Chapter Text
It was like the little idiot always knew when Nox was about to take his break.
To the point he was convinced the blond would just linger outside the shop, somehow just out of Nox's eyesight but apparently still in his, just waiting for when the barista would start to ever slightly turn towards the breakroom, whereupon he would barge into the coffee shop with the loudest, most aggravating "HEYYYY, BUDDY!"
Nevermind the fact "Buddy" wasn't even his name, but apparently literacy rates were down because he was certain the tiny annoyance couldn't read, or was just purposefully ignoring his nametag that most definitely did not say "Buddy", it said "Nox" in very neat cursive, taught to him by Violet herself.
Actually, the more likely possibility was that Chase couldn't read cursive, not that he actually wasn't literate, but it gave Nox some self-satisfaction to think that he could withold information from him like this. The blond had asked, once, for his name, to which Nox had pointed at his nametag with a smug "it's written right here", and Chase had looked at it with scrutinizing eyes before deciding to just dub him as "Buddy" instead.
Yes, Chase was his name, as how could Nox not have memorized it with how often the idiot came to visit. He must really love coffee, or just intruding so rudely on Nox's life, because he came in every single day this month, and he first had visited the shop only the month prior, and Nox could recall that day so clearly because it was the day he nearly put in his two weeks. If he had quit on the spot, then he would've been able to properly throw hands with the little annoyance, but no, instead he had to throw on some stupid "customer service" voice with a plastered smile and feigned niceity, except he had dropped that act upon Chase's second visit because he was not being paid enough to deal with that.
Really, Nox didn't want to be working here in the first place; except he…really had nothing else to be doing in the meantime. Saving up money for college, that's what he had been telling himself, but he wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to do yet — Silver and Violet had been kind enough to offer him a position at the coffee shop they owned, as they would never leave their adopted little brother out in the cold, but they definitely expected him to do his job and not fight with the customers, even if they were the ones who were inciting him first.
He went to turn towards the back, his hand reaching for his neck to remove his apron, when, on queue, the bell ding-ed as the so aggravating, so familiar voice called out his trademarked "HEYYYY, BUDDY!"
Nox groaned as he turned back towards the counter, not even trying to hide how his face fell, how he glared at the blond so. It was so annoying, how he was so pretty to look at, because if that face had been on anyone less bothersome then he certainly would have been charmed. But no, no matter how beautiful he was when silent, the moment he opened his mouth he suddenly turned so repulsive, to the point Nox's cheeks would flush from how irate the blond made him. Certainly that must be the reason he always felt so warm when Chase entered the shop, because his mere presence was enough to make him livid, that was the only explanation.
"Hey man, good to see you too, geez, could you try any other greeting than a groan? People can hear you, you know." Chase tapped the counter as he spoke, somehow finding ways to annoy Nox more. "It's a good thing I'm so nice and won't demand to speak to the manager or anything, because I so totally could and would be so in the right."
Deciding to ignore what he said, Nox bit back a scathing retort and, in the most deadpanned tone, asked, "The usual, then?"
"The usual with three extra pumps of lavender and some caramel drizzle. Around the inside of the cup and on top. Last time there wasn't enough."
"A triple-shot iced white mocha pistachio latte with three pumps of lavender, caramel drizzle, whipped cream, and hazelnut shavings on the top. There's no way this drink actually tastes good, and if you truly think that then you severely need to see a doctor, because your tastebuds are clearly not working correctly." Nox rolled his eyes as he typed the order in, refusing to hide his judgment. "Are there any other abominations you would like to create while you're at it?"
"Dang, man, haven't you ever heard that the customer is always right? You're literally getting paid to have the privilege to make Chase Hollow, Like and Follow's drink. You should be asking for my autograph right now, because it's gonna be worth the big bucks someday, just you wait."
As they bickered back and forth, Chase reached for his wallet and paid his total, and dumped more money in the tip jar than Nox had been expecting. Really, for how aggravating he was, and how annoying his orders were, he never did fail to tip, and always tipped well. Just an insult that maybe he could be tolerable, but chose to be the most bothersome man in the world. The most bothersome one in Nox's world.
He made the drink with practiced ease — how could he not, now, after making this same drink with whatever ridiculous modifications Chase added daily for the past twenty-seven days? Silver encouraged them to draw something "cute" on the cup with each order, but Nox refused to grace Chase with the privilege of seeing his artistic skill, instead opting to write vague insults on the side, this time it being "go see a psychiatrist". Not bothering to call the little idiot's name, he shoved the drink onto the to-go counter; which wasn't a problem, because Chase had been waiting right by the edge of it, way too nosily, in Nox's opinion, trying to see what the black-haired boy was doing behind the counter.
"There, now go take your drink and be someone else's problem for the rest of the day. Preferably, rest of your life."
"Awwww, so nice to see you too, Buds." Chase happily picked up the drink and gave him a wave as he made his way back out the door. "See you tomorrow!"
Nox couldn't even shout back a retort before the blond was out the door, now talking with some freckled boy standing on the sidewalk.
See you tomorrow. Such a casual thing, like they were friends. Like Chase was looking forward to it.
And maybe, deep down, Nox was, too.
Deacon looked down at the disaster of a drink Chase was holding in his hand, which was very quickly shoved into his own once they had walked their way out of sight of the café.
"Here, Deacon, you drink this, there's no way I'm putting this in my body. Plus I don't know if the syrup they use has gluten in it and I'm not about to try risking it."
The freckled man paused, briefly shocked at Chase's audacity. "Excuse me? You expect me to drink this thing? Why'd you even get it in the first place?"
Chase shrugged as he quickened his pace before Deacon could force it back into his hands. "Usually I just throw it out, actually, but you're here today so I can dump it onto you instead."
"So you don't even bother drinking anything you order there? Why even get this, then?"
Letting out a sigh, Chase tilted his head up to the sky, totally being way too dramatic. "He's so dreamy when he's pissed off. I keep making it more and more complicated just to see the expression on his face. Can't wait to see what he'll do with next week's order."
"Dude. You need to get a grip on reality." Passing by a trash can, Deacon dumped the iced mocha into the trash, essentially throwing Chase's $11 down the drain.
"Yeah, probably, but he's totally gonna fall for me one of these days." He gave a wink to Deacon, who could only groan at his cousin's antics. "Just you wait, that's gonna be your future cousin-in-law someday."
Said cousin dragged his hands down his face, probably wondering if you could somehow disown your own cousin. "Stop, stop. Just stop. You're delusional."
The two of them playfully bickered as they walked off, leaving behind a disgruntled barista who was now finally free to take his much-desired break, who would be spending it thinking of the blond-headed boy who had so rudely decided to insert himself into his life.