Title: A Cup of Sweet Espresso, please?
Fandom(s) : U-KISS
Pairing(s): KeMaru
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU, Romance (?)
Warnings: Awful!English
Author's Notes: This is a birthday present for
lovelybrii12! Happy (belated) birthday! I don't know how long and how horrible it will be, but I intend to finish it because it's a birthday present! :D
Prologue ::
Chapter 1a ::
Chapter 1b ::
Chapter 2 “April 4th.” Kevin announced, letting out the air he didn’t know he held. “Work’s getting kind of tiring with the insane hours.”
“You’ll get used to it.” Alexander patted Kevin’s shoulders encouragingly, giving him a quick massage. “We all did, fighting!”
“Is it like this all year round? My parents are silently grumbling about me not being home enough.” Kevin puffed out his cheeks, a little apologetic to his family.
“Sorry to say, yes.” Alexander nodded his head. “Maybe we can work out a schedule for you?”
“Oh, no, I guess it’s okay.” Kevin quickly smiled. “You guys do that too, right? I shouldn’t be treated specially. But…don’t your parents say anything about this?”
“We’re all independent individuals.” Kiseop joined into the conversation as he placed the coffee makers into their fixed position, before checking his watch. “Where’s Dongho? We’re about to open.”
Kevin looked around and saw Dongho bringing out a basket of dessert forks and another basket of teaspoons. "Over here."
"Sorry! I should have helped!" Kevin bit his lower lip, but Dongho quickly waved it away.
"It was as light as a feather, there's no need to help me, Kevin-hyung." Dongho smiled. "Get used to being friendly with all of us. I can do extra work sometimes, you don't have to share exactly half the work load every time."
"That's right." Soohyun agreed. "Guys, I already told Eli to step up with the work. I'll be running external errands, so the shop is under Xander-hyung's supervision. Work hard as always, got to go."
"Muahahaha!" Alexander faked an evil cackle, grabbing a dessert fork from the basket. "I'm in charge, everyone has to listen to me!"
"Tch." Everyone else chorused.
Eli carried cakes from the kitchen to the fridge outside, calling Alexander over to help.
"Not so big, are you?" Kiseop stuck out his tongue, being the next that Eli called.
Dongho and Kevin exchanged glances, silently agreeing to keep quiet.
"Eli's more mature, but Xander-hyung's older so you guys will have to put up with him." Soohyun shrugged happily, ruffling both their heads before announcing that he will be on his way.
"Bye!"
"I'll open up the store, get ready." Soohyun shouted, turning the sign at the door.
Soohyun then walked out of the store when Kevin jumped out of his seat and briskly walked to the entrance, noticing a familiar figure.
Soohyun gave Kibum a very black face when they past each other just outside the shop. Kibum nodded a bit to be polite, but Soohyun rolled his eyes and walked faster.
"Welcome, Kibum-ssi!" Kevin said brightly. "Don't mind Soohyun-hyung!"
"Hello, Kevin." Kibum replied with a smile. "Nah, it's fine."
Kevin sighed dreamily internally, amazed at how magnanimous Kibum was. He walked Kibum to his seat and smiled brightly (albeit with a hint of cheekiness).
"What would you like, Kibum-ssi?" Kevin took out his order pad and pressed down the top of the pen with a soft click, smiling brightly.
"Double shot espresso, Kev." Kibum chuckled lightly.
"The usual? Your order will be ready soon, please wait patiently." Kevin giggled slightly, before skipping away.
"What's with the wide smile?” Kiseop smiled back, reaching out to pat Kevin’s head.
“Nothing much, just a joke I thought of.” Kevin bit his lip, fighting but failing to make his smile a little less wide.
“It’s done!” Eli announced, placing the order on Kevin’s tray while Kevin went to get the teaspoon and napkin. “Keep smiling!”
“Thanks.” Kevin beamed, letting out a deep breath before carrying the tray, walking towards Kibum’s table as confidently as he could. His eyes kept moving from the cup on the tray to Kibum, trying to make sure he wasn’t spilling any coffee while looking professional.
Kibum shifted his laptop to his lap, muttering incoherently as his face contorted in suppressed pain. Kevin stopped in his tracks, before briskly walking to the table and setting the tray down. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, it’s nothing.” Kibum laughed it off.
