#hot tip! when an employee of a store tells you they close in 2 minutes

[coweggomelet]

every retail customer die challenge

[astraljedi]

Coffee Crush (Evan Buckley)

A/N: first of all, I’m buck trash. I’ve been watching 911 with my roommate since season two aired, and I’ve been trying to fight it. But here I am, posting an Evan Buckley imagine. Secondly, I wrote this in a day? Who am I? Thirdly, we need more buck imagines.

Summary: Evan might be obsessed with a coffee shop, or a certain employee.

Warnings: none? Probably some bad writing.

Pairing: reader, she/her

____

Coffee never failed to bring people together, whether it was decaf or not. People enjoyed a hot cup of coffee or an iced cold-brewed coffee with their loved ones at any time of the day.

That's why Y/N had decided to open up Mamá Linda’s Coffee shop. Of course, Los Angeles had hundreds of know coffee chains around de City. But it didn’t stop her from owning her place, she fought hard for it and gave it her all until she finally made it.

It always packed all day, and she was on her feet since early in the morning until late at night. There wasn't a day where she wasn’t helping her staff on the bar and behind the kitchen. She was an all-hands in kind of woman.

Week 1

The job was exhausting, but a day never passed by that wasn't full of some entertainment—especially this week in particular.

“Y/N, we have a 10 in uniform,” Selena whispered to her while calling the shots for the current drink she had. They all spoke in codes, and a ten means someone attractive was in the shop. “Those piercing blue eyes could make me forget that I’m a married woman.”

Selena always made her day with her commentary during shifts and even of them during text or calls. She was a woman full of surprises.

“He’s lost looking at the menu.” Y/N chuckled, watching him wrinkle his nose in confusion. He was wearing a black firefighter uniform like he just came off his shift or was heading there. “He looks cute.”

She found it adorable, and without notice, she had a small smile splattered on her face. The cute firefighter turned his attention back to the line and caught Y/N’s eyes staring back at him. He must have felt someone was staring at him.

Blushing uncontrollably, he smirked at her playfully. He loved flirting, and he walked around, knowing he could get any girl.

Not knowing what to do with herself, she lowered her head embarrassed and ended up spilling the steaming hot milk from her pitcher on the counter and on to her apron. Y/N’s hands were now shaking as her team watched her with wide eyes, surprised with her clumsiness. She wasn’t like this at all.

The metal pitcher fell to the floor, hushing the packed shop with the remaining milk spilling on the ground as clients looked around for the source of the accident. It made it worse for her when all her usual clients were staring at her, they were worried, but she thought they were judging her.

“Y/N, get yourself cleaned up. We can handle it here.” Selena rubbed her Y/N’s shoulders while she nodded her head in agreement quietly. Darian was already cleaning up the counter while she walked away quietly towards the back. After all that, Y/N didn’t even dare to look back at the firefighter. She felt embarrassed at how nervous and shaky she got over just one smirk.

And if it couldn’t go worse, he became a regular after that.

Week 2

The second week was torture; now she knew his name after Selena had told her a few days ago when she finally caught his name for his order. Now, Harry, one of her other employees, had found him on social media during a late stalking session. He had a crush too.

“Evan hasn’t come in today, and maybe he couldn’t come by before work or after his gym session.” Harry frowned, leaning against the marble countertop after he finished with his last customer on the line. It was around 10 am, which meant a little breathing room for the team to relax from the morning rush hour.

“Did you get his social security number while you were stalking the poor guy?” Y/N chuckled, working on the pastry case. She had made the perfect Tres Leches in the morning that she thought it deserved a spot on the pastry case for others to see the newest treat on the menu.

“I only found about his family, his ex-girlfriend, and where he works. It wasn’t a full-on stalk since I know you called dibs first.” Y/N turned around, glaring at him after she closed the pantry door.

“I did not call dibs on him.”

“Well, you did spill your pitcher full of steaming milk after the poor guy tried to flirt with you. Which you never spill your pitcher, you can do this in your sleep cupcake.” Harry added as Selena had joined them in the bar.

“I’m with Harry on this, and you did say he looked cute that day,” Selena added, drying the white plated she brought from the back.

“I did not spill because of him. I just had too much caffeine that day that I was bouncing all over the place.” Y/N tried to get her self out of it; she didn’t even want to be in the topic from the first place. “Just because I find a guy attractive doesn’t mean I want to date him.”

“You’re saying that I’m not datable?” And if her nightmare couldn't have become worst. Evan was standing behind the pastry case, gym bag over his shoulders, and a tank that left his muscular biceps the main lead of the show.

It was like deja vu. Y/N’s blushing cheeks were hard to cover as he smiled back at her. He knew she was avoiding him since the milk incident, and he finally caught her. And even better, she was talking about him with her friends.

“I see you have become a regular now.” Was that the first thing she said to him? Yeah, rude.

“What can I say? I love coffee and scenery.” Evan flirted again, knowing he made her nervous.

“Well, I think Harry knows your usual so that he will make it for you.” And as expected, Harry was already finishing his order at the end of the bar. “As a thank you for your support, it's on the house.”

Harry smiled widely at Evan as he handed the coffee cup to Evan over the counter. “Won’t your boss get mad for giving away free coffee?” Evan added before taking a sip of his drink.

“The good thing is that I’m the owner.” Y/N smirked back at him before turning around and walking towards the backroom. She looked over her shoulder, thinking she pulled off the last move, but he didn’t fail to wink back at her before Evan left the shop.

Week 3

After her last conversation with Evan, she did see him a couple of times after. And she finally learned his usual order. It was a black coffee with a splash of unsweetened almond milk topped with some cinnamon.

