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THE SMELL OF COFFEE FILLED YOUR SENSES as you and your best friend entered the coffee shop you had been meaning to visit by your campus. You weren’t much of a coffee drinker, but today Aiko had suggested that you accompany her to the café as your friends had pretty good reviews.
“You’re buying me something though.” You poked at her shoulder upon walking in, taking a couple of minutes to let your eyes wander around the cozy-looking shop.
“We did not go into that agreement!” She hits you in the arm before walking up towards the counter. “Yeah, well we’re having this agreement now.” The initial playful smile on your face was replaced upon meeting the eyes of the barista.
You’re convinced your heart had done a summersault when he smiled at you.
“And suddenly she’s gone quiet. What happened to the agreement?” Mischief was laced in your best friend’s voice.
“I’ll have a cappuccino please, and she will tell hers when she finds her voice again.” You felt your best friend tap you in the back as she moved to look for a seat.
“Uh, I’ll just have the iced chocolate, please.” You awkwardly shift around, looking anywhere but the barista who was quite possibly the most attractive people you have ever seen in your entire life.
“Alright, I’ll need a name, please.” His voice was teasing as if he had already figured out the little crush you had for him that was blossoming inside of you.
“Little Mermaid.” You swore you had never heard anything as beautiful as his laugh. You would have fallen right then and there if it wasn’t for the immense embarrassment that was bubbling in you.
“Okay Ariel, I’ll call you when your orders are ready.” He gave you a quick wink before heading out to prepare your drinks. “Jesus Christ, You’re so embarrassing. I don’t wanna be associated with you.” Your best friend’s voice snapped you out of your trance and you immediately walked away from the counter towards the little table she was settled at.
“Little Mermaid? Seriously?” She continued to pry, snickering quietly to herself to try and suppress the loud laugh that was threatening to spill out.
“Shut up, he just caught me off guard!” You tried to defend yourself, running a hand down your face before dropping your head down at the table.
Your eyes traveled at his lean figure as he walked around the back of the counter. His shoulders were broad, his shirt fit him perfectly. You could tell he had a muscular frame from the way his arms were threatening to rip the material of his shirt whenever he moved around.
“You’re drooling.”
You tilted your head to give her a glare before moving back to your original position, admiring him once again. She laughed some more, Aiko never took you seriously.
“Order for Ariel!” He called out, your best friend covering her face out of embarrassment as you approached the counter to get your orders. “Thank you, uh, Kuroo.” You took a quick look at his nametag before giving him a little nod and walking back to Aiko who was already standing and ready to leave.
You handed her the cappuccino before giving your straw a little twirl to make sure that your drink didn’t taste odd when you’re close to finishing it later.
“Next time, maybe give me your real name, you’re pretty cute :)”
A smile crept up on your face upon reading the little message he had left on your cup which earns a suspicious glare from your best friend.
On that day, it was Little Mermaid - for the way your voice caught in your throat the first time you laid eyes on Kuroo.
-
You went in the day after to try and redeem yourself. I mean, he was bold enough to leave you a little note, so maybe he was interested too?
“Hello.” You smiled at him once you reached the counter, his lips forming one back upon seeing you had come back.
“Iced chocolate, right? I’d be pretty embarrassed if I got that one wrong.”
“Yes, actually.” You let out a nervous chuckle as he started to prepare your drink.
How did he look much prettier today? His eyes seemed to stick out the most today, and only now were you really able to look at them in detail. In a way, it made him appear intimidating, the way his pupils resembled that of a cat’s. The hazel color was particularly brought out under the light from the coffee shop.
How did the light always hit him the right way?
“And your name?” His eyebrows were lifted up, holding your drink in his hand and testing if you’d finally give up your name to him.
“Garfield”. You settled, and before he could say anything else, the bells rang from the door, bringing his attention to the new customer who had just walked in. A grin graced his face as he handed you your drink.
“I guess I’ll be lasagna then >:)”
A little laugh escaped your lips upon seeing what he had written this time. You turned back to him and raised your eyebrows with an amusing smile. He responded with a wink.
Garfield, for the way his eyes reminded you of a cute feline.
-
The next time you went in, there was a line waiting before you. You stood in the back and tried to peek behind the counter to see if it was Kuroo who was working today. Upon seeing his familiar bedhead, an immediate smile made its way on your lips.
“Chicken Little.”
“This better not be some sly remark about my hair.” He narrowed his eyes at you, feigning being upset with you before he handed you your drink.
“I’d love to chat, but it’s getting a bit busy. Have a nice day, Chicken Little.”
“Are you a chicken because I’m chicken you out ;)”
His comment definitely got a laugh from you. Checking back on him for the last time, he was working on a couple more orders but you didn’t miss the red tint painting his cheeks. You rolled your eyes as you trekked back to your dorm. You walked in to see Aiko with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi who were comfortably sat on your small couch, watching some dumb show that was playing on your television.
"Now someone explain how these two ended up here while I was gone. Mind explaining yourselves?" You stood in front of them, hands on your hips with joking anger on your face.
"No." Tsukishima answered, grabbing onto your arm to sit you down so he could continue watching the show. "How was barista guy? I mean, how was your visit from the coffee shop?" Yamaguchi inquired which earned Aiko a smack. "You told them about him?"
"Yeah, I couldn't be alone witnessing you embarrass yourself. It makes for good comedic relief. Our lives are too boring as of the moment, so you're adding a little spice into it, you know?"
“I actually hate all of you.”
“Why am I included?” Yamaguchi defensively replied back at you.
“Because you’re stealing my snacks.” You plopped down beside him to grab the bag of chips that he was previously chewing on.
“Chew with your mouth closed.” Tsukishima said, eyes still trained on the television as you rolled your eyes before mockingly leaning towards Tsukishima, chewing a bit louder than usual.
