A Triple Shot of Love: Di Zucchero
Alfred arrived at work with a glowing expression on his face Kiku noticed the change in him from yesterday's saddened one, "What has you in such a good mood Alfred?" Alfred turns half way looking at Kiku, "Oh… nothing…I guess its just the weather getting to me… it is almost spring after all," he smiled.

Kiku looked at him a little longer as if inspecting him, "Sometimes…even I can't figure you out Alfred," he lightly smiled and continued serving the customers. Alfred went to the back, put up his things up and changed into his uniform. As he walked back through the door into the front of the shop he peered around to see if Ivan had shown up at all.

He hadn't. Alfred couldn't grasp why he had these feelings for someone had just met, but he intended to follow through on them.

Later that day Alfred sat in front of the window slowly eating his lunch, watching the people go by. He sighed, "Where is he?" Alfred finished his meal and tossed the wrapper in the trash. Alfred's shift was drawing to a close within the next hour or so since he had errands to run.

He moved his finger around in small circle as he placed his cheek against his hand; he drifted off into his thoughts about what he had to do once work was over. He was so fixated on errands and the Russian man that he didn't even notice the bell ring when the door opened.

The man approached him and spoke softly, waiting for a reply. The blonde continued to stare off into space until he noticed something white out of the corner of his eye. He quickly came back down to earth once he noticed who it was.

He looked up and saw Ivan towering over him, "I-Ivan…I thought you wouldn't show up in time," he said softly while blushing, his eyes introverted to meet the floor's smooth tile.

Ivan replied, "Da. I'm sorry… I had something to take care of and it took up most of my time," he smiled.

"O-Oh that's okay," Alfred was now blushing from Ivan being so close to him, he quickly changed the subject. "Hey Ivan…I've been meaning to ask… do you like the Navy Pier?" Alfred waited for a reply.

"Navy…Pier?" he scratched the side of his head. "I don't think I've ever been there before...What is it?" Ivan questioned as he turned his head slightly. Alfred looked at him slightly surprised, "You mean you don't know?" he asked softly.

Ivan laughed a little as he explained to Alfred how he was not from Chicago and how he moved there only about six months ago from Russia. The American smiled and began telling Ivan about the pier.

"Well… the Navy Pier is basically a pier on the lakefront used for attractions, shops and food. It's really fun… I like going there," Alfred smiled.

Alfred's face immediately became tinted with a light shade of pink again, "W-Well I… I was wondering… if you weren't doing anything tomorrow… would like to go with me?" he looked down after the question was asked waiting for an answer.

Ivan looked at the blonde with a small smile creasing his lips, "Well actually… If you don't have anything planned tonight we could go…it's your choice though," Ivan's heart began to beat a little faster.

"That sounds nice…and then maybe we can talk some more," Alfred knew that he said "talk" but he really wanted to feel those soft lips against his again. Ivan nodded his head, "Da. That would be nice…" he smiled thinking back to last night when he kissed Alfred in his sleep.

Alfred smiled as he looked up at the clock to see what time it was, "We can leave in a little bit, I just have to finish cleaning really quickly okay?" Alfred looked up at Ivan with a glowing expression on his face.

Ivan nodded and took a seat over at one of the small coffee tables in order to wait for him. As he sat watching the blonde move from table to table wiping them off and disregarding any trash left behind he let the rest of the day that he would spend with Alfred play out in his head.

He thought of ways he could get closer to Alfred, "Maybe we can take a boat ride alone…or maybe some type of game…I could win him something or maybe the…" Ivan's thinking was interrupted by the sweet voice again.

"All right we can head out now Ivan," the American looked back at Ivan with his blue eyes catching the violet ones in a soft glance as he smiled. A couple of minutes the two left Café Aroma behind and began walking towards Michigan Avenue to take the river taxi over to the Navy Pier.

Once on the boat Ivan gazed down into the teal river as the setting sun's colors melted into the vast body of water. Alfred let his head lean back to face the sky filled with clouds outlined and tinted in light pinks and soft oranges. With in the next seven minutes or so they approached land again.

They proceeded to get off of the boat and walk towards the giant Ferris wheel that could be seen looming over them from the distance. Ivan looked up at it, his eyes peering up at the boxes which contained people who gazed back down towards the ground.

Alfred looked over towards Ivan, whose violet eyes were still fixated on the Ferris wheel, "So…what do you want to do first Ivan?" Alfred could feel his face starting to heat up again. Ivan focused on the small blonde, "W-what do you suggest?" he looked down slightly. "Since I've never been here before…" he smiled.

"Well what about the swing ride? I heard it's even better when the sun starts to go down because all the lights come on," Alfred says as he starts to walk towards the line with tickets already in hand.

Ivan follows behind him looking at the ride in front of him. As the two get closer they can her cheerful music reverberating from the ride as the old passengers get off so that the new ones can take their place.