She did get used to seeing his face around. He did seem to enjoy the coffee. “Hey, sweet face, you’re early today.” Y/N leaned against the counter, already having his order ready for him in front of her.

“Now, you’re giving me nicknames?” He did enjoy the coffee, but he loved it the most when she greeted him with her sweet smile. He had gotten her to open up to him these couple of days, and he was happy about it. She brightened up his day.

“You just always have a sweet smile, like a toddler. Always so full of life, energy, and happiness.” And she wasn’t shy anymore on holding back the compliments.

“Then, I will call you freckles.” Evan reached towards Harry to finish paying and looked at her one last time. “You should show your freckles more. They go perfectly with your beautiful smile.” He winked at her and left the store in a hurry for work.

“If you don’t date him, I will.” Selena pushed a blushing Y/N playfully while she still stared at the door even though he was nowhere in sight anymore.

Week 4

“Good Morning Harry, did you watch the game yesterday?” Evan chatted with Harry, his eyes scanning the shop for a particular face.

“I did, and after that game, I’m embarrassed to even be from here. What a disaster it was.” Harry shrugged his shoulders, giving Evan his change. “She’s not here, she came down with the horrible flu and couldn’t risk getting all of us sick.”

“Oh, I was looking forward to seeing that smile today.” Evan frowned, placing a tip in the jar on the counter. “It was nice seeing you. Take care.”

“He looked sad when he walked in today,” Selena said, while Harry agreed.

Week 5

After spending some time in bed and being miserable at home with the flu, Y/N was finally on her feet and feeling better. The first day back and she was excited to head back to her second home, and especially to see that special someone.

But that morning, he didn’t show up at all. It was like the universe didn’t want her to see him today.

“He did come yesterday, right?” Y/N asked Selena, tapping her fingers on the counter, worrying about him. She had a feeling something was wrong, especially after Selena has told her that morning that he had been looking rough the couple of times he had come in.

“He did, he still had the sad puppy eyes, but he did order your tres leches again,” Selena confirmed, handing Y/N a warm cup of tea. Y/N felt terrible, he did leave his number for her with Harry, but she just didn’t have the courage to text first.

Maybe she was crazy, but she missed his smile and his contagious laughter while she was gone. She was looking forward to seeing him again, but she might have sent the wrong signal by not texting or even calling him after he left his number.

“I’m going for a drive, think you can stay in charge until I get back?” Y/N placed the cup on the counter and folded up one of the to-go boxes.

“If you’re going to do what I think you're going to do, then I can.” Selena chuckled, helping Y/N place the whole Tres Leches in the box.

She had driven past the station a few times before she even knew him, so thankfully, she knew the way and didn’t need to waste more time by searching it on her GPS. It was a 10-minute ride, and with her luck, traffic was lighter than usual.

“Should I call him and tell him that I’m here?” She thought, looking at the intimidating station. With her shaking hands, she built up the courage and stepped out of her car with her other hand holding on to the box.

“I bet I look pathetic.” And again, the little voice in her head returned. Her eyes wandered the area, and she only spotted a pair of legs working behind the ambulance. Hesitant, she made her way towards the figure as she held tightly on to the box in her hands. “Hi, excuse me.” She felt so small and intimidated her voice cracked a bit at the end.

“How can I help you, ma'am.” She felt so bad about interrupting him while he was just trying to do his job.

“Sorry to bother you, is Evan here? I don’t know if this is the right station-“

“Oh yeah, he’s here.” He smiled a little too friendly and immediately started shouting Evan’s name until an annoyed Evan came marching from what looked like a locker room.

“Han, why in the world are you screaming?” Buck groaned, but it took him a second to realized what was happening.

“This kind woman was asking for you.” Han smiled at Y/N kindly. Buck’s eyes widened, and his cheeks we're madly blushing when he spotted her standing right behind Han. And of course, Y/N had been blushing since he had walked out of the lockers.

“This is for all of you; I made it this morning.” Y/N held out the box, and Han didn’t hesitate to grab it from her hands.

“She brings us treats. She’s a keeper, Buck.” Han said a little too loud as he climbs up the stairs towards the small kitchen.

“I’m sorry if I’m overstepping. I got worried when you didn’t come in, and I just had a bad feeling. I needed to make sure you were alright.” Y/N rambled, her hands moving around like crazy as she tried to explain her actions. “I don’t know if you’re just nice, but I’m pretty sure we were flirting all of this time, and I just needed to see you.” With her rambling all over the place, she didn’t even notice how Buck was walking towards her slowly.

“I wanted to see you too.” Evan chuckled, grabbing her by the waist, finally pulling her closer to his body for the first time. The heat radiating between the two met as Buck lowered down to her height to catch her lips with his.

In complete shock, Y/N’s widened at first but slowly shut them as she kissed him back. It was slow and sweet, how he imagined it to be. One of Y/N’s hands found its way towards his bicep, resting on the muscle even after he had pulled away to look at her glistening eyes. “Just as good as your coffee,” Evan mumbled, pecking her lips a few times.

They were in their little bubble until wolf whistles and cheers coming from the balcony above them. “You can come to visit us at any time if you bring more goodies as good as this dessert,” Han said with a mouth full of food. A woman standing right next to him slapped him in the shoulder, rolling his eyes at him. “Excuse my partner. He gets a little too happy over food.”

“I’ll bring more next time.” Y/N giggled as Buck held her between his arms.