“But yesterday too! You were-”
Kibum nodded, beckoning Kevin to lean down with a finger. Kevin blushed slightly, but leaned down nevertheless. “I’ll tell you a secret. My cat bit my thigh while it was sleeping on it, thinking it was some kitty treats I bought for her. It hurts right now, but it’s a bit embarrassing, so just act as if you hadn’t heard this secret.”
Kevin giggled, nodding. He cleared his throat and stood with his back straightened, before leaning down again to bring the cup of coffee out onto the table. “Your cup of double espresso, please enjoy.”
Kevin then skipped away, mind replaying the secret Kibum told him. “It’s cute!”
Kibum rubbed his thighs a little, shrugging. He never really liked cats, but that was the best thing he could come up with at that point.
-
“Dongho!” Kevin quickly cut in front of the younger waiter. “Erm, could I take his order?”
Dongho blinked, noticing he was about four tables from Kibum who had his arm raised. “Oh, sure. I’ll just let you take all his orders then. Try not to act so obvious next time, though. You know Soohyun-hyung doesn’t like it.”
“I know.” Kevin sighed, hugging Dongho briefly. “Thank you!”
Kevin turned 180 degrees around on his toes, smiling politely at the other customers before bringing out his waiter pad. He giggled a little, watching Kibum give him a knowing glance. “Let me guess, same order?”
“Mm.” Kibum hummed, giving Kevin a bright smile. “Could I have one of the brochures over there too?”
“Sure!” Kevin replied energetically, tearing the copy of the order and passing it to Kibum. “Your order will come as soon as possible! Please wait patiently~!”
Kibum chuckled, shaking his head while returning to his work.
Kevin then gave both orders, the one he took before rushing to Dongho and Kibum’s, to Alexander who was brewing the coffee right now.
“I saw what you did there~!” Alexander teased. “You’re lucky I’m not Soohyun-hyung, that guy looks nice anyway.”
“He does, doesn’t he? And he’s a really nice guy!” Kevin grinned.
Alexander chuckled, nodding while placing the two orders on the same tray. “Yes, yes. Go send the orders now!”
“Yes, sir!”
After placing a teaspoon each on the saucer with two folded napkins beside each cup, Kevin walked to pick up a brochure before heading towards the unknown customer first. He smiled politely and announced the order while setting the cup down.
The customer nodded slightly, thus Kevin decided there were no further orders. With a smile, he stood back up and made his way towards Kibum.
“Your double shot espresso, right here.” Kevin bended his back and set the cup on the table carefully. He placed the brochure carefully beside the coffee, smiling while straightening his back. “Would you like anything else?”
“Nope, I’ll be fine.” Kibum nodded with the special smile of his. “Thanks, Kev.”
The blush that crept up on Kevin’s face refused to leave.
A certain hand from a certain table was raised. Kiseop held out a hand to stop Kevin from walking back to the counter, making a twirling motion with his finger. Kevin turned around and saw his customer probably about to request something.
Hm, didn’t Kibum say he would be fine just a second ago?
Kevin skipped (discreetly) back, smiling anyway. “Yes?”
“Kev, are you okay?” Kibum asked, voice overflowing with concern. Those eyes were a lot more serious than usual, as if worrying.
Kevin mentally told his heart to stop pumping so loudly. If he could talk to his heart, he totally would tell it what he was thinking right now.
”I know you’re working hard for me! Don’t beat so loudly though!”
“Uh,” Kevin gave himself a second to think of a coherent reply. “Yes. Why?”
He tried his best.
“Good. I just thought maybe you weren’t feeling well. This…isn’t my order.” Kibum chuckled, nodding as if assured. He then raised his hand to gesture at a male frowning at his coffee, three tables away. “I don’t mind, but I think that customer over there does.”
“Really?!” Kevin gasped, and with Kibum’s nod, he took the cup of coffee away on his tray. He then hurried over to the other table.
The man didn’t look too happy to see him.
“I’m really sorry!” Kevin apologised profusely towards the customer with a really fierce expression on his face. Kevin hadn’t the time to feel scared, only apologetic about his mistake. “Really, really sorry!”
“Please forgive him, he’s a new worker.” Kibum appeared beside him with an earnest smile, offering compensation. “How does a Raspberry Cheesecake on the house sounds?”
