As the leaves of summer began to fall, a certain white-haired young man paced around a coffee shop, discontent with his job as a humble barista in the backwater town of Berk. As a matter of fact, he worked in the ONLY coffee place in the tiny town. He sighed glumly and leaned on the counter, watching the maroon leaves shower down as they were shed by the trees in preparation for winter. Nobody wants coffee in autumn, I'm stuck here wasting my time for minimum wage, he thought as he checked his watch and decided to mop the floor for the seventh time that day.
The door creaked as it was pushed open, in a blatant contradiction of the sign on its front. "Hey, you, the sign says PULL, dumbass! Can't you read?!", he yelled, occupied with a persistent stain on the carpet. With a sigh and a roll of the eyes, the new arrival shook his chocolate-coloured hair, gold-flecked locks sweeping across his face.
"Well, why don't you just bite my head off, then? What does it matter to you, anyway?", a snarky voice replied.
Highly annoyed by the sarcastic stranger, Jack dropped the mop and began to shout. "Well, for one, you scrape dust EVERYWHERE. Two, you just pushed a TON of leaves in here, which I now have to sweep up! Lastly, you're COVERED in leaves and you're dropping them everywhere! Does nobody appreciate the barista these days?" Jack began to wave his arms about hysterically. "I make your wake-up juice! Worship me!"
He huffed for several moments, exhausted by the sudden outburst. "Done yet, caffeine queen? I need a drink," shot the newcomer. Scowling, the barista shuffled off to the counter, but not without catching a sly glance of the customer's rear end on the way. He straightened back up and stared at the boy from behind the cashier. "So, who are you and what do you want, anyway? I don't have all day."
The reply came, sarcastic as before. "Oh really? From what I see, you DO seem to have all day. I wonder where all the customers have gone, don't you? My name is Hiccup and I'm paying your wages, thanks very much. I'll have a latte, NO whipped cream." Jack nodded, fully intending to mess the order up somehow as payback. "That'll be six fifty." As the money was dropped onto the counter, he walked behind the giant machine that dominated the counter. Several minutes of hissing and whirring ensued, before the drink came out from its mystical preparation area and began its journey towards Hiccup.
As he dropped the mug onto the table, its occupant glared at him, unamused by the drink. "I did ask for NO whipped cream specifically, and what's this...thing doing here? A crudely drawn penis awaited him, accompanied by Jack's impish grin at the brunette's response to the latte art. The tips of his ears reddened and he grimaced, frowning, before turning to look at the giggling creator of the beverage. "But, sir, this is your drink, sir. Please enjoy. I took a lot of trouble for you, dear customer," sputtered Jack mirthfully.
"This is NOT a latte, you bumbling idiot. This is coffee abuse," ranted the irate customer. He stood up and glared at the barista, furious.
"I'm sorry it wasn't up to your standards, sir. You sure are. In fact, you surpass MY standards. Flying colours."
The brunette took a step back at this remark, and a tinge of red bled into his cheeks. "I am not amused. See if you get my business again! Good day," he stated bluntly, walking out the door. Jack simply watched blankly, with a wistful smile on his face as Hiccup stormed out of the store only to trip and fall into a pile of leaves. Hmm, I wonder how all those leaves got in here, he thought, still watching intently. A small shower of leaves now covered the entirety of the shop. As he relaxed in one of the shop's comfy sofas, he decided to leave that problem for another day.
The next day was again, calm and full of autumn leaves. Hiccup walked dejectedly along a pavement, dreading what was to come. Dry leaves crunched under his feet, fallen from the trees that now bared themselves in the face of winter. Not that winter ever really ended in Berk. Hoping for a miracle, he turned a corner to face THAT café. Just his luck. That idiotic barista was still there. Dear Thor, it just COULDN'T have been someone else, with his luck. He considered turning back and running away as fast as he could, but with his current caffeine-deprived condition, he'd be lucky to run two steps, let alone the half a mile back to his house. He was already starting to stagger, leaning to one side. As he watched the white-haired young man watch him from the window, he thought back to the previous day, when he'd been hit on. What kind of idiot does that? Maybe a cute one, the voice in his head suggested. As he shoved THAT thought to the back of his mind, he sighed and ventured forth, into the lion's den.