[lettercastauthor]

Spider-Barista: Part One, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Extra Whip

AU Summary and Warnings: Tony Stark survived the snap that killed Thanos and only lost his arm, Steve Rogers has returned from his brief time travel escapades after realizing he’s not as straight as he thought he was, and his feelings for Tony went far beyond friendship. Tony, Steve, Peter, Rhodey, Pepper, and Nebula are in a polyship and were living at Stark’s private New York residence located somewhere in the city “near all the action,” also close to Peter’s school. Peter, 18, is finishing senior year. Recently, Pepper and Morgan Stark have left for upstate New York to begin Morgan’s private school. Overprotective “auntie” Nebula joined them due to her own safety concerns, leaving the boys to fend for themselves. Unknown to everyone, Tony is having a secret sciencey-fling with Bruce Banner, kept private for shy Bruce’s sake. Aunt May is on a cruise in the Bahamas.

Tony has offered to pay for Peter’s college, but Peter is being stubborn and wants to earn it for himself, so he gets a job at the local coffee shop and quickly finds a love for the job. In fact, he loves it so much that he begins to neglect his Super-Hero duties. At first Tony is supportive of a break from the dangerous life of saving New York on the daily, despite Cap’s urging Peter to take on bigger baddies and hone his skills. But they both soon realize Peter’s interest in coffee is mainly tied to a cute customer who comes in on Peter’s every shift. Unbeknownst to Peter, this customer lives a double life. This will be a serial story, updated when I have time. There will be NSFW content, each section that includes NSFW content will be marked accordingly so the reader can choose to enjoy the story while skipping the lewd parts should the desire.

Everyone in this story is 18 or older.

Tl;Dr: Adult Tom Holland Spider-Man is working as a barista post-blip. He’s in a polyship with Tony, Steve, Rhodey, Pepper, and Nebula. He has a crush on one of his patrons and is neglecting his heroic duty. There’s NSFW stuff in here. 

Part One: “Pumpkin Spice Latte, Extra Whip”

Warm yellow sun pierced through the sepia tinted windows of the coffee shop. It was a nice clear day. The taxi cabs sat bumper-to-bumper, the people hurriedly walked the sidewalks like a fashion-show runway, carrying their coats over their shoulders on this uncharacteristically warm November afternoon. A flash of green dashed through the crowd of customers as Peter Parker raced round the back entrance of the counter to clock in. His apron whooshed around him as he stopped at the register, punched in his employee ID number, and jumped into the flow of things, watching the front door intensely as he worked the hot bar with lightning speed. 

Customers loved Peter. He was quick, he never messed up a drink, and he always served with a smile. Pete’s co-workers loved him because whenever he worked, everyone got higher tips. The manager liked him because he always showed up for every shift, but she felt he could be better at the cleaning part of the job; she made sure to mention that in his quarterly review. Right on time, five minutes after 2:00 p.m., Peter’s favorite customer walked in. He told all the customers they were his favorite, but this one in particular was actually his favorite. 

The bell chimed and a man walked in, brown coat draped over his arm, gray knit sweater hugging his broad shoulders and chest just tight enough to portray a hint of modelesque musculature. This was Jamie. Jamie always wore a steel-blue tie, pulled tight around his white collared button-up shirt. Today, he sported a pair of well-fitting khaki slacks, brown oxfords, argyle socks. Clothing tells you everything about a person in New York City. Jamie’s clothes told Peter this: that Jamie had a job in the city, a real job, the kind you do in an office that looks over the hustle and bustle of the commoner’s everyday lives. Or so Peter imagined. He looked like most New York businessmen, but to Peter he was the definition of heaven. He was also unattainable. Peter rarely worked the register, due to being what the manager called “too friendly.” All his chatting with the customers slowed up the line. Unfortunately, Pete’s normal position at the bar fixing drinks kept him behind a wall of glass and noisy machines. The barrier made it near impossible to communicate effectively with customers.

His only chance was at the passthrough area, where he would set each hand-crafted beverage and call out the name of the customer it belonged to. Jamie changed up his drink often, which both frustrated and intrigued Peter. He wanted to be able to make Jamie’s drink quick enough that he could have a second to drop him his number on a napkin, but by the time Peter learned Jamie’s drink (usually three or four shifts), it was usually too late. He’d switched it up again. But Peter liked that about him, too. Jamie clearly liked to try new things. It was a good sign. 

So, as Jamie placed his order, Peter rushed to fill it before the payment was even processed. Today, Jamie ordered a pumpkin spice latte with extra whipped cream. Pete lucked out. He could make that drink in his sleep! Since the seasonal drink made its yearly debut in September, he was making hundreds of these each day. As he steamed the milk, Jamie looked over and gave him an easy smile. The light danced off his brown skin, his eyes twinkled. Peter felt his cheeks tingle with blush as he returned the grin. Milk frothed and mixed with the pumpkin spice flavor, the drink was almost complete. The payment processor beeped its approval to Jamie, and Peter raced to put the extra whip and autumn seasonings on the drink, meeting Jamie at the passthrough counter and carefully putting the lid on the cup.

As Jamie reached for the drink, Peter slipped a napkin toward him. “Don’t forget your napkins, Mr. Jamie, sir.” He’d written his number on it this morning, in preparation for this very moment.

Jamie smiled again, “Thank you, Peter. I’d hate to get coffee all over my suit.”

“You’re welcome, sir.”

Jamie took the napkin and left without showing signs of having seen the number written on it. All Peter could do now was wait. Waiting was hard. The time ticked by slower than usual today, but finally it was closing time. Peter helped clean up the floor, sweeping, mopping, and wiping frantically. His co-workers joked about him having a hot date, but when Peter blushed they realized he might actually have a hot date! So they pushed him for answers as to who the mystery guy or girl could possibly be. 

