The blue haired barista was good at his job. Him and his cafe continuously got praised for their renowned skills. Though he only had to prep the coffee, the blue haired boy did his best on every cup by adding something special. Kuroko Tetsuya loved to make coffee for people. He loved being able to relieve the stress from people's shoulders with just one sip of coffee.

Akashi was always grumpy. The redhead obviously didn't like working every day but he needed the money to survive in the world. His shoulders were slumped over from the heavy amounts of stress and all he wanted was to relax. As he walked down the street, his eyes filled with depression. A voice called out to him,

"Sir, would you like to try some coffee? We have one that'll soothe anyone."

Akashi turned to see a blond man smiling at him. The redhead shrugged and decided that it wouldn't kill him to get a coffee. He walked into the store and smelled the roasted coffee beans, milk and sugar. It was a beautiful smell that just made him feel warm. He sat down at a table and noticed there wasn't a menu. He called for a waiter and the blonde came rushing to him.

"How may I help you?" he asked, that cheerful smile still glued to his face.

"There's no menu…" Akashi muttered, confused at how this cafe functioned without a menu. The blonde laughed a bit and said,

"It's alright, your order will be here soon and all cups are only 2 dollars."

Akashi felt a tug of amusement as he watched the waiter leave to serve others. The redhead was curious now; he wanted to know what this cafe was capable of.

About five minutes later, the blonde lightly placed a cup in front of him. The coffee was a rich brown colour and the coffee art was a picture of lavender. The redhead observed the cup in front of him and then picked it up. He took a very small sip, expecting it to be scalding hot to the point where it would singe his taste buds. But it was warm. Not hot. It was the perfect temperature for Akashi to not burn his tongue off. He took another sip and smiled down at his cup as if it was a newborn baby. The taste was wonderful, it had a special kind of flavor to it that had nothing to do with coffee and Akashi immediately felt relaxed. The redhead loved the taste so much that he asked for another cup.

The blonde smiled and skipped off to place the order. He came back five minutes later and placed the cup in front of Akashi. This time the coffee looked different and the art was of a rose. The redhead took a large gulp, now knowing it most likely wouldn't be boiling hot. It was equally as good as the first one. The taste was different though; there was a peculiar taste that made it different from other coffee shops.

The redhead called for the blonde and asked him, "Can I meet who made this…" Akashi looked at the blonde's name tag, "Kise-san?"

The blonde looked doubtful and he shook his head, "Unfortunately, our barista is a bit on the shy side and he doesn't like to…socialize. I'll ask him though."

Kise ran off and then came out with a tall tanned boy who had his arms crossed. The boy said, "I'm Aomine Daiki and I'm the barista's friend. He's really shy about these things so he refuses to come out."

Akashi felt disappointed and then said, "That's fine. However, please tell him that his coffee is amazing and that it cheered me up."

Aomine smirked, "Of course and Tetsu's coffee can cheer up anyone, he makes it so that it happens."

"What do you mean by that?" Akashi asked.

Kise spoke this time, "He observes every customer that walks in and based on their actions, he's able to determine their emotional state and then he makes a cup to either relieve it or make their mood even better."

Akashi became more curious about this barista. His eyes darted towards the tiny kitchen and they locked with baby blue eyes staring right at him. When the eye contact was made, the boy with blue eyes hastily tried to hide. The redhead smiled, thanked the waiters, paid and then left.

Akashi came back every day for a cup of coffee, since he was always feeling down after work. Each time, the flavor changed. The redhead began to take notes on what was infused with his coffee. After a week or so, he had a pretty long list and he was determined to meet the boy with the blue eyes. He called Kise over once more and asked,

"Are you sure I can't meet him, Kise?"

The blonde sighed, "This is like the seventh time you've asked. I'll ask him again."

A few minutes later, Kise came back with a surprised look on his face, "He said that if you want to meet him, you'd have to wait until everyone leaves and that his friends, so the others and I, can be present while you two are talking."

