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"Jason?" Percy calls out into the crowded cafe, a drink in his hand. He barely even looks at the name anymore, so familiar with the order that it's ingrained into his head like ink on skin.
He pushes the cup out across the counter, a trail of condensation following suit. Nervously rocking back and forth on his feet, his sea green eyes scan the room. They flick through each blonde haired individual in the bustling shop, the smell of coffee and peppy music filling his head. He practically beamed upon finding his target, a smile creeping across his face.
"Heeeey, beautiful." Percy grins at the man before him, hands tapping away at the wooden counter. "Your coffee, per usual."
A small pistachio iced latte with caramel drizzle and whipped cream. Jason got it every time he came in. For five weeks, on Thursdays and Sundays, he'd come in and order, and each time he'd chat with Percy a little longer. It quickly became the best time of either of their days, both of them basking in the other's attention and small talks.
And every single time, Jason walked away clutching his stupid pistachio-whatchimacallit that, which while admittedly was alright, he supposed, left him feeling absolutely horrendous. But it was worth it, for Percy.
"Hey, you." Jason smiled, his face a picture perfect imitation of a marble statue. A sharp scar cuts through his grinning lips, creeping towards his frosted eyes. "Thanks for the drink."
"Of course. Anytime. Gotta keep my favorite customer happy. Or else, y'know, no more job for little ol' me. I'd be too devastated to continue in my line of work." He's speaking too fast, and he knows it. It was a bad habit, his mouth running faster than his brain, but just being in the presence of the stupidly adorable man- seriously, it was unfair how good he looked -made his brain short-circuit and his tongue fly loose. "Serving coffees and such."
"Our society would simply collapse without your admirable service."
With a small chuckle, Percy motions to the blonde's table. An empty seat resides next to a face he hadn't seen before. "What're you two working on today? Looks like you've got a new addition."
The table in question hosts a wiry man not much taller than Percy himself, sitting hunched over a variety of rough sketches and half-baked essays. He ferociously scribbles away with all the determination of someone designing the Sistine Chapel, before shaking his head and quickly dismissing the paper. Suddenly, as if he could feel their stares through the back of his head, he looks up from his work towards the two of them, offering a confused wave once he notices their attention.
Returning the action, Jason turns back to the barista. "More like what aren't we working on." His slender hand reaches up to rub at the back of his neck, an embarrassed chuckle bubbling past his lips. Percy can't help but follow the action, his eyes tracing the graceful arc of his motion. "This semester has been insane, I'm trying to catch up on some of my coursework. Leo's...working on whatever currently suits him. At this point, I don't think I would be surprised if he was designing jet engines."
"Oh, wow, that's intense. What are you studying?"
"Architecture right now, but I've got no clue if I'll stay in it. Just...testing the waters, y'know?"
"Yeah, totally. That's really cool, Jace." His face shone earnestly, eyes soft at the man in front of him.
"And you? What are you studying?"
Percy pauses, sinking his elbows into the counter. "Nothing at the moment. Working on saving up right now, helping out my mom. I'd like to get into marine biology one day, I think."
"And you think I'm cool? Marine biology is incredible." Jason's eyes sparkle, as if Percy already had the degree in his hands. He hums quietly. "It suits you."
"You think so?"
Ducking his head in a bashful nod, Jason smiles. "Yeah."
From the front counter, an impatient set of small chimes ring out from the shop's bell. Percy's eyes shoot wide, his spine straightening.
"Crap, I got distracted. Annie's gonna kill me if she finds out I slacked off again. Sorry Jason, I'll catch you next time."
With one last glowing smile, his dimples pressed tight against his cheeks, Percy disappears in a flash. The only thing that lingers is the scent of the sea and a flustered blonde.
With a lovestruck sigh, Jason returns to his friend Leo's side, the symbol of a successful interaction held tight in his hands. The coffee takes up the remaining space on the table, and Leo instinctively shuffles his papers away from the water-slick plastic cup.
"What'd ya get?" He questions, eyeing the drink with suspicion.
"Coffee. Probably. I think it's more of not-coffee than actual coffee."
"I feel sorry for your black-coffee-is-the-only-coffee childhood. Not-coffee is the real deal."
Raising an eyebrow, Jason waves the cup towards him. "Help yourself."
