he could figure out a flavour that would appeal, he just needed some more information.
“The fruit flavour, I’m not a fan. Keep trying.” Fang Shiqian’s smirk was smug and made something swoop in Wang Jiexi’s stomach, a mix of mild irritation and attraction. The moment the nurse was out of the room he began rummaging through the different blends of tea that he stocked searching for the right flavour to appeal to Fang Shiqian’s tastes. He was going to find a tea that he liked. He was.
It had been three weeks. That meant that Fang Shiqian had tasted over twenty-one flavours of tea and still didn’t like any of them. As endearing as the scrunched face he made was, Wang Jiexi was slowly losing his mind. He’d exhausted his blends of teas, couldn’t think of another flavour profile that Fang Shiqian could try. In fact, the last time the nurse had been in, he’d offered a smug smirk, tossed casually over his shoulder as he left.
“There’s no shame in giving up Jiexi!” And there wasn’t. Maybe Fang Shiqian was just someone who didn’t like tea, no matter what kind he was tasting, he thought they all tasted the same. But there was a little voice in his head that refused to give up. That told him to just keep looking and that he’d find the right thing eventually.
And then he did.
Yuanyang, or coffee with tea, could be exactly what Wang Jiexi needed to win this bet. He practiced the recipe a few times, testing out the different ratios as he went before settling on 60% tea and 40% coffee. If Fang Shiqian still rejected this, he’d have to give up and admit defeat, this was Wang Jiexi’s last attempt and he couldn’t wait to see him try it.
Wang Jiexi looked excited. Well, actually, he looked exactly the same as he always did but Fang Shiqian could see it in the way his eyes kept flicking to the door until he spotted him and a smile spread across his face.
The latest drink was placed in front of him and Wang Jiexi watched his face carefully as he took a long sip and Fang Shiqian’s eyes went wide with surprise and Wang Jiexi lit up when his customer’s face didn’t scrunch up and his smile only widened when Fang Shiqian scowled. He waited patiently, head tilted to the side expectantly until Fang Shiqian gave in, the words ground out.
“I like it.” Wang Jiexi kept his eyes on his own, still waiting and Fang Shiqian grit his teeth. “You win.” The smile that spread across his face, bright and genuine, made having to admit he’d been wrong almost worth it to Fang Shiqian. Almost.
By three weeks after that Wang Jiexi decided that he’d officially won their bet having completely removed the coffee from his friend’s drink and Fang Shiqian didn’t seem to be enjoying the drink any less. He yawned, it was a quiet night, not even his regulars were around and Wang Jiexi was finding it harder and harder to stay awake, as he’d had to fill in for one of his staff in the morning. He put his head down on the counter, Fang Shiqian was due soon, but he just needed a quick rest. Just a quick rest-
Fang Shiqian blinked in surprise when he spotted Wang Jiexi draped over the countertop, fast asleep and drooling slightly. He found himself worrying that his friend wasn’t getting enough sleep, that he wasn’t taking care of himself properly and the thought made him scowl. He shook Wang Jiexi awake, perhaps a little more roughly than he needed to and he ignored the feeling in his chest at the sleepy smile the café owner offered him.
“You shouldn’t fall asleep at the counter! Do you know how dangerous that is? Anyone could have come in while you were sleeping! It’s late on a Monday night, just shut up early if you’re this tired! None of your regulars are even here!” Fang Shiqian cut himself off in order to give Wang Jiexi a chance to speak but what the café owner said startled him.
“I didn’t win our bet until three weeks after you thought I won.”
“What?” Fang Shiqian didn’t actually want clarification, he was more confused as to how this related to sleeping on the counter with the café still open but Wang Jiexi, clearly sleep deprived, just kept talking.
“The drink I served you originally had coffee in it. And then I started adding less and less until all you were drinking was tea.” Wang Jiexi’s smile was apologetic as he instinctively began to close up the café. “So I cheated slightly.” Fang Shiqian stared as Wang Jiexi kept standing, watching him, apparently waiting for a reaction.
“I don’t care about that! Why would I care about that now? Go to bed!” Wang Jiexi hummed softly, stepping closer to the nurse, hand reaching out to brush gentle fingers across his lips.
“You’re pretty when you lecture.” Wang Jiexi smiled at the flush that worked its way across Fang Shiqian’s cheeks, brushing his thumb across the colour.
“You should go to bed!” Was all the nurse could think to say and Wang Jiexi hummed in agreement, eyes still dazed with sleep. He pressed Fang Shiqian’s now regular order into his hands before disappearing up the stairs, clearly still half asleep and Fang Shiqian left the café, locking the door behind him, confused by the touch and worried about his friend’s sleeping habits
The next night found Wang Jiexi fidgeting. Not enough that anyone noticed but he remembered enough about his actions to be embarrassed. Just because he had developed feelings for his regular, didn’t excuse his behaviour and he knew he owed Fang Shiqian an apology. The nurse burst into the café, bell ringing violently and attracting everyone’s attention. Wang Jiexi opened his mouth to speak but Fang Shiqian didn’t let him get a word out.
“First of all, you did cheat with our bet because you served me something with coffee but the tea you serve me now is actually nice and I like it so you still win. Second, you are clearly terrible at taking care of yourself and you need someone to do that for you and I am willing to make sure you don’t die. Third, because you were the one who initiated flirting first, you are responsible for me asking you out on a date, so this is your fault.” Wang Jiexi, in fact, everyone in the café, had wide eyes as the café owner tried to digest what had just happened.
“A date?” Fang Shiqian rolled his eyes, wondering why he’d fallen for someone who was so slow on the uptake.
“Yes, a date, if you want to.”
“I want to.”
“Good, here are my details, when we’re both free I’ll take you out on a date.” Wang Jiexi could only nod helplessly as Fang Shiqian grabbed his order and left the slip of paper with his contact information.
“Big-eyed Wang, you’ve done that backwards, you’re supposed to leave your number on his cup!” Yu Wenzhou huffed out a soft laugh but Wang Jiexi was more focused on the fact that Fang Shiqian liked him back.
Years later, they would still argue over what ultimately brought them together. Wang Jiexi was adamant that it was tea that brought them together in the end, that they’d grown close over him trying to find the perfect blend of tea to appeal to him. Fang Shiqian would take a sip of his drink, the same tea he’d tried all those years ago and shoot back that it was Wang Jiexi’s lack of sleep that brought them together in the end.
He argued that if his husband hadn’t been half asleep and initiated that first touch, he would have never thought of asking him out, unsure if his feelings were reciprocated. The argument would continue back and forth between each other until one was silenced by the other catching them in a deep kiss.
Something that Fang Shiqian would never admit however was that as much as he only enjoyed one blend of tea, he enjoyed every flavour of tea that he tasted from his husband’s mouth. But he’d never tell Wang Jiexi, it was his own little secret, he thought to himself as he leant against his husband, warm and content.