Work Text:
~*~
The first time Jared sees him, it’s like his heart lights up, and it can’t stop beating fast against his chest. Jared hears the first part of the coffee order, and then white noise happens when he gets caught by the green-emerald eyes.
He manages to regain his composure, asks the guest to repeat his order until the green-eyed god smiles softly, Jesusfuckingchrist, Jared’s resolve dies, and he just gives up. He excuses himself and asks his friend Chad to get the order instead.
If he hides in the kitchen while the guy gets his order and walks away, it’s Jared’s business.
~*~
From there, Jared simply hides every time handsome comes by. The guy must have decided to become a regular because he seems to be there every morning now.
During Jared’s shifts.
Chad laughs every time Jared dashes to the back and pulls him to be the one to get the order instead.
“Dude, just say hi to him.”
“I—”
“Jared, you have to be able to at least get his order without becoming a babbling mess?”
Jared shakes his head no, cheeks burning from embarrassment.
Chad rolls his eyes. “You’re impossible.”
“Chad, just keep getting his order, okay? I don’t have the time to deal with this.”
“You’re so lucky this is your uncle’s business, and he loves you like a son,” Chad mentions, shaking his head, amused.
Jared pokes his tongue out at him, and then quickly changes to a screech when he sees green eyes about to enter the coffee shop. “You’re up!” Jared says, pulling Chad to his place again and then walking swiftly to the kitchen, pretending he’s taking some dirty mugs there. He can hear Chad sigh deeply, and then green eyes is at the counter giving his order. From his position in the kitchen, Jared cannot hear them; there is too much going on back there, but he sees them through the door window chatting easily.
He’s so jealous of Chad at that moment.
Jared just wishes he weren’t so embarrassing and will just talk to the guy instead.
~*~
Jared has always been on the shy side. Chad would laugh at that because Jared doesn’t seem the type. But he is, with new people. Once he gets to know the person, his extrovert side comes out shining like a beam of light.
It definitely makes it harder for him to find a partner to be this way. Not that Jared is particularly looking. He’s content with his life as a barista at Cosmic Coffeeshop, and his small and cozy apartment five minutes away from it.
But he never felt this shy around someone before, or so utterly out of words. He can’t even speak to the guy without stuttering. It’s annoying!
Jared better get over this shit soon. Because while Chad is right that his uncle loves him and wouldn’t fire him for this, it drives Jared’s work ethic up the wall.
He just must tell his heart to stop being dumb.
~*~
“His name is Jensen.” Chad provides one morning as they open the shop.
“Who?”
“The guy you’re going gaga about.”
Jared trips over his feet, but catches himself on the counter. “You asked him?!”
“No, he has to give me his name for the order, remember?”
“Ah.”
“My god, I’ve never seen you like this.”
Jared groans. “I don’t know what to do about it.”
“How about you try to talk to him today?”
“No.”
“Jared, exposure therapy might work.”
“I don’t want to talk to him.”
Chad pinches the bridge of his nose. “You can’t keep hiding every time he comes; he’s going to notice.”
Jared smiles. “That’s why I asked my uncle if I could do the closing shift, and he said yes. I start tomorrow. So, just one more day.”
“What?”
Jared nods, proud of himself. “I won’t have to hide anymore!”
“Oh, my god,” Chad mutters. “You’re such an idiot.”
“I don’t know Chad-bear, I think that’s the greatest idea I’ve had.”
“Whatever you say,” Chad says, waving a hand dismissively.
~*~
The night shift isn’t that bad; it’s a bit dead in the evenings, but the clientele is still nice. Jared would prefer his morning shift because he’s so used to it, and Chad is there too. But he has no choice until he can get over his stupid crush.
At least he has Gen with him.
“I can’t believe you’re really doing this,” Genevieve says, laughter in her tone.
“It’s all a ruse to work with you,” Jared affirms jokingly.
“Uh-huh.”
“Listen, it’s temporary, okay? I just have to not get exposed for a bit.”
“You mean you don’t want to get exposed to the handsome man who is coming into the shop right now?”
Jared turns in time to see Jensen come in.
Oh no.
Jared quickly hides under the counter, which Jensen totally sees.
“Hi, Jensen!” Genevieve salutes.
“Hi, Genevieve,” Jensen says back, then peeks over the counter. “Hi, Jared.”