Akashi nodded, "That's fine. I'll wait then."

Hours passed, the redhead sat there and watched people come and go. He glanced at the small kitchen from time to time and saw those blue eyes again. Those bright eyes observed a new customer for a few minutes and then disappeared. Only seconds later did Kise walk out with a cup of coffee. Akashi saw this pattern happen over and over again. He even ended up drawing those blue eyes on his notebook. From time to time, the redhead was able to see tuffs of blue hair when the boy turned to make coffee.

I feel like a highschool girl who's in love… Akashi thought to himself with a smile.

Finally when the store was closing up. Aomine and Kise walked out with two other people. They smiled and introduced themselves,

"I'm Midorima Shintaro, the store manager."

"I'm Murasakibara Atsushi, I make all the sweets."

Akashi acknowledged their introductions and said, "Akashi Seijuro, I work as a manga artist."

None of them said anything for a while until they heard someone yell in the kitchen, "Kuroko! Stop grabbing onto me! You're the one who said you would meet him!"

A tall redhead dragged a smaller blue haired boy out of the kitchen; the blue haired boy was quick to conceal himself behind his friend. The taller redhead smiled at Akashi and said, "I'm Kagami Taiga, I help Kuroko with the coffee."

The blue haired boy gripped Kagami's sleeve and kept his face pressed against the redhead's back. Kagami noticed that the blue haired boy was trembling so he said, "The one behind me is Kuroko Tetsuya, he's the barista."

Akashi smiled and said, "It's nice to meet all of you. To Kuroko, I really love the coffee that you make me and I appreciate your help in cheering me up."

The redhead pulled out his notebook and read out the notes he had made, "Lavender, rose, chamomile, jasmine and mandarin. These are all things that help relieve stress, depression and fatigue, right?"

Kuroko nodded slightly, moving to peek out from Kagami's arms.

"Thank you. From the depths of my heart…" Akashi moved and lightly took Kuroko's hand. He kissed the back of it before Kuroko could pull away, causing the blue haired boy to blush, "Thank you so much."

He then picked up his briefcase and waved, "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Once Akashi was gone, Kuroko slumped down to the floor and tried to hide his red face. Kise grinned, "Kurokocchi, you've fallen hard for Akashicchi, haven't you?"

Kagami picked him up from the ground and rubbed his hair, "Just keep doing what you're doing. From the looks of it, this Akashi guy has fallen for you too."

The next day, Akashi came back to have a cup of coffee. This time the coffee art was of a heart and the taste was wonderful. Even though there was nothing infused with it, the redhead guessed that the heart meant 'infused with love'. Akashi smiled and then saw those blue eyes on him. He waved and saw Kuroko quickly disappear from embarrassment. The redhead chuckled and then continued to draw his ideas out onto a piece of paper. When Akashi was about to leave, Kise stopped him and said,

"Kurokocchi asks, 'Can you stay a bit longer?'. His words, not mine."

The redhead smiled slightly, "Tell him that if he can tell me himself tomorrow, then I'll stay every day until closing time."

The blonde nodded and let Akashi leave. When Kise told Kuroko about what Akashi had said, the blue haired boy responded,

"Thank you, Kise-kun. I'll try my best."

The next day, Akashi got another cup of coffee with a heart. The redhead drank the coffee and worked in the cafe. After a while, he decided to go back to his apartment. Akashi made sure to move slowly, figuring that Kuroko would have a hard time actually telling him to stay. The cafe wasn't busy, there were only six people, including Akashi, so the redhead hoped that the blue haired boy would come out of his hiding place. As he was walking out the door, he felt someone grab his hand.

