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"Maybe it's her?"
"Hmmm no, she didn't even looked around and came straight to the counter, she's not the one."
"Huh, you're right. Maybe he’s not waiting for anyone."
"Obviously he is waiting for someone, just watch how he’s bouncing his leg non-stop, he doesn't take his eyes off the door and jumps with each message on his cell phone."
"How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"The guy arrived two minutes ago and you already read him completely."
"By his facial expressions it’s not that difficult, and probably he’s waiting for a man."
"What? You have no way of knowing that."
"You want to bet?"
"Uhmm okay. The usual?"
"The usual."
Kuroo Tetsurou should know by now that he’s not supposed to keep betting with his intuitive coworker, but he couldn't help the smile on his face every time Kenma's eyes sparkled when he won one of their silly daily bets.
Besides, today he has a little more confidence than usual, everything has worked out for him. For the first time in weeks he didn't burn his breakfast, his hair looked good and not as messy as everyday, his teacher postponed the chemistry exam to next week and despite the big party his neighbors had last night, there was no vomit visible in the hallway. Also, today was a slow day, which is typical of a Sunday. Without a doubt this was his favorite day to go working, a Sunday morning is the most relaxed shift at work within the week. And best of all? Today he shares his shift in the coffee shop with Kozume Kenma. Luck was definitely on his side.
"We should investigate," he says to his coworker.
"No, let's just wait, plus that's my table and I don't want to stand yet."
Kenma was sitting behind the counter playing on his console to pass the time. There were only three customers, the girl who ordered a coffee to go, a girl seated since a couple of hours ago at one of the tables with her laptop and the nervous boy who has been moving non-stop in his chair for the last ten minutes.
He has seen the nervous boy before, it was hard not to remember him because of his appearance. His eyes reminded him of Kenma's, he always walked with a smile on his face on the hallways and is always in a good mood, but undoubtedly his wild hair with dark roots and owl-like white tips is what caught his attention the most, along with his crazy eyebrows.
"I think it's him," Kenma says almost whispering.
A boy walks through the door while looking at the watch on his wrist, his hair is black, he is wearing glasses and is really well dressed. He turns his head sideways looking for someone.
"Akaaaashi! Akaaashi here!" The owl boy shouts.
The boy, “Akaashi” sits across from him, they talk about something, but he doesn't hear what they say, then he hears them laugh before hiding their faces behind the menu.
"I told you so," Kenma says with a smile and that sparkle in his eyes. "You are going to have to give me your half hour break and I think I will take it now because I don't want to serve that table."
"Fine, but don't leave me alone, stay at the counter."
Kenma lets out a confirmation noise before returning his eyes to his video game. Kuroo waits a few minutes before approaching the couple's table internally lamenting his defeat, although he doesn't care that much, because it means that Kenma will be spending his break with him.
When he asks the order from the couple, the owl boy looked extremely nervous and asked thousands of questions about each item on the menu, but Akaashi didn't seem bothered, in fact he can swear he sees him smile slightly at his date.
"Is that all?" He says writing down their order.
"Yes, thank-"
"Are you sure Akaashi? We can go somewhere else if you want, since they don't have your French coffee here." The owl boy says, peeking out from behind the menu.
"I assure you that the coffee made here in Nekoma is of high quality, you will not be disappointed."
"Umm yes, I didn't doubt it. It's okay Bokuto-san." Akaashi says after receiving a not-so-discreet kick under the table. "That's all, thank you."
"I just want this date to be perfect, Akaashi." He hears Bokuto say when he turns around.
"Trouble client?" Kenma asks next to him as he helps him prepare the order.
"More like nervous client for his first date. Ahhh young love," he says with a sigh.
"They are literally your same age, well at least on the outside, your personality is that of an old man."
"You wound me Kenma-kun" He touches his chest and makes an exaggerated offended expression. "Do you think it will work out?"
Kenma looks away from his console and watches ... no, analyzes the couple in front of them. "I really don't know, the boy with the glasses is too beautiful for the owl boy."
At that moment, Kuroo almost spilled the entire order on the floor. He had never heard Kenma call another person attractive, let alone say that someone is beautiful. "W-what?"