The welcome bells jingled as he pulled the door open, not wishing to test the patience of the only man who could help him in his time of need.
"Right, it's you again. Please, do me a favour and don't try to hit on me. I don't have the energy for that. I spent a whole day sitting half-dead at my desk and right now I'm going to collapse if you don't get me my coffee."
His legs began shaking again, and he wobbled onto a chair, unable to stand any longer. He had the look of a man on his deathbed, resigned to his fate. With his last ounce of strength, he managed a crooked, pleading smile. Jack smiled, finding the brunette at his mercy once again. The pleading look on his face told it all, anyway. He'd wrestle a bear for a single espresso bean. Not that his small frame could actually handle that, mind. Probably snap in half, by the looks of it. He already looked like he was going to collapse at any moment. He disappeared behind the fuming beast of a machine, and flipped a switch. Lights began blinking on and off, making it resemble a coffee-based Christmas tree.
After several minutes of whirring, the coffee guru walked back out of the staff area, and handed a bubbling cup of murky liquid to his DARLING customer. An overwhelming aroma of freshly-brewed coffee filled the vicinity, and the boy shuddered at the sight of the potent drink, a solitary tear falling from his left eye. As he took a sip from the cup, his eyes widened suddenly, colour returning to his vision. The hair on his arms stood up and he adopted a wild stare. Drinking the rest of the beverage greedily, his movements became steadily more twitchy and abrupt. With a satisfied sigh, he placed the mug onto the table and jumped up. "Well, it seems you enjoyed it, sir. That'll be twenty-five dollars.", stated Jack. The response he received was less than appropriate. After all, eye dilation, a gasp and fainting aren't exactly what you would expect. Or anyone, for that matter. He giggled for a moment, and picked the boy up, replacing him on the sofa. He'd sleep it off, the lightweight. Frankly, the ever-suave imp would have paid for it anyway, but that was for him to know, not Hiccup. Besides, tormenting him was much more fun. As he watched the sleeping patron, an idea wormed its way into his mind. Why not set up a surprise for him?
Hiccup's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself sitting in a cushioned chair in a familiar room. With a groan, he realised that he was still in the café, having collapsed about three hours prior, from the looks of it. The sun had already begun setting, casting a golden light over the entire landscape. He simply admired the shadows cast by the furniture for a few minutes, and decided to get far, far away from
the shop before that troublemaker had a chance to check on him. He got up, turning around to face the door. Suddenly, a flash of blue and white came into sight, making a truly frightful noise. A shriek escaped his lips unconsciously, before he noticed Jack standing beside the chair, doubled over in laughter. He stared disdainfully at the red-faced rascal.
"Y-you shoulda seen your FACE! It was hilarious. I mean, your face is enough to laugh at normally, but that, that was pure comedy gold."
A scowl worked its way onto Hiccup's face, and he raised an open hand, slapping hard enough to leave a mark on Jack's face. Well, at least that had gotten him to shop laughing. A hurt expression replaced the smile, and the glimmer in his eyes dulled. Guilt overwhelmed Hiccup, and he pulled Jack into a hug, patting his back.
"There, there, I'm sorry. Just don't laugh at me ever again. Or else. You'll regret it, I assure you."
Behind his back, Jack grinned, satisfied with his dramatic victory. He returned the favour, wrapping his arms around the other. He felt surprisingly warm, soft hair brushing against his ear. Pulling away, he grinned awkwardly.
"You're forgiven. Just remember that I'm the worst person ever. Never expect me to improve. Ever. I'm a hopeless case, Hiccup."
The two boys broke out into giggles, falling into chairs on either side of the wood-lined glass table. The moment was suddenly interrupted by the welcome bells announcing the arrival of a new customer. A sprightly woman, clad in brilliant neon colours walked in, noting the new visitor. The breeze ruffled her multi-coloured hair, sweeping it to the front. After sweeping it back, she rushed over to Jack, and stuck her fingers in his mouth fanatically.