The customer grunted a reply, a little amazed at how Kibum figured out his taste but not showing it. Kevin blinked, wondering what that meant, only understanding when Kibum placed the other cup of coffee on his tray.
Kibum gave him a small but noticeable smile, eyes looking at the counter as if hinting Kevin.
Kevin nodded, legs instantly moving to make his way back to the counter. Kiseop looked at him weirdly, smelling the coffee to check if they went bad.
“No, I…mixed up the order, I’m sorry!” Kevin bit his lower lip guiltily, bowing continuously to Alexander and Kiseop. Eli was bringing out cake, but when he reached Dongho, Kevin apologised to him as well.
“It’s okay, we haven’t really taught you how to tell the coffee apart. Really confusing for a first-timer.” Alexander grinned. “Dongho was horrid, he couldn’t even tell juice from coffee anymore.”
“T-That!” Dongho blushed, unable to come up with a reply quick enough to prove his “innocence”. “B-But, I’m really good now!”
“Yes, and that’s where Kevin’s gonna end up.” Kiseop agreed, reaching over the counter to pat Kevin’s head. “Mistakes are part and parcel of life. If you didn’t make even one, we’ll sack Dongho.”
“No!” Everyone chorused, leaving Kiseop in a fit of laughter.
“We’ll get to the order, just wait for a while.” Kiseop said between some giggles.
“Oh, and-”
“Could I have a piece of Raspberry Cheesecake?” Kibum cut in, question directing at Eli, the one closest to the food display case. He took out his wallet and paid Eli with a polite smile.
“No! I should be the one paying! I got the orders wrong…” Kevin shook his head and insisted, but Kibum was already keeping his change.
“It’s okay, I have too much money to spare.” Kibum joked, placing the plate of cheesecake on Kevin’s tray. He then returned to his seat casually, waiting for his coffee to come again while working on his own work.
Forgetting everything else for the moment, Kevin sighed dreamily at Kibum, poking Eli’s arm. “Did you know he was this nice?”
“Nah, Soohyun-hyung tells us not to talk to him too much. One of those idiots, he says, but Soohyun-hyung seems to talk to other idiots?” Eli shrugged. “He seems to specifically dislike this customer.”
“But he’s not an idiot.” Kevin pouted, looking over at Kibum concentrating on his laptop.
When the two cups of coffee were ready, Alexander arranged them in a way that the mocha that went with the cheesecake was for the angry customer, and the other one would be Kibum’s double shot espresso.
Kevin thanked Alexander for his thoughtfulness, quickly taking the Raspberry Cheesecake and two cups of coffee to the customer to appease him. “Enjoy your cheesecake, I’m really sorry about the mix-up.”
“Mm, it’s okay.” The male customer finally offered a faint smile, eyes unable to leave the free cheesecake. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Kevin bowed once, before deciding he should apologise to Kibum while delivering his order.
Kibum shifted his laptop to his lap once again as he saw Kevin approaching, giving Kevin space to set the cup of double shot espresso down. After the action was done, the waiter stood back up and bowed a full bow.
“I’m really sorry! Having you to pay for that customer too...” Kevin bit his lower lip, thinking of how to repay Kibum’s favour. Kibum was about to refuse when Kevin quickly suggested. “How about tomorrow’s coffee on me?”
“Oh? You realised I come everyday?” Kibum laughed, contemplating for a moment before nodding. “All right. After tomorrow’s treat, don’t feel sorry anymore.”
“Okay, thank you! But…how do you know he would fancy Raspberry Cheesecake?” Kevin asked, sparing the male customer happily eating the cheesecake a glance. “It’s not luck, right?”
“His choice of coffee.” Kibum shrugged. “Sweet tooth.”
“Wow.” Kevin nodded with a fascinated expression, and Kibum could only chuckle. “You’re really smart!”
“No.” Kibum humbly shook his head, laughing at the reply he came up with in his head. “Just a coffee addict.”
Kevin wanted to stay around to chat a little longer, but Dongho nudged him as he passed by, tray carrying at least three orders.
“Go on.” Kibum patted Kevin’s forearm lightly. “You’ll get the hang of it soon, don’t worry too much.”
If there was anything keeping him from going to take more orders, it would be gushing about Kibum. How could a man be so perfect and nice and smart and-
Kevin sighed, concluding that Soohyun must be crazy.
-