"That he looks like a model, just look at him." Akaashi is someone highly attractive, but he isn’t Kenma’s type at all, I mean, he cannot imagine them together... right? "He's way out of his league," he says with a shrug.
Bokuto is someone extremely muscular, his arms are huge, his hair is wild but charming, his smile reaches his eyes, and he is not an unattractive person at all. A 9 out of 10, he doesn't give him a 10 just because he reserved that place to Kenma only. He doesn’t understand what Kenma was talking about, perhaps Akaashi had more of a classic and delicate beauty... oh no. Was that Kenma’s type? Should he start wearing glasses from now on?
"I'll give them their order," Kenma says, taking the tray.
He doesn't like this jealousy feeling on his inside at all, he really thought it would be a good day. "B-but I lost the bet, don't worry, I'll go."
"That way I will gather more information." Without waiting for any response, Kenma approaches the couple's table to give them their coffees.
Kuroo doesn’t take his eyes off the interactions between Kenma and his possibly new archenemy at any time. His heart nearly stops when he hears the three of them laugh, Bokuto's laughter gaining in volume over the others. This was no longer a good day, it was the worst day of the year. He should have told them to leave and search for that French coffee. When Kenma returns, he goes straight to the back which was not in sight of the clientele, Kuroo goes to see him after a couple of minutes.
"Why did you take so long?" Kenma says sitting on the counter swinging his feet that most likely are unable to reach the floor.
"Sorry?"
"I take back what I said, they are made for each other."
"What?"
Kenma rolls his eyes. "Bokuto and Akaashi are the perfect couple. I feel like it will be hard for them at first, mainly because of their own insecurities, but by the end of the month, they will be a couple."
Kuroo lets out the air that was holding in his lungs. "I’m impressed that you deduce that from just a simple interaction."
"Considering that this will take time, I feel like the bet must be bigger." Kenma looks him straight in the eye.
"A whole week of covering the additional overtime and those tips goes for the other." He says with a firm voice.
"Deal."
Only a few clients came later, but he couldn't take his eyes off the couple, they got caught up in the conversation and every two minutes he could hear Bokuto's loud laugh, which made Akaashi smile softly... just like he and Kenma, the owl boy truly had a contagious laugh. He wakes up from his thoughts when he sees regular customers walking through the door. He couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing.
"Nice hair Tendou, you're joining the army?"
The red-haired boy had his head completely shaved, which is strange because just yesterday he had seen him with his usual hairstyle. Next to him was his quiet boyfriend, Ushijima.
"Ha ha, yesterday I was walking by the front of a hairdresser and said hey why not."
Kuroo quickly prepares their order, while thinking of a hair joke for Tendou. When he serves them their drinks, he gives his usual smirk and he is about to open his mouth when Ushijima interrupts him.
"Maybe you should try going to a hairdresser someday, Kuroo."
Kenma nearly fell off his chair laughing.
"Awww I think they are leaving, I will miss them."
Kenma looks up and watches as Bokuto and Akaashi leave money on the table. "I hope they leave a good tip."
Kuroo approaches the table to clean it quickly, they had left a good tip indeed. When he turns around he sees Kenma asking the order of a short redhead boy, he pays no attention to him and continues to clear the table until he hears them laugh. He turns immediately, Kenma is talking to the customer, not just answering “yes” or “no”, they are actually talking.
"Do you want me to take care of his order?" He asks Kenma when he’s by his side.
"It’s not necessary. I’ll serve Shouyo and another client is coming."
Shouyo? Who gives his first name when ordering? Was this the day of flirting with Kozume Kenma?
He quickly makes the serious boy's order, to not leave Kenma alone for that long with… Shouyo.
"An iced coffee ready to serve," Kenma says as he delivers his drink.
"Thanks, Kenma." So they do know each other...
"And it has extra extra extra whipped cream." Kenma says with a soft smile.
"You are the best!" He answers with a huge grin.
"Oi Kenma! Not in front of your supervisor."
"You are not my supervisor," he says rolling his eyes.