Akashi turned to see Kuroko. He was in plain sight this time. The small boy wore a white dress shirt and a black apron was wrapped around his waist. His face was bright red and his blue eyes stared at the ground. The redhead took a hold of Kuroko's hand and pulled him into a gentle embrace. The blue haired boy fell and held onto the redhead's shirt while Akashi wrapped his arms around Kuroko's waist. The redhead heard the blue haired boy's quiet voice,

"Can…you please stay?"

Akashi smiled and nodded, "Of course."

The redhead buried his face into Kuroko's hair; it smelled of coffee and flowers. Kuroko held tightly onto Akashi, enjoying the warmth of someone he loved. They stayed like this for a while until Aomine came and said,

"Tetsu…there's too many orders…Kagami can't do it all alone."

"Ah! I'm sorry, Aomine-kun." Kuroko said as he let go of Akashi. Before running back into the kitchen, the barista turned and smiled at Akashi. The redhead blushed and smiled back, then he sat back down and continued on his manga. When the store closed, Akashi saw Kuroko slowly walk up to him and mutter,

"Thank you for staying."

The redhead rubbed the mess of blue hair and said, "Good work today."

Kagami watched them leave together and said, "Well, they're getting along swimmingly, aren't they?"

Kise agreed, "Who knew that love can blossom through coffee?"

Akashi walked Kuroko to his house and the redhead talked, "I never knew you could infuse coffee with these things. Usually, I thought it was just tea."

Kuroko laughed and said, "I never actually got to properly introduce myself. I'm Kuroko Tetsuya, I'm twenty three years old. It's nice to meet you."

"Akashi Seijuro, twenty five years old. It's nice to meet you too."

As they walked side by side, the blue haired boy lightly brushed his fingers against Akashi's. the redhead was quick to notice and he gently intertwined their fingers together. Both of them were blushing hard, but it was hard to tell in the dark. When they got to Kuroko's door, the blue haired boy turned to face Akashi.

"Are you going to stay tomorrow too?"

The redhead nodded, "And every day after that."

"Thank you, Akashi-kun."

Once they parted, the redhead walked home, feeling proud of himself. His happiness was overflowing at the mere thought of Kuroko. The next day when Akashi entered the cafe, something felt different. The atmosphere was more silent and less cheerful. Kise came, without his usual smile and said,

"…W-welcome back, Akashicchi."

The coffee came out slower than usual. The art was of five tally marks. The redhead held the cup lightly in his hands and then took a sip. Instead of feeling happiness, he felt a surge of sadness and pain wash through him.

Something was wrong.

Akashi abruptly stood up, knocking his chair over and stormed into the kitchen, despite Kise's protests.

"Tetsuya?!" He yelled, upon entering the kitchen which was a mess.

Akashi saw the blue haired boy sitting in the corner of the kitchen, tears streaming down his face. His hands were covered in wet washcloths and Kagami did his best to treat Kuroko and coax him into going to the hospital. The blue haired boy looked up at Akashi and whimpered slightly,

"Akashi-kun…"

The redhead sat down and slowly removed the pieces of cloth covering the blue haired boy's hands. Kuroko's hands were burned badly and it didn't seem like an accident.

"Who did this to you?" Akashi asked.

"I spilled a bit of—"

"Don't lie to me. Who did this to you?!" Akashi demanded, cutting off Kuroko's white lie, "This is not a burn caused by an accident."

"H-Haizaki Shougo…" The blue haired boy muttered as Akashi brought him over to a sink. The redhead filled the sink with cold water and gently dipped Kuroko's hands into it. The blue haired boy hissed at the feeling.

"Who's Haizaki Shougo?" Akashi asked while observing the burns on Kuroko's hands.

The blue haired boy winced when Akashi's fingers brushed over the burns, "He was the former manager of the store, except my father replaced him with Midorima-kun. Being my father's son made Haizaki hold a grudge against me. He came in a few minutes before you and dumped some of the boiling water onto my hands after having an argument with me."

The redhead lightly held Kuroko's hands and said, "We have to go to the hospital. This isn't something you can treat with just water and bandages."