Ivan and Alfred entered with the crowd and found a two seated swing and sit together in as others around them move from place to place gradually finding their seats. Ivan and Alfred secured themselves in the seats as they waited for everyone else to do the same.

In the next instant the ride began rotating and the ground began to move farther away from them as they were lifted into the air. The music blared on in the background as the cheerful screams of children and adults could be heard around them. Alfred was laughing as he peered down at the ground and then back at Ivan.

Ivan looked around him and glanced out into the now dark sky as lights illuminated the ride from top to bottom. He was enjoying himself, he couldn't remember the last time he had had fun like this…with another person.

He glanced over at the blonde and was immediately fixed on him. Ivan noticed his demeanor; his glowing smile and his soft hair being blown back by the wind just enough to expose his soft lightly tanned neck.

Ivan found himself looking at Alfred more intently; following an imaginary line against the contours of his body. Everything around him seemed non existent accept for Alfred and him; he wanted to feel those lips against his again.

"Ivan? What's wrong?" Alfred looked over towards the distracted Russian. Ivan blinked before he realized he was staring at the blonde. "I-It's nothing…" Ivan tried to look away but he found himself infatuated with those cyan eyes looking back into his.

As two hours went by Ivan and Alfred found themselves finishing up dinner at a restaurant and heading towards the end of the pier. "Wait…"Ivan called out. Alfred looked at him, "What's the matter?" Alfred asked.

"W-Well it's just that…we never went on the Ferris wheel," Ivan stated as he looked in the direction of the giant attraction only a few feet away from them.

Alfred replied, "Oh! You're right…I said we should go and then I completely forget," he said smiling gently. "Well let's head over there! It'd be a great way to end the night," he took Ivan's hand and began running towards the line.

Ivan blushed when he felt Alfred's hand grasping at his; "It's so warm…" he thought to himself as he and Alfred approached the car and got inside. As they began to rise slowly it was quiet for a moment, "What should I say…now's my chance to say it…"Ivan thought to himself.

He looked at Alfred and smiled lightly, "This is nice…" he said softly as he could feel his heart speeding up in his chest.

Alfred nodded and looked out of the window as he fidgeted with his fingers trying to find the right words to say to Ivan, " Um…Ivan I…" Alfred's face was tinted a deep red by the blush across his cheeks.

Ivan was at a loss for words for a moment until he remembered who he was; he inhaled deeply and sighed, "Alfred…there's a reason I wanted us to come on this ride," he looked into those cyan eyes again as he paused.

Alfred remained quiet as he listened to Ivan speak, "I wanted to say something…I just don't know how to do it with out messing up…" he sighed as he looked down.

"I-It's just that I really…like you Alfred…" Ivan's cheeks became flushed as he looked away and out of the window next to him. "I was wondering…if I could keep seeing you. I-It's your choice though…" he sat quietly again.

"Ivan…" Alfred let the man's name slip from his lips slowly as he stared with slightly widened eyes at the violet ones inverted towards the ground below them. "I-It was weird of me to say…I knew it. N-Never mind I just…" Ivan's stuttering was cut off by the American's lips pressed firmly against his.

Suddenly it felt as if time had stopped around him as Alfred deepened the kiss, "Better than the first time," he smiled as he leaned against Ivan. The Russian thought to himself; "The first time?" his eyes widened, "You mean you were…" Alfred smiled as he brought the two of them together again with a soft kiss.

Ivan's tight body began to loosen under the soft petal like lips of the blonde on top of him. The Ferris wheel began its descent back down to earth as both men continued to taste each other through the kisses that they placed gently against each other's bodies.

As Ivan and Alfred left the Ferris wheel they departed hand in hand with each other; the soft spring breeze enveloping the two of them in praise of having finally found one another in the vast city before them.

Days turned into weeks and eventually shifted into months as Ivan and Alfred's feelings for each other grew even stronger. Alfred couldn't believe that the entire relationship started because of him being late; he smiled to himself as he made his way to work. He was nervous about what would happen in the next couple of hours when Ivan came into the café for his daily visit. Alfred planned this date about a week in advance and he had been keeping it a secret; tonight he promised himself that he would let Ivan know how he truly felt.


Okay so I never got a chance to do this but I'm going to quickly go over the different chapter's names and meanings. ^_^

Triple Shot: This is pretty simple. It just means three shots of espresso…hope you don't plan on sleeping anytime soon. I thought it would be such a cute starter title since Alfred works at the café.

Macchiato: (Means stained or marked)Either it's a serving of espresso that's "stained" or marked with a little bit of frothed milk or vise versa in that its frothed milk "stained" with espresso.

Affogato: (Means drowned) This is a coffee based dessert which uses either a scoop vanilla gelato or ice cream. A hot shot of espresso is then poured over the ice cream.

Di zucchero: It just means sugar. I thought it'd be cute because it matches up with the feeling towards the end.

Thank you for reading so far! There is still more to come ^_^ Please continue to rate. I really appreciate it!