“I don’t have a date, guys. It’s just that I - uh - I have school in the morning. You know, senior year and all. Gotta finish strong,” he said.

At this, Tammy the night shift manager, bursted out with her typical hyena-cackle laughter. “Okay, sure Pete, you have school on a Saturday. Dumbass, it’s Friday night. If you didn’t have a date tonight I would be worried. You need to loosen up, Peter. You can’t just stay single forever!”

Peter’s co-workers had no idea he was actually dating, like, five people, so he just grinned and laughed, “I guess you’re right! Well I have to go now, goodbye!” He clocked out and dashed out of the store as quickly as he came in. As he walked home, green apron hanging over his shoulder, visor flipped backwards, he turned on his phone and waited impatiently for the messages to load. One-by-one they came in.

Aunt May: “Just arrived at the port in Jamaica, having a lovely time on the cruise!”

Cap: “Peter, please remember to do your laundry tonight. Your room smells like feet.”

Mr. Stark: [sent you a picture message]

Ned: “LEGO building party tonight at Josh’s, are you coming? 10pm.”

Pepper: “Morgan says hi!”

MJ: “LOL You look so funny in that coffee uniform.”

But nothing from a mystery number that could possibly be Jamie’s. He responded to the messages somewhat halfheartedly, then descended the subway stairs to take the train home. Headphones in, he thought about Jamie’s smile as he was ordering. His chest felt tight again, blood pumping, music blasting. He daydreamed until his stop, then took the headphones out for his walk home. He entered the tall apartment building and took the elevator up to the top. Nothing but the best for Tony Stark and his family! The penthouse smelled of a home-cooked meal. It was Cap’s turn to cook, so they were bound to have a feast. Rhodey was setting the table and greeted him first.

“Peter! How was work?” He laid down the last fork at the big oval dining table.

“It was good, I made some tips today!” Peter put on an extra layer of cheer to compensate for the disappointment of not hearing from Jamie.

“That’s great, Pete.” Rhodey was Peter’s metamour, Tony being their shared partner. Occasionally there was tension between them. It wasn’t jealousy, but they were known for calling each other out on their bullshit, and Peter could tell Rhodey’s bullshit detector was going off.

But before Rhodes could say anything, Steve Rogers walked in carrying a turkey pot pie. His kiss-the-cook apron, denim cut-off booty-shorts, and crab-claw oven mitts really made for a unique kind of vibe far and away from the Captain America the rest of the world saw. The daisy dukes certainly showed off America’s Ass in the least wholesome of ways. Peter and Rhodey both gulped, eyeballing that thicc snack as Cap bent over the kitchen table and set it at the center. The pot-pie didn’t look too bad either. Both had been interested in Steve for quite some time, but were not sure how to approach that, since he was so newly out of the closet.

“Where’s Tony?” Steve asked, pulling the oven mitts off and reaching back to untie his apron.

“I don’t know, I just got home,” Peter shrugged, heading up the loft stairs.

Steve turned to Rhodey and asked, “What’s up with the kid? He seems off.”

Rhodey wrapped an arm around Steve’s waist and pulled him close, “Don’t you ever take that apron off.” He grinned, then released Steve and headed to the kitchen to grab the green beans and bread rolls. Steve stayed stuck there for a moment, trying to control the blush that spread across his face before going upstairs to check on Peter and find Tony.

Since Peter’s room was down the hall from Tony’s workshop, Steve decided to stop there first. He poked his head in and spotted Pete sulking at his desk, staring listlessly at his phone. Pete didn’t notice him, so he observed and admired for a minute before knocking and entering. “Hey Pete, don’t you have laundry to do?”

Startled, Peter jumped up and threw his phone under his bed. “Yes, that’s exactly what I came in here to do, laundry.” Frantically, he searched for the laundry basket. Unable to find it, he quickly picked up some of his dirty clothes and balled them up in a pile in his arms. Once his hands were full, he used his toes to pick up the boxers and socks that littered the floor.

“Pete…” Steve tried to get his attention.

“I know, Mr. Rogers it smells like feet in here…”

“Pete… well, I mean yes it does but Peter—” he stepped in front of the teen. “Peter, stop.”

“What?” Peter was clearly upset, though his face wasn’t visible behind the pile of clothing that filled his arms.

“Put the laundry down.”

“But my room smells like feet…”

“Peter.”

“Fine,” he dropped the laundry on the floor, then plopped defiantly on the bed. “What.”

Steve sat gently beside Peter. “Pete, you’re upset.”

“I am not upset, I’m fine.”

“Did you have a rough day at work?” Steve scooted closer, leaning into Peter. He smelled sweetly of coffee. Peter said nothing. “You can tell me, I’ll keep a secret.” He wrapped a reassuring arm around Peter’s shoulders.

The young man looked up at him, eyes red from both tiredness and emotions. “There’s a guy.”

“A guy?” Steve had only come out of the closet three months ago. He could feel the blush coming back to his cheeks. He glanced toward the door, secretly hoping Tony would come in and fix everything. Tony could always fix anything, especially Peter’s broken heart.

Pete sniffed. “He’s a customer. His name is Jamie.”

Suddenly suspicious, Steve perked up. “Is he the reason you turned off your police scanner and keep picking up extra shifts at the shop?”

Peter rolled his eyes and sighed. “You have no idea. How hot. He is. Like, he walks in the room and I can’t breathe. And he doesn’t even know I exist beyond that I am some guy in a green apron who works at a coffee shop.”

“I know what you mean, sport, but you so many of us here who adore you, you know?”

“I know, but…” Peter stopped and suddenly realized what Cap was insinuating, “Wait a second… Mr. Rogers are you saying you’re—?”