The blue haired boy nodded and followed Akashi.

The doctor applied a salve to Kuroko's burn and wrapped a bandage around it. He then gave Akashi the salve and told him to change the bandages every hour or so. The redhead walked Kuroko home and decided to stay to take care of him.

"Akashi-kun, I'm sorry." The blue haired boy muttered while staring at the ground.

"What are you talking about? This is no problem. Besides, it's not your fault that this happened."

Kuroko showed Akashi around his apartment and then sat down in his room to rest a bit. The redhead walked in an hour later with the salve. He took Kuroko's hands in his and applied the cold salve gently. The blue haired boy winced slightly from time to time but he eventually got through it. As Akashi was wrapping the bandages around Kuroko's hands, the blue haired boy suddenly held the redhead's hands still. Akashi looked up from Kuroko's hands and then felt a gently kiss on his cheek. The redhead was stunned; when Kuroko pulled away, his face was bright red.

"I…uh…" Kuroko started, "I'm sorr—"

Before the blue haired boy could finish his apology, Akashi tilted his chin and lightly planted a kiss on his lips.

"Don't be sorry for worrying me. It's only natural for me to worry and want to take care of you." The redhead claimed. Then he continued wrapping the bandages.

"How the hell did this guy burn both of your hands at the same time?" Akashi asked.

Kuroko snapped out of his daze and said, "He was yelling and knocked stuff over. Kagami-kun and Aomine-kun did their best to protect me, except then Haizaki got a hold of me and I told him to get out. Then after that, he had both my wrists in his grasp and there was some water boiling on the stove top so he grabbed that and poured it over my hands."

The redhead was horrified with the explanation. What kind of human being is capable of doing that to someone as innocent as Tetsuya? Akashi thought.

"Well, you're not going to go to work for a while." The redhead said.

Kuroko stood up abruptly in protest, "Akashi-kun, I have to go! Kagami-kun can't do everything by himself."

The redhead frowned, "You can't do anything if you go."

"I can observe the customers and then tell Kagami what to do." Kuroko stated, "If you want, you can come and make sure I don't use my hands."

"Maybe I will." Akashi said.

The two of them sat in silence for a while then Akashi stood up and sent Kuroko to bed. Before the redhead left the room, the blue haired boy lightly grabbed onto his sleeve,

"Can you stay?" He asked quietly in the darkness.

Akashi nodded and lay down beside Kuroko. After a while, they both fell asleep.

In the morning, Kuroko saw Akashi buttoning up his shirt and smiling at him, "Good morning, Tetsuya. It's time to change your bandages."

The blue haired boy slowly got up in his daze and let Akashi wrap new bandages onto his hands. Once he finished, the redhead gave Kuroko a soft kiss on the lips.

"Are you awake yet?" He asked.

The blue haired boy smiled, "No."

Akashi pressed his lips against Kuroko's again, more firmly this time, "How about now?"

"Mm…No." The blue haired boy mumbled in a teasing tone. The redhead gently pushed Kuroko onto the bed and kissed him hard. The blue haired boy wrapped his arms around Akashi and pulled him closer. The alarm on Kuroko's phone rang to remind him to go to work and the blue haired boy begrudgingly got up to get ready for the day.

At work, Akashi watched Kuroko observe his customers and then shout out orders to Kagami, who was surprisingly keeping up. Every few hours, the redhead would change the bandages on Kuroko's hands and give him a little kiss.

The love that sparked between the two was bright and passionate. They gave off the glow of a newlywed couple.

It was only a few years later that they got their memories back. Kuroko was moving things into their new apartment and he noticed an old basketball in Akashi's stuff. When he touched the basketball, his memories flowed back to him. After that, he did his best to make Akashi remember by talking about reincarnation and eventually, it worked. They continued to date throughout the years and they got their 6th tattoo. Eventually Kuroko passed away and a few months later, Akashi passed away as well.