Kuroo clicks his tongue before handing the order over to the boy while still looking at Kenma and his little friend, who still hasn’t left...
"Well, see you," he says waving his hand excitedly as he turns around. Finally, he says to himself.
"B- but, IDIOT!"
"Oh no, I- I'm sorry... it's not hot right? Aaaaaa, did I burn you? Are you okay?"
He and Kenma watched the scene closely. The redhead boy had spilled all his drink along with his client's drink all over his body, thankfully neither of them asked for a hot coffee.
"Of course I'm not okay, idiot! I'm s-soaked and you spilled all of my drink."
"Ummm I’ll pay for it, don't worry and I have my gym clothes with me, if you want I can lend it to you."
"Are you seriously offering me a sweaty shirt?"
"Hey! It's not that sweaty..."
"Should we do something?" He whispers to Kenma. Kenma grabs a few napkins and gives them to him. Kuroo rolls his eyes before walking towards the boys and offering them up.
"You can go to the bathroom at the back if you want, it’s more private."
"Thanks, it's fine," the dark-haired boy says.
"I want to pay for his drink, ehh what's your name?"
"Kageyama," he replies as he cleans his shirt. "And yours?" He says after a few long seconds.
"Hinata! Well, I want another iced coffee and whatever he ordered."
"A cup of cold milk with sugar." Kageyama says in a firm voice.
Hinata laughs, and it's not that he dares to judge a customer's order himself... well, not on his face at least, but Hinata's laughter is kinda infectious.
"What are you laughing at?" Kageyama says to Hinata in a serious voice a little flushed.
Kuroo escapes from the scene to go to prepare their drinks while holding back a laugh, but surprisingly Kenma is already there making them.
"You don't need to pay," Kenma says as he gives them their order. "It happened inside here after all." Both boys thank him after receiving their respective drinks.
"My apartment is only a block away, in case you don't want to travel dirty and soaked especially with this cold," he hears Hinata say.
"O- Okay, but I demand a clean shirt." It is the last thing he hears them say before they hear the bell on the door.
"Great, we'll have to mop the floor now." He says to Kenma as he searches for the cleaning supplies. "And those drinks won't come out of my pay."
"Nor of mine, no one has to know." He responds while helping him clean.
There were only a couple of hours left for their shifts to end, the coffee shop is completely in order. He turns to see Kenma playing with complete concentration, he could see the tip of his pink tongue peeking out of the corner of his mouth. Isn’t he adorable?
He was delivering a coffee and a small cake to a boy who had just arrived and who was submerged typing on his laptop when something caught his attention. There was a boy outside the coffee shop walking in circles clearly debating whether or not to enter. He tries to follow his gaze and a smile forms on his face. He was looking at the small blonde who was sitting by the window while drawing something in her notebook with a cup of herbal tea in front of her.
"Look," he says to Kenma with a movement of his head when he's next to him.
"I already saw him, he’s been doing that for ten minutes now.”
"Hmmm, do you think he will enter?"
Kenma smirks slightly at him. "Ummm I don't think so. Cleaning the espresso machine in our next shift?"
"Ouch okay. I trust the boy."
He no longer trusted at all in the freckled boy who had spent almost twenty minutes outside pretending to be playing on his cell phone. He will not wait for another minute to pass, he will make his own luck. Kuroo heads over to the boy to write something in chalk on the menu outside.
"Are you coming for the barista ad?" He says to the freckled boy.
"Huh?"
Kuroo approaches him. "The job offer. Is that why you've been out here for like twenty minutes?" There was no job offer, Kenma had been the last addition to the coffee shop a couple of months ago.
"Oh I- I wasn’t... I was just out here."
"I see," Kuroo says with his typical smirk. "She's pretty, don't you think? I always see her alone sitting at a table in the back, she is really talented."
"W-what?"
"Yachi, I think it's her name. She always stays for a long time, long enough to order an extra herbal tea with a few chocolate chip cookies. If you come over now, maybe you can pay for her order."
The boy lowers his head a little embarrassed, but he doesn't deny it. "I don't know if she wants to talk to me."