Snatching up the cup like a goblin, Leo takes a long sip from the straw. He grins widely, absolutely melting at the taste. "Man, this is awesome. Caramel makes everything better."
Jason mumbles a small "mhmm," chin resting in his palm. His eyes glance distractedly towards the counter.
After a second or two of deciding that the drink was now officially his, Leo pauses. "Stop the train for a second, this thing is like....mega loaded with dairy." He shoots a glare at Jason. "And that's not good, is it? Cause you can't have that." Leo deadpans.
"It's not a big deal." Jason frowns. "I like it."
"Yeah, I'm sure it's the coffee you like."
Jason scoffs at the eye roll he's given. "It tastes good!"
"Okay, sure, that's great and all, now tell me the real reason."
With a heavy groan, Jason drops his face into his hands. Without looking up, he spills the answer. "I messed up. It was really busy the first time he asked me for my order, and he must've misheard me or mixed up my drink. I felt too bad to correct him, and now he just thinks I really like pistachio lattes."
As Leo is about to interject, Jason shoots up and continues rambling, his hands now animatedly flying around. "And I mean, I can't just tell him 'I'm really sorry, I actually hate pistachio and dairy kills my insides!' because he just looks so happy each time he can predict my drink order, and I cannot, under any circumstances, wipe that gorgeous smile off of his face. So, yes, it tastes good and I love it."
"Dude, your eye is actively twitching at the thought of drinking this." Smile curled around the edge of the straw, Leo grins at him. "Just wait until the end of his shift and grab his number to correct him, it's not that hard."
Jason gaped at him. "Yeah, no. That's not going to happen. And- hold on a second, did you really just say it's not that hard? You haven't gotten anyone's number in weeks." He huffs.
"Don't need 'em." Leo states plainly, waving his pencil around. "I've got a date with my blueprints."
The blonde pitifully growls at the screen of his computer. "This is pointless."
"I'm this close to going to ask the guy out for you."
"You'd do that?" Jason looks up hopefully, eyes shining like a dog's.
He snorts. "No."
As Leo returns to his work, pencil in hand, Jason thinks over his interactions with Percy again. His mind stills as the warm atmosphere of the coffee house slides over him like a blanket, settling into his bones and warming his body. It'd been a while since he'd felt this content.
After about an hour of typing away at his computer (and occasionally sneaking looks over at Percy), the lunch rush had mainly calmed itself. Now, only a few people lingered at their respective tables, enjoying pastries and drinks.
A small tapping alerted Jason to the presence beside him. Percy was leaned against the neighboring chair, a small smile creeping up his face. "This seat open?"
The words are stuck in Jason's throat at simply just the sight of him, his soft windswept hair and sun-freckled face appearing kissed by the light itself. He practically shone, radiant and bright and everything that Jason wanted to get lost in. He'd go blind only if it were by Percy's light.
Struggling for words, Jason instead nods quickly, eyes trailing across the barista's face.
Percy slings himself across the chair, tugging at the straps of his apron. "Finally caught a break. It's been insane around here the past few days."
"Certainly seems like it. Need me to stop bothering you while you're on shift?" Jason leans forward, arms resting against the table.
"What? No, c'mon. I gotta make it through the day somehow. Though I wouldn't mind if you wanted to bother me while I was off as well." He grinned brightly, withdrawing the marker from his pocket reserved for labeling cups. Motioning for Jason's hand, Percy uncapped the marker with his teeth. "Do you mind?"
Without waiting for an answer, he reached over to quickly scribble his number onto Jason's palm, dragging the felt tip as it stained his pale skin. Looking up, eyes soft and smile nervous, Percy's fingers lingered on his skin. "I heard you and Leo talking earlier, and figured I might as well." He admits bashfully. "Gotta shoot my shot, right?"
An intimidating brunette pops her head out from the shop's kitchen, a frown accenting her features. "PERCY! Get back behind the counter, we've still got customers to serve!"
Startled, Percy perks up. "I told you that was going to happen. I gotta go, I'll see you next time Jace."
"I'll call you." Jason beams, fingers gently tracing the numbers on his skin.
For a moment, the two hold each other's gaze, a careful fondness growing between them.
Then Leo mumbles, uncaring enough to not look up from his work. "I'm very happy for you both, but that doesn't change the fact that you still need to tell him that you're allergic to dairy, Jason."