After a long day in the studio, a cup of coffee sounded nice. As a self-proclaimed caffeine addict, coffee always sounded nice to Iori- especially at four in the morning, when he should be asleep. He always passed the same local coffee shop on his way home, and realized that he had never gone inside since moving to his new apartment.
He walks in, the door chime signaling his entrance. A barista in a white apron glances at him, then goes back to wiping off some cups. The place is nice, with its sleek, modern decor and atmosphere. There are several plush chairs scattered about, along with more proper tables and chairs. He spots several people working on laptops or reading books. There's also a fireplace in the corner, and a bookshelf lined with magazines and novels. Iori decides to order coffee and sit by the fireplace.
"Hi, what can I get you?" Iori eyes travel down from the menu to the man in front of him, and-
Oh.
He's cute. He's very cute. The way his eyebrows knit together is adorable, and Iori has never believed in love at first sight, but maybe-
Maybe he's just gay and yearning. That's all.
"Um… are you gonna order?" The brunette scratches his head, giving Iori an annoyed look. "I've got things to do. Hurry up." Heat rises to Iori's cheeks as he realizes he was staring. He can't even be mad at the brunette for being annoyed with him.
"Large cappuccino with extra sugar."
"Mmkay," the barista- Kyo, based on his nametag- punches a few buttons on the cash register before turning his gaze back to Iori. "And will that be for here?"
"Yes," Iori nods.
"Cool. Name for the order?"
"Yagami." Iori pulls a few banknotes out from his wallet and hands them to the brunette, receives his change, and then takes his seat by the fireplace. He assumes that Kyo will call his name when it's ready.
Kyo finishes making the cappuccino and sets it on the counter. He scans the shop, and sees the redhead by the fireplace. It's only now that Kyo notices his hair, bright red and covering half his face. He was too tired and annoyed to think about it earlier, but it's not a bad look on the other man.
"Yagami," he says, loudly enough for people to hear, but not loud enough to disturb anyone.
No response. Iori doesn't move a muscle.
"Yagami," He repeats, a little louder this time.
The redhead shifts slightly, but stays in his chair.
"Ugh," Kyo groans, exasperated.
"Oi," he approaches the redhead, who has his headphones in and his eyes closed. Kyo gets even more frustrated at the sight. Iori opens an eye as Kyo sets the cappuccino down on the small table in front of him.
"Dude, I called your name like, five times." Kyo crosses his arms over his chest, his hip cocked out like a mother scolding her child.
"My bad," Iori mumbles, blinking slowly. Had he really drifted off?
"Hmph," Kyo turns and leaves.
The cappuccino is good, but not sweet enough for Iori. He can still taste the lingering bitterness of the espresso, but it doesn't bother him too much. He just prefers to drown out the bitterness of coffee with as much sugar and milk as possible.
Iori glances at the counter as he leaves, noting that the barista gives him the evil eye as he walks by. He pays it no mind.
"Bye," Kyo says, "if you come again, make sure you're awake.
Iori stops as he reaches for the door. He turns and glares at Kyo.
"I asked for extra sugar, but that cappuccino was as bitter as your attitude." With that, Iori leaves.
"Oi!" The barista yells, waving a washcloth at him. Iori is already out the door. "You're not supposed to add sugar to cappuccinos!"
decided to put this one up on ffnet. it's completed, 14 chapters total, so updates will be weekly (if i remember, lol). enjoy!