Just then Tony knocked on the door. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Steve stiffened up and suddenly there was a whole 12 inches between him and Peter. “Hey Tony! Peter had a rough day at work. I told him he needs to do his laundry… ah… dinner is ready, bye!” Steve bolted out of the kid’s room and down the stairs before Tony or Peter had a chance to respond.

“What’s his deal?” Tony asked, sitting down in the warm spot where Steve’s butt just was.

“I think… actually I really don’t know, Mr. Stark.” Peter stood to pick up his clothes.

“Hey, kid, come here for a second.” Tony pulled Peter back onto the bed and pinned him down, his mechanical hand caressing Peter’s cheek. Peter had a momentary flashback to that day but shook it out of his head. He focused on Tony’s piercing eyes.

“You are clearly not okay. And from what I heard, because you know I hear everything that goes on in this house, it has to do with some boy at work?”

Peter rolled his eyes. “It’s nothing…”

“Yes, that’s absolutely right, it is nothing. Hey. Look at me, kid.” He waited until Peter turned his head and made eye contact. “Whoever this guy is, maybe he’s cute. Maybe you even gave him your number on that little napkin from breakfast, but in the end when you’re like us, like you and me and Cap and Bruce, you just can’t date civilians. It never works out. They don’t understand the pressures of the job... or worse: they get killed. Ask any super hero you’ve ever met.”

“But you and Pepper—”

“Yes, Pepper is a special lady who also does the super hero things from time to time. Pep and I have a kid together, but there were years of turmoil before Morgan was born. Stick with what you have, dating outside our kind will only make it hard for you in the end.”

Peter sighed. “I guess… you’re probably right. He’s just so handsome, I… there’s something about him.”

“Pete, I’m not saying don’t go knocking on that door, I’m just saying… be safe about it.”

***NSFW INCOMING. Look for the 3 asterisks at the end of this passage if you wish to skip the naughty stuff.***

Peter glanced up at Tony, feeling flush. Thinking about Jamie, feeling the weight of Tony pressing down against him, it had all started to become a little too much. His hard-on strained against the fabric of his black work pants. “Tony, I…”

“I know, kid,” Tony went in for a kiss. They were still eager and new, Peter only having turned 18 less than three months ago, but the kiss was so familiar and comforting. Tony pulled back and smiled, unbuttoning Peter’s pants. “I don’t want you thinking about that guy anymore. It’s just you and me in here, alright?” He pulled out Pete’s member and rubbed a finger at the base of the head.

“Yes, Mr. Stark, sir…”

“It’s Tony.” He palmed Peter’s cock, then slowly stroked.

Peter could only whimper in response.

“Good boy.” He released Peter. “Get naked for me, I have something I want you to try on.” Tony left the room to grab the skimpy maid outfit from his bedroom closet while Peter disrobed and hastily threw his dirty laundry in a pile in the closet. 

As Peter cleaned, he muttered to himself, “I really should have listened to Cap and done this last week… Where’s that fabreeze?”

Meanwhile, Tony bumped into Steve on his way to their shared bedroom at the other corner of the massive loft. “Steve, what’s up with you today?”

“What are you talking about?” Steve feigned coolness.

“Do you have a thing for Pete?”

“Who? Pete? The kid? Nah. Not me.” Steve sped up, walking quicker toward the bedroom, but Tony caught up with him easily.

At the doorframe, he stopped him, cornered him, pushed him back against the wall. “Steve, I want you to join us.” His lips were so close to Steve’s. Steve quivered.

“Join you?” Steve chuckled nervously, turning red again. “Tony, even if I liked him, how could I handle both of you at once?”

“Yep, that’s it you’re coming with me.” Tony gripped Steve’s forearm tight with his bionic hand and pulled the protesting Captain back toward Peter’s room. The maid outfit could wait for another day, but breaking Steve in with another young buck had to happen someday... and today was as good as any!

By the time they entered the room, Peter had made it spotless. Not a single smell of feet to be found. Tony and Steve both knew he had probably just shoved everything in his closet, but the bed was made and the desk was cleared and the room smelled nicely of linen fabreeze. Peter was nude, sitting on the bed, waiting patiently for Tony to return with some outfit or other. He was shocked to see Steve Rogers standing in the doorway beside Tony, looking shyly down, cheeks frosted rose.

“Mr. Stark… you said you wanted me to try something on… D-do you want me to try on Mr. Rogers?” His voice broke a bit.

Stark sighed. “Kid, how many times do we have to tell you? it’s Tony. And Steve. And... there was a change of plans. Remember how I said it would be only you and me in here?” Pete nodded, swallowing hard as he saw Steve’s growing erection through the tight daisy dukes he’d donned to prepare dinner. “Well, now it’s you and me. And Steve.”

“S-steve, sir, I would love that... it’s just…” Pete had never seen Captain America be so shy. “I think your dick might ruin me…”

Steve glanced at Peter. Tony glared at Steve. “Say it, Cap. Go on! Tell him.”

“Peter.” Steve was looking at him lustfully, passionately now. “I want you. I want you to take me. I need you... I need you inside of me.”

Peter gave a breathy sigh. Partly from the way Cap’s words made his own dick throb, and partly from relief that he wouldn’t have to try to take the horse-sized dong that seemed to be endlessly growing in Steve’s shorts. He stood, approached Steve, and smiled. “I would like that very much.” He glanced over at Tony, unable to hide his surprise and apparent elatedness that Steve was in fact a bottom, and also that his dick really was that huge.

*** End NSFW Section***

So, that’s it for now! What do you think of part one? Do you like the partition for the SFW vs. NSFW content? What do you think will happen next? Part 2 takes place the next day. It will be coming soon! Probably tomorrow, or next week, depending on when I find time between work and school.

