Originally handwritten over a few days and then edited and typed up on my phone for submission to basketballpoetsociety's Challenge 111: Rare Pair Battle on 19/2/2015.

Space/Coffee Shop AU, prompted by Stephane Richer

Tatsuya's been working the coffee shop at this station for a few months when the ship docks.

Throughout his journey to get as far out from Earth as possible, Tatsuya had often found that the employment of an Earth-trained barista was a mark of pride for a space station. It was universally acknowledged that the synth stuff was just not the same, and the further from earth you got, the dinner the baristas tended to make the blends.

Though there was something to be said for local flavours, ship captains, especially from Earth or near-Earth colonies, almost always had an expression of relief upon discovering that this station had a barista who could do good, Earth-style coffee.

At the time the ship arrived, Tatsuya was saving to move on from this particular station. He wasn't far enough yet; he needed to get further. And he wanted to feel the thrum of the starship engine in his bones again. Some people hated it, but Tatsuya, usefully, found himself almost addicted to the sensation.

When a person was attempting to hop star systems on limited funds, you learned how to make yourself useful. Tatsuya had picked up a few things over his journey; ship mechanics could always use an extra hand, and classy ships with real prep and cook kitchens, as opposed to synth food dispensers in travellers' rooms, always needed an extra hand.

Probably one of the nicest luxury ships Tatsuya had seen - and in his time spent travelling the stars and working on space stations, he'd seen his fair share - the newest arrival to the station had surprisingly sleek exterior, for such a large ship. Tatsuya didn't know her name, but she barely fit in the dock. He was on his way to work when he paused to watch her manoeuvre into the station bay, and he couldn't help but respect the delicacy with which she was landed - clearly manually, by the way that the station workers were rushing about.

After watching the display of skill, Tatsuya had to hurry to work, because a new ship arrival meant customers, especially when word got out about him.

Though he clearly came in with the ship, when Shuu first came to the cafe following rumours of an Earth-trained barista, Tatsuya didn't know, or realise, that he was the captain of the beautiful luxury starship that just docked. What he did know about him was that he found him very attractive; that he was of a height with, perhaps maybe the slightest bit taller than, Tatsuya himself; that he was well-built; and he was comfortable navigating the passages of a space station. He paid little notice to the exceptional view that the cafe offered of the nearest planet to the station, and narrowed in on Tatsuya at the machine. Someone had clearly told him who was Earth-trained. He tapped out his order at the counter, and approved the credit use with the palm of his hand, simple and easy, with the practice of one used to engaging with such systems.

If he looked Tatsuya over as he did, well. Tatsuya did like to say the planet view wasn't the only excellent one on offer at the cafe while he was there.

Usually, Tatsuya didn't make a habit of flirting with customers, or of giving out personal contact approval codes to strangers. But since this one had clearly arrived on the ship that just docked, and he was good-looking… well, Tatsuya had found that it never hurt to make friends, or have a good time with, people who worked on ships. Networking could be a great boon to those seeking work on ships, like Tatsuya often did to negate the cost of paying for passage. He could be shameless when it suited him, too; so it wasn't a difficult decision to make, to take the initiative to generate an authorisation code for both his contact details and his station lodgings. The ship would probably only be in the station for a few weeks, until its high-class passengers were done touring this system, but Tatsuya had high hopes, between his coffee skills and the way the man had looked at him.

Tatsuya took the cup over to the man himself - usually there's a bot he gets to do it - and he left it on the table with a wink and a tap on the tabletop, which left his codes glowing for the other man. It's very 21st Century-esque, but Tatsuya can own something dated like that easily, so it's never stopped him before.

He watches from under his eyelashes and behind his hair as the man raises his eyebrows at the codes shining at him from the tablescreen, and there was a curl to his lip when he took a sip of his drink.

Tatsuya knows he has him when the man closes his eyes and sighs over the taste of the drink, probably savouring the first good cup of coffee he's had in who knows how long. It's only a few seconds later when their contact information is swapped.

Nijimura Shuuzou

Tatsuya made himself look busy, though there's honestly not that much he has to do. Cleaning is handled by bots for the most part, though Tatsuya could clear and clean tables if he wasn't busy. Baked goods weren't made or synthesised in the store; as a boutique cafe, they had theirs sent up from a bakery with the specialist workers who preferred to live on the ground. When Tatsuya glanced over at Shuuzou, he doesn't seem fooled by Tatsuya's pretence of activity, watching him move about with a slight smirk.

When Tatsuya went over to clear Shuuzou's cup, he leaned over his shoulder and whispered, "I finish at 1700," into his ear.

Shuuzou nodded, and there may or may not be a slight flush to his cheeks that Tatsuya found rather sweet. When he left the cafe, he nodded to Tatsuya again, an implicit agreement to be here when Tatsuya is done, and Tatsuya felt jitters of excitement erupt in his stomach.

It's not even that he wants to get aboard the ship so badly, though he definitely does; the opportunity to be on board or work aboard such a ship is rare. But there's something he finds very attractive about the man himself, regardless of the opportunities he presents; Tatsuya wants him too.