"I think she is one of the kindest customers I have ever had, I doubt she will turn you down and she really loves those cookies... if you don't go now she will ask for them herself. I'm just saying you should give it a try. I feel like today is a good day for love." He says before turning around.
"You're a cheat, that doesn't count."
"What? I just gave him a little push." The two watch as the freckled boy named Yamaguchi is talking sitting next to Yachi, both blushing while being immersed in the conversation.
"One of the rules is not to meddle."
"Since when?"
"Since you made Semi flirt with Suga."
"In my defense they are practically soulmates and how would I know that he was already with Daichi?"
"They literally have a photo of their engagement day hanging in the kitchen."
"Ughh, how many times do I have to say that I’m not allowed to enter since I ate some of Suga's brownies?"
"Whatever. You cheated, so you have to clean the machine."
"You don't accept defeat, do you, Kenma? But okay, I admit it, I will do it."
A long moment passes when Kenma speaks again. "We always do it together anyway."
"Oh no, not again..."
"Don't tell me there is only one left."
“Damn, there's only one left.”
"Do you think they'll sue us?"
"I think so, especially since I ate one on my break..."
"Kenma!"
"What? They never come on Sundays."
"If they had only arrived 40 minutes later, they would already be someone else's problem."
Memorable customers were coming through the door, almost fighting to get here first, Oikawa and Iwaizumi. It was the fifth time he had found them fighting over the last milk bread.
"I'm sorry, I’m sorry. As I said, it's the last one."
Kuroo took care of the problem while Kenma watched intensely with a hose in his hands in case things got out of hand... again. He had told his friend that it wasn't the best idea, but his face reflected pure excitement and he didn't want to be the one to change that expression, no matter if he had to face an angry Suga... again.
"What? How is that possible?"
"If maybe you didn't behave like a complete stalker always following me till here."
"What! I'm not following you. You surely would love that."
"Yeah right, oh come one! Your move is so obvious."
"Is it a crime that I like milk bread?"
"Then go to another cafe!"
"I got here first! You go somewhere else."
"If you hadn't tripped me at the entrance, I would have come here first."
He crosses a look with his partner's golden eyes, Kenma releases the hose and prepares the coffees.
"Do you want us to give you the half like last time?" Kuroo asks.
"Yes!" They both answer at the same time.
"I don't understand why they just don't sit in different places, it's served in two plates after all."
Kenma shrugs his shoulders. "I think this is the only excuse they can think of to talk to each other."
Kuroo smiles at him and as if Kenma felt it, he lifts his head and they share an intense gaze.
"The loser has to wear the apron of shame for a whole day."
"Deal."
"Just ten more minutes and we are free."
"Finally." Kenma says with his hand resting on his cheek.
Kuroo takes a deep breath and clears his throat. "Ehh, what will you do after?"
Without a movement Kenma responds disinterestedly. "I'm probably going to finish that game I was talking to you about and since I'm free tomorrow and my classes are in the afternoon, I can go to bed like six am if I want."
Kuroo snorts. "My day off is also tomorrow and my classes are in the morning." He bites his bottom lip trying to muster up enough courage to invite Kenma on a date as he has been planning since he saw him.
"I can skip them."
"Huh?"
"I can skip my classes during the afternoon." His beautiful golden eyes are looking directly at him and he has a light tint of pink across his cheeks.
"Look what time is it!"
Kuroo and Kenma turn their heads at the same time.
"I've been waiting here for two hours."
"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I took the wrong train and it left me in a place I didn't know and I had to take another train and then I had to run and I couldn't find the coffee shop. I'm so sorry."
"You could have just answered your phone."
"Oh yeah umm the battery died."
"Again? I told you not to play those little games all night on your phone, they absorb all your battery."
"I'm really sorry Yaku-san."
He was the short boy from the laptop who had arrived a long time ago and was talking…well, actually he was scolding a foreigner extremely tall boy.
"Can I sit?"
"No, stand still so we can stay here for another couple of hours without doing our homework."
"Small, but grumpy. It reminds me of you, Kenma."
"Then the tall idiot reminds me of you."