[chibalein]

Harmony Magazine Vol.6 - Recommendations for Wakana ~ Translation

So, in January, fanclub members could submit recommendations for restaurants and other interesting places located in the prefectures that Wakana will visit during her upcoming spring tour. These are the selected entries. Every entry (except for Wakana’s own recommendations) includes the member number, the nickname of the user that submitted the recommendation and a comment of him/her about the place, but I will only translate the comment. I also put links of every location in the titles. My personal notes will be in [...].

Anyway, some of these entries seem like very cool insider tips. Japan offers so many regional or local specialities that outsiders, let alone foreigners, might never know about. So if you happen to be at those places, no matter if it’s for Wakana’s concert or not, go ahead and try them, because you will never get the chance otherwise.

Celebrating the domestic spring tour!! Recommendations for Wakana!! This shop, that shop!  

Wakana will hold her spring live tour in 7 major cities starting from April. So we hurriedly asked fanclub members via a questionnaire to tell us their recommendations! Will there be places that Wakana finds interesting as expected!?

Thanks to everyone who submitted their suggestions!

1. April 4th: Hanno City Civic Hall (Saitama)

Ôsato Main Shop “Hanno’s famous sweet Shirimochi”

Since I spent my elementary and middle school years in Hanno City, I have so many things I would like to tell you about it, but I really want you to try this treat. It’s called “Hanno’s famous sweet Shirimochi”! This treat is moderately sweet with puffy and soft red bean paste filling wrapped in mochi. But it’s sold in only three places in Hanno and with the best-by date being so short, only people of Hanno know about this - so it’s a treat only well-known to the few. They are often sold out by afternoon, but since Hanno City Civic Hall is only five minutes away by car, please try it!

Wakana’s comment:

It looks like a very soft mochi. It’s so simple and honest, wonderful! It’s also great that this shop is only a 5-minute car ride away! After buying merchandise, you can buy shirimochi, eat them, and bring them to the venue, in this order *laughs*. Great! I am sure they are also delicious after putting them into a toaster!

2. April 6th: NHK Osaka Hall (Osaka)

Botechaya “Okonomiyaki set meal” [it’s a chain, I put a link to the Dotonbori store]

This combination is distinctive for people from Kansai who eat okonomiyaki as a side dish of rice *laughs*. The dough is firm, but once you take a bite you get the proper softness. By eating the strongish sauce and rice alternately, if you gives just the right flavor - on this photo it may look small, but it has a good amount of volume.

Wakana’s comment:

After all, I love dishes made of flour! There are no “Okonomiyaki set meals” in other prefectures. Very Osaka-like! But, this is “normal” to Osaka people, right!? Is it like common practice? A side dish to rice… Yes, the flavor is strong, so it surely is delicious with white rice! I think it’s very compatible! *laughs*

3. May 4th: Fukuoka Convention Center (Fukuoka)

Henn-na Hotel Fukuoka Hakata

This is a hotel in Wakana’s home prefecture Fukuoka! Opened recently in January 2019, it’s not strange at all [the “hen” in the hotel name means “strange” or “weird” in Japanese]. It’s a fantastic hotel. The receptionists are velociraptors! I will say the most important thing once more - velociraptors do the reception! It’s such a dream-like hotel. How about staying in this hotel and resting after the concert where Wakana’s beloved raptors are?

Wakana’s comment:

Velociraptors are so cool! I got excited the moment I saw this. I wonder whether they can talk? *laughs* Of course I knew about the very first hotel in Huis Ten Bosch in Nagasaki [a big theme park in Sasebo City modeling Holland in the Middle Ages]. I want dinosaurs to be in the rooms, too! The hotel prices also seem reasonable! Since it opened recently and is close to the venue, I want everyone to meet and fall in love with velociraptors <3

4. Wakana’s recommendation!

West Udon Izakaya

“West” is a famous udon chain in Fukuoka, but they have various things like “West Yakiniku”. One of these stores is the “West Udon Izakaya”, the menu prices are around 200 Yen, 300 Yen, 400 Yen! Motsunabe for one person costs 300 Yen! But it’s really delicious! My recommendations are “Yamaimo Teppan” [japanese yam in a hot iron plate] and “Gobôten Udon” [fried burdock udon]. There are also stores that operate 24 hours. They have hot pot, snacks and alcohol and at the end udon… Getting drunk and sleeping with a good mood, it’s easy-going after all. It’s such a restaurant.

5. April 14th: Sapporo City Education and Culture Hall (Hokkaido)

Seicomart

This convenience store started in Hokkaido. It’s trademark is the orange signboard. Seicomart’s “Hot Chef” [it’s like a fast food corner inside the stores, you can get handmade dishes there] is pretty delicious. During summer, Hokkaido’s melon soft ice is super yummy.

Wakana’s comment:

When I went to Hokkaido, Seicomart was always taking care of me! Whenever I went there, I felt like it’s always full of rice or side dishes. But I didn’t know about “Hot Chef”! Next time I’ll try to go there just for the “Hot Chef”! As for the soft ice, I think there weren’t any other ice varieties after all. The melon soft ice looks so delicious~! The Sapporo live will be in April, so it’s just about the right time to challenge ice cream, right? I will look for it!

6. Wakana’s recommendation!

Rokkatei “Ôhirahara”

This yellow, fluffy cake is something I got from a friend from Hokkaido! The backside of the wrapping says “Please warm it up in the microwave for 10 seconds”, and after warming it up, it tastes so much more delicious! My friend said “Eh! I didn’t know that! You have to warm it up?” *laughs*. When she/he tried it, she/he got so excited and said “Wow, delicious!”. I want everyone to know that Hokkaido doesn’t only have “shiroi koibito” [a super damn delicious cookie Hokkaido is famous for]. Please bring this back as a souvenir!

