Work Text:
The light can’t turn green fast enough. Your fingers tap on your steering wheel as your anxiety heightens.
It’s a miracle you have a passing grade in your film styles class. Every assignment is easily forgotten because they seem so easy to do last minute. It doesn’t help that you don’t remember when ‘last minute’ is, but you thank the stars you showed up to class earlier in the day. Had you not attended, your friend wouldn’t have asked you about your paper, triggering the overwhelming panic.
Due at 8 the next morning, your five-page paper dissecting a director of your choice’s defining style has yet been started. There is a list of directors that you can’t write about due to being very easy to define based on auteur theory, like Wes Anderson, James Cameron, and Michael Bay. It’s like the professor doesn’t want you to pass. At this point, you can’t decide who to write about that you can pull a five-page paper out of thin air.
The green light flashes and you floor it. The coffee shop is about to close, and you need caffeine to be able to write this paper. Luckily, the shop isn’t too far down the road from your apartment. Pulling into the parking lot of the only cafe opened until midnight, you notice it’s not crowded at all. The college paper gods are on your side tonight, at least for right now. It is a blessing that they have a drive-thru; they know their target demographic well.
“Hello, welcome to Beans ’N Cream. What can I get you this late at night?” The barista sounds cheerful though he is definitely judging you, making you suppress a giggle.
“Can I get a medium hazelnut latte with coconut milk?” You say, glancing into the camera next to the order screen.
“This late at night and you only want a medium?”
“Shit, you’re right. Make it a large.” You change your mind. He has a point; you might as well go all out because you have no idea how long you will need to stay up.
He laughs, and it’s the cutest thing you’ve heard all day. “Alright. I’ll have your total at the window.”
You quickly thank him before pulling up. As you stop at the window, you pull out your card. The window is already open, and a very cute barista is leaning on the sill. You momentarily forget what you’re doing when you see him.
“It’ll be $3.67,” He says, smiling, showing off his dimples.
You hand him the card, speechless. As he turns to the register you take note of how wide his shoulders are compared to his waist. You wouldn’t mind sitting there awhile just to admire his back. When he hands you back the card, he leans against the sill again. It takes a moment for you to realize he only charged you for a medium.
“Wait, I ordered a large. It should’ve been more than that.” You try to hand him the card again.
“I only charged you for a medium.” He winks, and your heart beats a little faster. “It’ll take a minute. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
It really isn’t an inconvenience if you get to look at him a moment longer. “It’s fine.” You downplay how charmed you are.
“So, you have a project due or something?”
“How did you know?” You ask, puzzled.
“This is a college town. Not many normal people get coffee this late,” he chuckles.
“Yeah… Are you a student too?”
“Yes, business major. You?”
“Radio-television-film major, emphasis in digital production.”
“I bet that’s fun.” His smile hasn’t left his face, and he seems genuinely interested in your conversation. “I sometimes see students filming in the dance hall.”
“Dance hall?” You furrow your brows.
“I minor in dance.” He says as another barista sits your order on the counter next to him.
“San, stop flirting and actually work.” The other barista chides.
He sighs, “Good luck with your project.”
“Thanks. You too.” You say as you begin to pull away. Realizing what you’ve said, you smack your head on the steering wheel with a groan.
-
Laughs fill the space in your small car. Your friends can’t stop making jokes about the weird guy you are stuck with as a project partner. The assignment was exciting at first; you are to create a short film of any kind that related back to the school. You wanted to focus on campus life and the importance of relationships during college. Then the TA assigned partners and all hope of creative freedom was lost. Your partner is dead set on proving that there is a ghost in the guys' dorms, that ghost being his dead grandfather. That was a little weird, but then he told you that you look like his dead grandmother and wonders if you could trick the ghost on camera. You are definitely emailing your TA about that later.
But right now, it’s time to relax and hang out with your friends while ingesting unholy amounts of caffeine. The familiar drive to the little coffee shop down the street in the late afternoon is therapeutic. There are a few cars in the parking lot and one person in the drive-thru.
“We’re driving thru. I need to get back to let Coco out,” You say, turning the steering wheel to the sounds of groans, “No crazy orders.”
“Hello, welcome to Beans ’N Cream. What can I get started for you?” The speaker churns out a familiar voice.
“I want an iced macchiato.” One friend whispers and another says they want the same.
“Get me a hot green tea.”
While two of your friends argue with the third about hot green tea being nasty, you place their orders first.
“Will that be all?” He asks.
“One more thing; a medium hazelnut latte with coconut milk.” You give your order.
“Alright, that will be $16.13 at the window.”