Jared lets out a very soft squeak, which makes Genevieve laugh.
“I will leave you two to it,” Genevieve says, walking to the back of the kitchen.
“Gen? Wait, where are you going?!” Jared asks, panicked.
But Gen ignores him and keeps going.
“You might want to stand up,” Jensen says, chuckling.
Jared gets up and dusts his jeans, trying to save some dignity. He then looks at Jensen and blushes at the soft, kind eyes looking at him. “Um…”
Jensen reaches a hand over the counter. “Jensen.”
Jared stares at the offered hand way too long before his brain catches up that he, in fact, is supposed to take it. He tries not to melt when their hands touch, electricity seems to fill the air and shoot into Jared’s arm. He wonders for a second if Jensen can feel it too.
“Jared.” He manages to say, then he lets go of the hand, even though he wants to hold it for a bit longer. “But you already knew that.” Oh my god, where is this bravery coming from?!
Jensen grins. “I asked.”
Jared tilts his head curiously. “Oh?”
“I needed to know what the name of the guy is that keeps avoiding me every time I come into the shop, so maybe I could ask what I did to him and maybe fix it.”
Oh!
“You didn’t do anything!” Jared hastily says.
Jensen's eyebrows furrow, confused. “Then why?”
“I—” Jared’s words leave him because should he say it out loud? It’s so embarrassing, really, to have such a strong crush on someone you don’t even know, and then behave as he has. “I’m very sorry for my behavior.”
Jensen smiles softly. “You don’t need to apologize, Jared.”
God, his name sounds so good when Jensen says it.
Yup.
He’s a goner.
Wow.
“I do. But it was more to do with me than anything.”
“How so?”
Jared blushes again. “Well, I sorta…”
“Yes?”
“I kinda…” Jared starts. Here goes nothing. “Haveacrushonyou!” Jared says quickly.
Jensen’s smile widens. “That’s all?”
Jared sighs, defeated and embarrassed. “Yeah. Pathetic, isn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t say that at all,” Jensen assures. “I’ve a crush too, and I know how it feels.”
Ah shit. Of course, someone like Jensen already has someone.
Jared nods, lost for words at the hurt he should not be feeling because Jensen isn’t his to feel this way.
But man, does he want it. Maybe a bit too much.
“Which is very frustrating when the guy I have a crush on keeps hiding from me,” Jensen admits.
It takes Jared a few seconds to register what Jensen just said, but once he does, his mouth hangs open.
Wait.
What?
Jared points at himself. Jensen nods.
“So, can we stop playing the hide-and-seek game already?” Jensen asks innocently.
Jared could melt right there, and then at the doe eyes Jensen throws at him.
“Yes?”
“Was that a question?”
Jared clears his throat. “Yeah. I would like that.”
Jensen smiles widely, and then he reaches over the counter, grabs Jared’s shirt, and pulls Jared towards him, giving him a soft kiss on the lips. Jared feels his heart rush to his ears, and his stomach drop like when you’re on a rollercoaster. Then all he can feel is Jensen’s lips on his and how his stomach flutters. The kiss is short and chaste, but it leaves Jensen’s mark on Jared.
“Would you go on a date with me?” Jensen asks shyly, as if he didn’t just make Jared’s world tilt out of its axis.
Jared nods eagerly. “Hell yeah, I would love to.”
Jensen’s eyes crinkle when he smiles this time, and Jared could get lost in them.
“I’m so glad. Pick you up tomorrow after work?”
“Yes, please.”
“It’s a date,” Jensen says, pulling back. “See you tomorrow, Jared.”
“See you tomorrow, Jensen.”
Jensen then starts to leave. “Hey, Jared?” he says, half turning at the door.
“Yeah?”
“Could you go back to your morning shift? Seeing you there first thing always brightened my day.” Jensen begs.
Jared bites the squeal, trying to leave his mouth. Oh, Jensen is trouble.
And Jared wants to get into this kind of trouble.
“I will.”
Jensen grins and salutes goodbye.
Jared watches him go, and as soon as Jensen is out of sight, his knees start to shake.
“Well, was that so hard?” Genevieve asks, coming out of nowhere.
Jared yelps, then glares at her. “I could murder you.”
Gen pats him on the chest. “I got you to talk to him, right?”
“Warn a guy next time!”
Gen cackles. “What is the fun in that?”
~^FIN^~