"You offend me... if I had a date with you I wouldn't dare to be a single second late."
"What makes you think our date would be in a damn cafe?"
He should know by now that he can't beat Kenma. Kuroo lowers his head so as not to show his flushed face as he curses his body for reacting so easily to Kozume Kenma's tactics.
"Come on, I'll buy you whatever you want to make it up to you." He hears the tall boy say in the distance.
"F- fine, ask for something to share and sit down. If we finish this quickly then we can take advantage of the rest of the day."
"Together?"
"Yes, don't make me regret it."
"If he spends exactly five minutes reading the menu, then we won't have to serve him." Kenma says looking at the time on his cell phone.
"Tell Atsumu that, he never arrives on time."
"Since he shares his shift with Sakusa, he does."
"Do you want to make it more interesting?"
Kenma looks at the time on his phone again. "Spit it out already, we don't have time."
"If he is late, then I choose the place tomorrow for our date, if he arrives just on time you choose."
Apparently he doesn't have the same effect on Kenma, because his face still has the same expression. If it wasn't for the soft smile he gives him and his playful way of biting his bottom lip, Kuroo would think he has no chance with him.
"Deal."
The two stare intensely between the door of the coffee shop and the table in the back. He doesn’t know why he is so nervous, in the end he would be winning with both scenarios. The short boy must feel their gaze because he sees him watching him for a long second before looking away and whispering something to the super tall boy. The super tall boy turns around smiling and waves his arm at them.
They don't feel their coworkers arrive, until they are both behind them in their uniforms, lightly tapping his shoulder. They must have entered through the back entrance.
"What are you doing here?! There are still two minutes left for your shift!"
"Wow... I'm glad to see you too." Atsumu says with a smile. "Kenma," He says, greeting him with a movement of his head.
Kenma does the same and waves his hand softly to greet Sakusa. "Well, better for us. The tall boy in the back is about to order. Good luck."
With that Kenma walks as he untangles the knot of his red apron. Kuroo continues to do the same, but first summarizes the day for his coworkers.
"Ah finally, this was ruining my hair."
"Is that even possible?"
Kuroo shots him an angry glance while combing his hair with his fingers and putting on his warm big jacket, winter was definitely getting closer. "I think we both lost."
"Yeah, let’s leave it as a tie, I don't want to ruin my winning streak."
Kuroo is leaning against the wall waiting for Kenma to put on his big red scarf, to go out together and walk. Maybe, hopefully he could walk him home.
"Being a draw and all that, and because I feel extra lucky today, I think we should split the bet, you choose where to go today and I’ll choose tomorrow."
He can’t see Kenma's face because he is sitting tying his shoelaces and his long dark hair with blonde tips is covering his entire face. Kuroo tried not to be so obvious by smiling like a complete idiot, but he really didn't care anymore.
"And where would you like to go?"
"Ughh anywhere but to a café." The two walk towards the exit, both smelling like bitter coffee mixed with a sweet vanilla scent.
The moment he opens the door, he can feel the cool breeze. Kuroo holds the door for Kenma to come out first. "Hmm, I make a perfect hot chocolate."
Despite not seeing Kenma’s face completely because of the scarf and due to having his head down playing with his console, he could still see a small blush spreading across his cheeks. "Okay. "
Luck was truly on his side today, so he had to seize the opportunity. Maybe they could watch some movies while drinking a cup of his famous hot chocolate. If all goes well, Kuroo could start planning the third date better. He can't help but smile knowing that he would be spending more time with Kenma, because apparently seeing each other every day at university and at the cafe was no longer enough. Kuroo wanted more from Kenma and his heart beat faster knowing that Kenma also wanted more from him.
Sakusa is inspecting the cleanliness of the cups and mugs, a task that he had put himself always at the end of his coworker's shift. While Atsumu is almost laying on the counter with a hand resting on his cheek, watching out the window as his coworkers walk away together from the Nekoma coffee shop towards their freedom.
Atsumu sighs heavily before speaking. "I bet you that they will end up in each other's pants by tonight."
"Gross," he hears Sakusa answer before making an expression of complete displeasure. "But, fine. What do you want?"