“Thank you!” You say nicely before turning to your friends, “Would y’all shut up? He probably heard y’all being dumb.”
They come after you, saying that he didn’t as you pull up to the window.
“I see you brought friends this time,” San greets you with his dashing smile, leaning on the window sill, “You didn’t want to make those larges?”
“No, they don’t need that much caffeine,” you answer and hand him a $20 bill.
“Y/N doesn’t like big things.” Your friend in the passenger seat jokes.
“That wasn’t the case last time.” San winks before turning to the register, and your friends absolutely lose it.
Taking the change, you apologize for your friends.
He waves it off, “They’re fine… So, Y/N, how did that project go?”
You can’t believe he remembered that. It has been over a week since you’ve seen him.
“Uh,” you nervously laugh, “Let’s just say I passed.”
“Whatever gets that degree,” He teases just as two drinks are placed next to him.
“Why don’t you help?” The same other barista from last time scolds San.
He exhales deeply, grabbing the drinks and hands them to you. “Two iced macchiatos.”
Another drink is handed off. “One green tea.”
You see your drink placed next to him, and San seems to have gotten distracted with something next to the register. Your focus is briefly turned to your friends before San holds out the last drink.
“One hazelnut latte with coconut milk,” he says with a wink, “Have a good night.”
This time it’s appropriate to say ‘you too,’ and you feel relieved to be pulling out of the drive-thru as if you had been holding your breath the whole time you were at the window.
“Hold this.” You tell your friend next to you as you try to maneuver out of the parking lot.
“He put a napkin in the cup sleeve,” Your friend slips it out, “Bitch, he gave you his number!”
Your friends in the backseats start hollering and shaking the seats in front of them.
“You guys, chill!” You laugh.
Suddenly, one of your tires catches a pothole, and your latte is spilled. Your friend’s first reaction is to soak it up with the napkin in her hand… The napkin with San’s number.
“Oh, shit.” She mumbles and tries to unravel the tissue, but it tears and the ink has bled.
“I hate this town.” You curse the city council for not fixing the roads.
-
It’s a bit of a gamble. You don’t know if he’s working tonight as you pull up to the vacant drive-thru. All you know is that he does the afternoon shift considering you’ve never seen him in the mornings. The clock on your dash reads 7:39 PM.
The low “boof” from the backseat brings you out of your thoughts. Coco has her front paws up on the door, opting for a better view of outside, particularly the two girls walking into the coffee shop. You hush her while rolling up to the speaker.
“Hello, welcome to Beans ’N Cream. You want your usual hazelnut latte?” The person on the speaker asks, relieving your stress.
“Yes, in a medium.” You automatically smile.
“Alright, your total is $3.67. I’ll see you at the window.”
His words fuel the butterflies in your stomach.
Before getting to the window, Coco spots someone in the small side window and becomes excited, jumping between the front seats and into your lap.
San is already leaning on the window sill expectantly. What he didn’t expect is Coco, and a huge grin spreads across his face.
“Hi, puppy! What’s its name?” He is truly beguiled by your dog.
“Coco. She’s a spoiled brat,” You answer and ruffle her scruff.
“Maybe she gets that from her owner,” He jokes as you hand him your card.
“Hey!” You whine.
His giggles are adorable, but they don’t last long, a mere preview of sheer happiness.
“I never received a text.” He says still sporting a slight smile, pressing buttons on the register, and handing the card back.
“About that,” you sheepishly begin to explain, “I saw the napkin, but, uh, my friend spilled coffee and used it.”
He bursts into giggles again, his eye smiles so endearing.
“I thought you just didn’t see it and I was an idiot.”
His grin is contagious. Your cheeks burn a pink tint as you laugh with him. He turns back to the register and rustles stuff around on the counter.
You glance in your rearview to make sure you’re not holding up a line, but there’s still no one. There’s comfort in knowing you can talk to him a little longer. A blue sticky note is offered for you to take.
“Not a napkin this time, but also don’t use that as a napkin. Actually, you know what,” he reaches behind himself and produces a handful of tissues, “Just in case.”
You guffaw and then throw a hand over your mouth because of the strange noise that just came out. But that doesn’t faze him as he continues to look at you in total infatuation.
“San, stop harassing customers,” That same barista rebukes, putting the drink on the counter.
“I’m the reason people keep coming back, right?” He looks to you for affirmation.
“I mean, yeah,” You say with a grin.
The other barista huffs and retreats to the front counter.
“Well, here’s your latte. Have a good night.” San hands over your order.
“Thanks, you too. I’ll text you once I get home.”
“Okay,” He says gently, completely smitten.