7. April 20th: Sendai Gigs (Miyagi)

Ankoya

Normally, dorayaki [traditional pancake-like confection filled with red bean paste] are round, but this bakery makes them square. Inside it’s densely packed with red bean paste, it’s a filling food. You can enjoy different and seasonal flavors. Many people come to the bakery in the morning, so you should come early. Please try it!

Wakana’s comment:

So cute~! So there are also season-limited flavors. The idea that dorayaki are delicious even if they are not round is great. When buying it, I feel like they will be beautifully put inside the box. Seems like there is also “butter dorayaki”~, it looks so delicious! Butter wrapped in red bean paste, it feels like it’s connected with “Nagoya”. Ah, but it’s Sendai! *laughs* If they are sold out before noon, then they must be popular. Anyway, I want to try that butter dorayaki!

8. May 12th: NTK Hall Nagoya (Aichi)

[Just a comment from my side: in the magazine it actually says “glaboal”, however the store website states it as “global”, the Japanese address says “global” and Google Maps also says “global”, so I suppose that’s correct. I am pretty sure that neither the member who submitted the info nor the magazine editor have checked the correct spelling and/or don’t have enough English skills to notice this mistake. Anyway, in my translation I will stick to “global”].

garage (GLOBAL GATE store)

The “GLOBAL GATE” store (in the building in front of Zepp Nagoya) is a florist/gardening store located in the 3rd and 4th floor. I recommend this to Wakana since she loves plants! Please go there!

Waah, I just want to live there! *laughs* This seems like a store where the staff will talk to each customer about plants. Awesome! It must be like that! Just like people, plants also have unique personalities. That’s why it’s the same with having a pet~ I think it’s very good when employees can talk to the customers one-to-one! And there are also some crafting seminars~ Some day I want to learn how to repot plants!

9. April 26th: Nakano Sun Plaza (Tokyo)

Bonjour Bon

I would like to recommend this bakery located in Tokyo’s Nakano ward called “Bonjour Bon”. In this bakery you can find many, a bit different types of bread, and I also recommend the fried calzone margarita pizza bread. The balance between tomato and cheese is exquisite, so please try it, Wakana-san.

Wakana’s comment:

This bakery looks like a “Japanese bakery”, right? That’s great~. Sometimes I really crave bread, so I go out in the morning to buy it. I prefer rather salty over sweet bread. A so-called side dish bread. Therefore the calzone margarita sounds delicious! I also love “katsu sandwich” [katsu refers to fried pork chop] and croquettes. To be honest, I have never walked around the vicinity of Nakano Sun Plaza before…. This time I will try to go there!

[kpop--fics]

➳ Bashful Bartender

Pairing: Kim Jungwoo x reader Word count: 3.916 Genre: Fluff Requested by: anon Collab with: @ahgasescenarios Synopsis: What would an encounter at the local bar have in store for you for the following days?

You wouldn't describe yourself as much of a drinker. You didn't drink more than the next person, having drinks here and there when you went out with friends or after a rough day at work, but that was about the end of it. You were far from being an alcoholic, or so you thought.

Yet here you were, entering a bar at 9 o'clock on a Monday night. The week had barely started and here you were drinking yourself to oblivion.

The bartender noticed your gloomy mood and smiled in compassion. "Bad day?", he asked. "Don't get me started.", you half-smiled. Your boss had been even more demanding than usual, ordering you around and scolding you for petty details. You had struggled to keep your calm all day, but you managed to get through his torture.

God, you hated having a boss. They always think they're all that only because they have a higher ranking in the industry than their employees. They don't even deserve their position, most of the time they inherit the family company. You snapped yourself out of your daydream before you got even more frustrated.

After a few rounds, you were starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. "Bartendeeeer", you slurred, "what's your name?"

"Taeyong, and I think you've had enough to drink sweetie."

You rolled your eyes at his motherly words. "Well, Taeyong, I'm far from being done so keep 'em coming." It was his turn to roll his eyes, but he complied regardless. It was around 2 am when you finally left, waiting by the street to hail yourself a cab. You were too far gone to even notice one stopping right in front of you. The chauffeur honked and you hopped in. You had work tomorrow and you knew for a fact you were going to regret this night out in the morning.

The rest of the week hadn't been too bad, your boss was being his usual rude self. It was finally Saturday night and you felt like going out, for once. You called some of your friends and they gave you the address of the bar they wanted to go to. To your surprise, it was the one you had been to that previous Monday night.

You wore a simple beige dress and put on some minimal makeup. Your friends were already waiting when you arrived, greeting you with a hug. You glanced over at the bar and noticed a guy you hadn't a few nights ago. With a face like that, you were sure you'd remember having seen him. He was handsome, you could admit that. You were staring and he noticed. He blushed and looked away. Cute, you thought.

Maybe this night would get a little more interesting after all.

Walking towards the bar and taking a seat, you ordered a martini and signed your friends to follow you. “Y/n, already on the strong stuff? Oh well, whatever. The same for me, bartender!” Your friend Mina screamed while she was literally one seat away from you.

Weird, you were pretty sure she couldn’t handle her alcohol very well.

And after only thirty minutes and two drinks, it became clear you were right about that. Mina had fallen off of her chair three times, and you couldn’t even remember the amount of times she had hiccupped.