You were shoved off the couch.
“Let me guess, Chicken Little?”
You heard Tsukishima snicker under his breath. “Shut up!” You stuck your tongue out at them, yanking the cup away from Aiko.
“He’s flirting with you. Is he cute?” Yamaguchi shot his eyebrows up and down, trying to get some details from you.
“Yeah, he was definitely cute and he keeps writing on her cup even with her dumb names, he must really like you.”
“Whatever.”
Chicken Little, because you found his bed head particularly amusing that day.
-
It was a Thursday afternoon when you wandered inside the coffee shop. Today was different though, school work had drained you and you were experiencing an overwhelming feeling of sadness, to which you couldn’t explain why, maybe it was that failed test you had studied so hard for?
You were just tired.
Simply tired that you lived in a world that was so exhausting sometimes. You were tired of uncertainties. Tired of investing so much time into something that turned out to be a failing grade anyway.
Upon seeing you, Kuroo was quick to fix up your usual drink. It was particularly early so no one else was in the coffee shop except for another co-worker who was tending things in the back.
“And your name for today is?”
“I’ll go with Eeyore.”
Kuroo immediately noticed the shift in the air around the both of you. Being highly observant and intuitive really had its perks, plus your choice of name concerned him.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Just tired.”
“Do you wanna talk about it?” You shook your head and he immediately understood. Kuroo was being incredibly mindful of your current mood, and he didn’t want to drag you out to do something that you didn’t want to.
“It’d be nice to have some company though.” Your voice was meek and Kuroo was quick to step out of the counter to sit you down on a table. It went on like that for a few minutes, and the peaceful trance was broken when he heard a quiet sniffle. His eyes were laced with concern as he sat a bit closer to you, offering his shoulder for you to cry on which you unknowingly accepted.
“I’m sorry, everything’s just been so tiring, and I shouldn’t be taking this out on the cute barista I really enjoy seeing. He might think I’m a weirdo.” Kuroo laughed a little. Even in this mood, you could still goof around.
“Giving up sounds so good right now.” You pulled away from his shoulder, trying to wipe at the wet spot that was on his shirt. “I’m sorry about your shirt.”
“It’s alright, but you know, I advise you give whatever it is another try, go a little slower even, just don’t stop. You’re probably exhausted for all the right reasons, hell, you’re tired because you’re growing and because you’re trying.”
You nodded your head at him, sniffling and wiping at your already dry eyes. “Who would’ve thought you had a way with words when all you could use to write is that your chicken me out.”
A loud boisterous laugh echoed inside the small coffee shop, and you smiled.
No pick up line today, just his words repeating in your head over and over again. Go a little slower, just don’t stop.
Eeyore, for the way you keep on going despite being so exhausted with the world.
-
You walked in with a little more pep in your step the next week, and seeing you made Kuroo’s face beam.
“I was starting to miss you.” Kuroo sent you a smirk which you rolled your eyes too.
“I’m doing it. I’m going slowly.”
“I’m glad to hear that, although you do owe me your name after crying all over my shoulder.”
“Ha! Nice try, but you offered so I don’t owe you anything…. except maybe my deepest gratitude for hearing me out and implanting a new reminder I repeat to myself every time I feel like giving up.”
“It’s all good, seeing you around is enough. It’s a small highlight of my day.”
“Stop that.” You were trying to fight the smile that was threatening to show.
“I don’t think so. I like seeing the effect I have on you. You should be aware you have the same on me right? Oh, and name?” The smirk never once left his face as he peered down at you. You were sure he knew what he was doing to you, and you were frustrated at how he could just play that off so casually. How was flirting so easy to him?
“Wendy Darling.”
“Hm, a little different today, but I like it.”
He scribbled something down on your cup before stopping halfway when his name was called by the coworker who always seemed to just be working in the back.
“Duty calls. See you around?”
“See you around.”
That day, your cup read “Then I’ll be your Peter Pan, and you would be my happy thought so I’ll be able to fly.”
Wendy Darling, for the way he made you feel like a kid again.
-
Today, you were greeted by the sweetest smile on Kuroo’s face once he had realized the person walking in the coffee shop was you. You felt your chest tighten.
The atmosphere felt different.
“Iced chocolate, on your way. With a little extra twirl. It’s as if you’re mocking the way I make your iced chocolate, I’m hurt you don’t trust me.”
Your cheeks heated up at the way he’d noticed your little mannerism every time you received the drink from him.
“It’s not like that! Just a little habit.” You folded your arms over your chest, leaning against the counter with your tongue stuck out.
“I know, I was kidding. Plus I find it cute.”
“Only you would find someone twirling a straw cute, but it’s endearing really.”
“You’ve gotten a lot bolder than the first day we met, what was it again, Little Mermaid?”
“Shut up, that never happened.” Both of your laughs subsided at the sound of the shop’s bell ringing which brought him back to his responsibilities.
“And your name for today?”
“(Y/N).”
“Interesting. I’ve never heard of that one before. From which movie or book is it from?”
“It’s my name.”
Kuroo almost dropped the pen he was holding. Funny how someone’s name could elicit such a reaction from him. “(Y/N)...” He allowed your name to linger across his lips. He liked the taste of your name.
He immediately wrote back on the cup as quickly as he could as to not delay the customer who was waiting in line. You grabbed the cup from him, a shy smile on your face. You never really knew how the day you finally said your name would play out.
Today, the cup read “Go on a date with me?”
You turned back to see Kuroo expectedly waiting for a response as he made the next customer’s order, eyes never leaving you. You nodded your head before walking out, not missing the small fist he pushed in the air.
(Y/N), to finally take the next step with him.