AN: So, this is my attempt at writing a Cherry story, because I've fallen in love with this pairing, it's practically my OTP. (: So, please review if you like it, and I'll write more Cherry stuff. :D The time is set after Rachel and Finn broke up during the top half of season 2. (: Then it goes through the rest of the season as the chapters develop. (:
It was December of Rachel's junior year, an important time for her. She should be focusing on college choices and exams, but all she could think about was her recent problems with Finn, though they hadn't broken up yet, she felt like he was at his breaking point. She was walking the streets past small shops and restaurants that were closed due to the time, with a pea coat wrapped around her small frame and earmuffs on her head. Her nose was now red due to the cold and she felt a fleck of wetness hit her cheek. She looked around in confusion and noticed the small flurries of snow falling around her.
She continued to walk at her current pace, not minding the flakes until they began to fall harder around her, already sticking to the ground. She knew she wouldn't be able to make it to her house in time before this turned into a full on blizzard, so maybe she was exaggerating but she wanted out of the snow. She looked around the area she was in for a store, or at this point anything, that hadn't closed for the night. After scanning her surroundings she noticed a small coffee shop with a flashing sign that read, "Open." She started walking towards it but before she could make it a few steps it seemed like the sky had opened, dropping it's entire supply of snow. Her walked turned into a light jog as she reached the door of the small café.
She pulled the door open quickly and then pushed it closed behind her before breathing a sigh of relief. She looked around the quaint place and noticed she was the only person there except for the dark haired barista who seemed to not notice her entrance, his back being turned to the door. She hesitantly walked up to the counter, pulling her gloves off as she reached the register, the man behind the counter not responding to her actions.
"Excuse me," she said softly, her voice not filled with confidence like it usually was, almost not sounding like herself.
"What can I help you with?" He said as he turned around a bowl from a blender in hand, a rag in the other wiping it clean. He saw her and looked her up and down before his face contorted in confusion. "Rachel?" he said and stopped cleaning the bowl.
"Mike?" She questioned and leaned forward to look at his face closer, past the shadows of the cap he had to wear as part of his uniform, recognizing the Asian boy from Glee club. "Um, hey," she said sort of surprised to see him.
"Hey," he said turning around to set the bowl in the sink behind him. He grabbed a paper towel and threw the rag in hand over his shoulder and turned back to her while drying his hands off. "What are you doing out with this going on?" He nodded towards the front window of the coffee shop, referring to the torrential snowstorm outside. She noticed exactly how hard it was snowing and could barely see the sidewalk, the snow having built up on the ground already. This made her realize how grateful she was having found this place open.
She hesitated slightly at his question. She was actually out buying Finn's Christmas present, having already shopped for everybody else. She knew she didn't have to actually get him anything so she just went to pick out some stationary for her idea and get it wrapped. Despite her perfectionist exterior, she was actually horrendous at wrapping presents. Telling Mike this would probably raise some questions, so she just chose a broad answer.
"Christmas shopping," she said succinctly and he nodded in understanding, her being glad that he didn't pry as to why exactly she didn't have any bags. He tossed the paper towel off into a waste basket.
"Well, now that you're here, what can I get you?" He said with a small smile. This was the first time she'd actually talked to Mike without the rest of the Glee club around, or anybody else for that matter. Had she really ever had a conversation with him? She couldn't remember when she had.
"A hot chocolate would be nice," she said returning his smile, pushing her gloves into the pocket of her jacket. He nodded and then turned back to a machine, pressing a few buttons and placing a cup in the required spot. He hopped up on to a bare spot on the counter, the area around the machine having been cleaned off due to the lack of customers at this time. While the machine made a few sputtering noises she pulled her jacket off revealing a form fitting sweater with a horse on the front and a plaid skirt with tights. She pulled her earmuffs off, as well, laying both items on the counter in front of her, the temperature in the café rather comfortable. She walked around the counter confidently, noticing a spot on the other side of the machine open. She hopped up placing her hands on the edge, her feet swinging slightly as Mike grabbed a sleeve and top for the hot chocolate without moving off the counter. He handed it over to her.
"One hot chocolate," he said, not seeming to mind her boldness in coming behind the counter. He actually enjoyed it seeing as the last customer he had left about an hour and a half ago. She grabbed the hot chocolate eagerly and put it to her lips to take a sip. He realized her mistake right away and reached his hand out to stop her before she drank, but he was a little late. The scolding hot liquid burned her tongue causing her to squeal slightly as she pulled the cup away from her mouth.