When Tatsuya finished and passed off the cafe to the girl scheduled after him - a nice enough girl, though she has no real sense of taste for Earth-style coffee, which ruled her out to be trained as a replacement - Shuuzou is waiting for him outside, leaning against the wall with his hands deep in his pockets.

"Hi there," Tatsuya said, and smiled.

"Hi," was the response he got, and Shuuzou shuffled a little awkwardly. It could be inexperience - he doesn't seem much older than Tatsuya, if he's older at all - it could be that he's awkward now that he's had time to think about everything; or it could be that he's nervous, because Tatsuya knows he's beautiful, and sometimes people get nervous about embarrassing themselves in front of him when they're, arguably, on a date.

When Shuuzou pushed himself off the wall, Tatsuya smiled at him. He's used to making his potential conquests nervous, so he also knows how to soothe them, if he feels like doing so. For a man as handsome and well-positioned as Shuuzou, Tatsuya is more than happy to make him feel at ease. He started the conversation, asking about his interests, avoiding the subject of work; it turns out Shuuzou is Earthborn, like Tatsuya, and that they both love single ship racing and claim to be good, though neither delved into the question of why, if they're so good, they aren't racing for a living, perhaps because there are names and stories behind that decision that are either too obvious or too personal. What Tatsuya does do, is change their course to the hangar bay. While none of the ships there are true racing calibre, one can still have a good race in them.

It's because of this choice that they don't end up in Tatsuya's room that 'night'; but Tatsuya was surprisingly okay with that. Flying felt easy and natural and good for the first time in a while, and that's almost better than any sex.

Somewhere between their second and fifth race around the recreational courses, Tatsuya started calling him Shuu; and when Shuu told him they're docked here for about three weeks after they finally land back in the hangar bay, Tatsuya smiled and gave him his shift schedule for the rest of this week.

It's not until their third date, as Tatsuya liked to think of their racing expeditions, that they finally made it back to Tatsuya's rooms. Shuu isn't inexperienced, as it turns out, though clearly his job keeps him too busy to find someone to consistently share his bed, since he is a little out of practice. The way he touches Tatsuya is surprisingly sweet and gentle though, and almost unexpected after the proud and ferocious way he'd raced.

"Would you like a drink?" Tatsuya asked him after they woke from their nap. He let himself feel a little self-satisfied as Shuu looked over the exposed skin of his upper body lazily, still half-asleep.

"Please tell me you drink proper coffee at home," he grumbled.

Tatsuya just smiled as he got up. While synth coffee was shit, synthesised beans could make good coffee as long as you knew what you were doing with them and how to order them, and Tatsuya is as finicky about his coffee as any Earthborn human can get.

Shuu saw his smile, and subsequently let his face drop back into the pillow. Tatsuya got out of bed then, stretching lazily in case Shuu is doing that thing where he pretends he's not watching when he is. Tatsuya kept the ambient temperature of his rooms comfortable for the exact reason that he doesn't have to get dressed until he feels like it or has to, so he isn't bothered to pull on any clothes. It took him a moment to make their drinks, but the moment he walked back into his room, Shuu's head is turning toward the smell.

"Can I steal you?" Shuu asked while he sat up. Tatsuya laughed, because Shuu said it like it was a joke.

"Would I get work on your fancy ship, Shuu, or do you want me for more unspeakable purposes?"

"Both," Shuu answered, grinning slightly. His face sobered up quickly. "But seriously. What are you doing out here? It's not even a tourist station. Surely you can get better work with your skills. You'd have to be in demand."

"Travelling," Tatsuya told him, and left it at that. "I'd be happy to work for passage out further, so long as there's work."

"There's work," Shuu said, instantly. "My biggest complaint is the lack of decent coffee."

Tatsuya blinked. "What is your job on the ship, anyway?" he asked, belatedly. He'd been too distracted to check Shuu's basic information, though they'd both made it available to each other.

Shuu scowled, annoyed. "Please don't tell me you're into that Old Age-y crap about 'discovering' people," he said, "because if you are, I can tell you now this isn't going to work out."

Tatsuya laughed. "Hardly," he reassured him. "I've just been too distracted to snoop."

Shuu snorted into his drink. When he didn't seem to be forthcoming on saying something, Tatsuya leaned over to pull the information up on the tablescreen of his bedside table.

There were a few interesting things in the information Shuu had given him access too, which Tatsuya would come back to, but—

"You're the captain?" Tatsuya asked.

Shuu just shrugged.

Tatsuya looked it over again. Shuu let him read it for a bit, before casually pointing out something Tatsuya had noted before.

"Metrics say we're compatible, if you take stock in that at all."

They did tend to be reliable, though of course everyone had horror stories about Life and Relationship Compatibility Metrics. Tatsuya didn't think they were the be all and end all like some, but didn't completely disregard them, either.

"I didn't need Metrics to tell me that," was his response, and he smiled at Shuu when he jostled him with his foot.

"Come," Shuu demanded, because it wasn't a request or a question how he said it, and Tatsuya put aside their cups before giving him a kiss.