"Anna, na, don't, Anna, stah, stah, not the teeth, not the teeth."
He swatted her hands away, and introduced her to Hiccup. "Hiccup, this is Anna Zabek, fellow coffee maniac. She has a slightly unsettling fascination with my teeth. She also wears the brightest clothes ever. I have no idea how she makes it work. Go ask her. So, Anna, what sort of liquid heart attack are you asking for this time?"
"Well, I have some work to do, unlike you, sitting here twelve hours a day and getting paid for it because the owner's off taking cruises everywhere. Get me six of your strongest brew, boy. That might keep me awake tonight. What kind of highway robbery are you charging tonight?"
"The usual, a hundred dollars. Your drinks will be ready shortly. Take a seat. Please don't ruin anything, I have to clean it up afterwards. Hiccup, follow me. I'll show you into the heart of the beast that is Berk's Finest Coffee."
A mechanical enthusiast, he followed Jack eagerly, through the staff counter's turnstile. Odd choice of entrance, he thought. Meanwhile, Anna had noticed the carpet of leaves that littered the store's wooden floors. New addition to the decor for autumn, perhaps. She examined the shelf beside the table, searching for whichever utensil would be the most annoying to clean.
The two boys stopped in front of a hissing, chrome-plated monstrosity labeled, aptly, The Destroyer.
"Flagship model, bought 25 years ago. We've named her Bertha. She acts up at exactly 11.52 am every Wednesday, and you have to smack her right in the logo. Beans go in the hoppers up there," He pointed to two glass towers protruding from the top of the machine. "And water gets piped in from the main supply. Now, to satisfy Anna."
He twisted a dial, bringing several gauges into the red, and then flicked a switch, triggering a sudden humming from within. A large metal jug was placed under the main nozzle, and Jack ran to retrieve supplies. Soon, he was carrying a handful of cups and a cardboard tray.
"Right, you need to be careful with this stuff. It's thick. Pour slowly, and never, under any circumstances, shake the jug. Ever."
"Yeah, yeah, pour, how hard could it be to serve coffee?"
With a knowing smile, Jack simply stepped back and watched. Hiccup poured a black goo into five of the cups, filling the sixth halfway before encountering an issue. He stared into the receptacle, finding a lump of muck stuck within. He tipped the jug upside down, shaking it. Without warning, the lump liquified and came loose from the base of the jug, coinciding exactly with Hiccup's jerk upwards. This unfortunate coincidence resulted in contact with his face, splattering it with very thick coffee.
"Don't say I didn't warn you. I tried."
Coffee grounds dripping from his hair, the brunette glared at Jack. The freckles that covered his face had now been joined by many tiny droplets of murky, caffeinated water. He dropped the jug onto the ground with a loud clang, and stormed out of the store, not unlike his exit the previous day. Sighing with exasperation, the barista picked up Anna's drinks and brought them around to the customer area. The tiny lady looked up, having been mashing cinnamon powder sugar and milk together in a cinnamon press. He cleared his throat, causing her to jump.
"Well, hello, there. I see you've managed to make someone walk out already. So, tell me about this Hiccup character. He seems interesting enough."
"He came in yesterday, asking for a latte. Pushed the door open and left leaves everywhere, so I went ahead and gave him a nice latte art dick. That got him mad, and he walked out. Today he was all desperate for his wake-up juice, and started begging me. Gave him one of the strong brews. A little shock and he's out. Bit of a lightweight if you ask me."
The woman, knowing Jack better than he suspected, was already aware of what was happening. "You like him, don't you? Somewhere deep in your black, coffee-infused heart, you've got a little spark, just waiting for him. Waiting to grab him, and kiss him, and screw his little socks off. And then you'll cuddle up together in bed and watch him sleep, like the pervy little devil you are."
Blushing severely, the barista mumbled incoherently and ran for the safety of the staff area. Anna chuckled, grinning. Well, no coffee like free coffee. Mooching off Jack was easy enough with the right tricks. As she walked out, she noticed a trail of leaves heading to the right and all the way down the street. Shrugging, she disregarded it and kept walking, planning an art marathon in her apartment that night.