"Ow, that hurt!" She said as if she was astonished that the hot chocolate had burned her. He laughed at her shock and stood up walking over to a container with ice in it. He grabbed a cup, scooped some ice into and walked back over and stood across from her, handing her the cup. She took it out of his hand, sitting the hotter one down as he leaned back against the opposite counter. She pulled a piece of ice out of the cup and stuck her tongue out and held the piece there.
"Thanks," she said with her tongue still out, sounding completely ridiculous. He laughed at her sitting there trying to ease her pain, it wasn't funny she was in pain, but funny he was seeing her like this. She laughed with him before he responded.
"No problem," he said with a bit of arrogance in his voice, as if he had accomplished something in walking over and getting her ice. "Better?" He said after a moment, raising his eyebrows in questioning.
She nodded and pulled the ice off of her tongue. "I guess you see this a lot, huh?" She said referring to her burnt tongue, he did work in a coffee shop, she was sure there were other people who didn't think before taking a sip of a hot drink.
"Not as often as you'd think," he said with a smile. "I just didn't think my regular warning of, "Be careful, it's hot" was necessary." It was required by him during business hours, like every statement he made was, he stuck to a script when he worked here. She rolled her eyes at him.
"I'll have you know, I knew it was hot," she said and crossed her arms in front of her chest with a small amount of anger. He laughed at her.
"So, then you decided to drink it all at once anyway," he moved to grab the cup of ice she was done with, poured the ice in the sink and then walked to throw away the cup. She looked out the window to see the snow had slowed down enough to where she was comfortable walking, and let out a small humph and hopped off the counter, grabbing her hot chocolate.
"I should be going," she said with an attitude and began to walk around to grab her jacket and earmuffs. He laughed at her pouting and tossed the cup in the trash.
"I guess I'll be seeing you in Glee club," he said now back behind the register, arms crossed on the counter, looking up at her. She nodded, pulled her jacket on and put her earmuffs around her neck. She put on her gloves as well and then picked up her hot chocolate, which had cooled down some. She turned to walk out the door only to be stopped by him saying something.
"Hope you enjoy your drink," he said smiling as she turned back around to face him. She smiled at him despite her being slightly annoyed.
"Thank you, Mike." She replied and thensuddenly realized something she hadn't thought about and began digging through her pockets, frantically. "Oh! I forgot to pay you," she said making her way back to the counter.
"It's on me," he said and pulled his wallet out of his jeans pocket. He had pulled out a 5, opened the register, and put it in before she had time to respond. She sighed and stopped looking through her pockets.
"Bye, Mike," she said and turned to leave again, pulling her earmuffs up to their right place on her head.
"Bye, Rachel," he smiled as she left, toting the hot chocolate and walking on the now snow covered ground. She gave one last look through the window and waved to him, to which he returned the wave, and she continued to walk to her house. He then felt bad for letting her walk in the snow that could get worse any minute. She was his friend, and he wasn't completely heartless. He hopped over the counter, something he learned with practice, and ran to the door and walked outside into the snow, only covered by his smock and a short sleeved white shirt.
"Hey, Rachel?" he said causing her to turn around in shock. She raised an eyebrow at him and then walked over to where she was only standing a short distance away.
"Yes?" she questioned and looked at him as if he'd just interrupted some important event. The snow was falling and sticking to his hair and she wanted to reach up and brush it off as it was beginning to look like dandruff and grossed her out. She pushed the thought away as he began to talk.
"Umm, do you need a ride home?" He said one hand scratching the back of his head, the other jutting his thumb toward his car. She was kind of taken back by his offer, most people would have just let her walk home in the slush.
"That would be great, thank you," She said still gripping her hot chocolate to try and keep her already freezing hands warm.
"No problem, let me just close up." He said and turned to walk back inside the coffee shop, leaving her outside waiting. He moved around quickly, pulling the light on the open sign, putting the chairs up on the few tables that were scattered throughout, grabbing his coat from behind the counter and pulling it on as he walked back outside to her.
"We're good to go," he said and walked to his car, opening the door for her, and closing it as she got in and buckled her seatbelt. He walked around to his door, getting in, starting the car, and putting the heat on full blast. Then, he pulled away from the coffee shop, who knew that one day he would appreciate that place much more than he did now.
"I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much All of the while I never knew"