“Is… is she alright?” The handsome bartender from earlier asked you shyly, and you nodded in reply. “She just can’t handle her alcohol very well. Do you think you can get her a glass of water?” You asked him, and he was already on his way to the sink to grab what you had asked.

In no time, a glass of water stood on the counter, and you tried to give it to your friend. Tried, because the second you let go, it landed on the floor with a loud crash.

The bartender, who was now serving some other people, turned around instinctively hearing the sound. “I shouldn’t have put it in a glass, right?” He chuckled slightly and started to grab a broom to clean up the mess your friend had just made.

“It’s alright, let me do it.” You said, taking the broom from his hands, touching the tips of his fingers a bit. With a creeping blush evident on his face, he just nodded and got back to other people who tried to order drinks.

“Y/n, he totally has the hots for you!” Mina screamed, much to your own displeasure. “Shhh, he’ll hear you!” You shushed her and continued cleaning up the mess.

Surely, when it was all cleaned up, you all agreed it was time to go home, especially for Mina. “We’ll grab a taxi for her, can you pay? We’ll pay you back, promise!” One of your friends screamed while practically dragging Mina to the door.

Grabbing your wallet, you placed the correct amount of money on the bar, with an extra not included.

When you were already gone, the cute bartender put the money away, and curiously turned around the light blue card you had left behind.

“I wanted to give you this.” It read, followed by your number.

The handsome bartender had been debating whether or not to text you for the remainder of the evening but decided against it. After all, you hadn't even exchanged names yet. He paced around his apartment for a while, pondering the best way to approach you. He wasn't very good at this, to begin with, he thought.

He went to bed that night with an idea in mind.

You woke up the next morning with a light headache, nothing too intense (thank god). You had a bad history with hangovers and you sure didn't want to add another one to the list.

Making your way to the kitchen, you quickly got dressed and made yourself some coffee. Just as you were about to take your first sip, your cellphone vibrated making you groan in return.

Unknown number: Hey, it's the bartender from last night. I didn't catch your name, mind telling me over coffee?

You smiled to yourself. You didn't think he'd be so smooth, he had come off as quite shy just the previous evening.

You: I'm free today if you want.

He texted back almost immediately which made you giggle. Someone's eager, you thought.

Unknown number: How about at 3 o'clock? I'll text you the location.

You: It's a date.

You bit your lip in an attempt to stop yourself from smiling, in vain. You hadn't been this excited for a coffee date in a long time. Something about him just captivated you. It was 3 o'clock before you knew it. After having taken the time to choose the right outfit (not too sexy, not too casual) and the right makeup, you were on your way.

He was already seated when you got there, waving you over casually. You stuck out your hand invitingly and you saw a flicker of hesitation pass through his features before he shook your hand. "I'm (Y/N)."

"Jungwoo." You placed your order and Jungwoo -being the gentleman that he is- took care of your bill. You had always appreciated small gestures. He was getting on your good side already.

The more you talked with him, the more at ease the two of you seemed to be. He was easy to talk to and you liked that. He was sweet, caring and he was passionate about his job. It was like you had known each other forever, however cliché that may sound.

Before you knew it, you had been chatting for hours on end and it was time for you to part ways. You pouted slightly and made your way to the exit. Jungwoo looked at the ground nervously. "Does this mean I can take you out on another date?" Your heart warmed at his cute self.

"It sure does." You leaned in and pecked his cheek briefly. His cheeks were overcome with a pink color and you waved him goodbye. You definitely hoped to see him again.

And it seemed that your little wish came true. Only a day later, you were shopping with some friends at the local mall and just as you were to turn around a corner, you bumped into someone. Bowing and apologizing, you heard some giggling.

Looking up, the person in front of you was none other than Jungwoo. “Hey, long time no see!” He winked, and you blushed a bit. “Yesterday is not that long ago, you know. Did you miss me already?” You joked back, and now it was his turn to blush.

Suddenly, applause could be heard and you looked past Jungwoo to see he was here with a few of his friends too.

Glancing back, an idea came to you. “We were just to go laser gaming, but our group is a bit on the small side. What do you think, yours against mine?” You challenged, and you saw a confident glint take over his eyes.

“Just know I never say no to challenges. It’s a deal.” Jungwoo answered before thinking about it. “So… we just have to agree now?” A tall friend of his responded, which caused you all to laugh. In the end, everyone agreed so you all made your way to the laser hall.

“Ready… start!” The signal could be heard through the dark room, and soon enough all types of green and red dots could be seen walking around you. Your team, the green one, was currently leading with two points, but that wasn’t enough to ensure victory.

Just when you were about to crawl out of your hiding spot, you were stopped. Turning around, you saw Jungwoo stand in the door opening, leaving no chance for you to get out without being shot.

“Just shoot me already.” You sighed, putting your hands up in the air for defeat. “I didn’t think you would admit defeat that easily, Y/n.” Jungwoo smirked, and started walking towards you, until your back hit a wall.

He was so close, you could feel his breath on your neck. “Just as your lips were about to touch, a scream could be heard, probably from Mark, a friend of Jungwoo. “Yo lovebirds! Just kill one another already, this is taking too long!”

Apparently, you two were the only ones left and all of your friends were waiting for you.

Taking Jungwoo by surprise, you shot him while his attention was still on your lips. “I won!” You giggled, and proceeded to walk back to the entrance. Just as you were about to grab the handle, you were pulled back by a hand.

“Did you think you can kill me that easily?” He smirked while leaning in again. Every time he made a move, you were shocked by his dominant nature. He really did strike you as a shy guy.

This time, you closed the gap, and pecked his lips shortly before retreating again. “Beat me if you want another kiss.”

Despite having tried his best to uphold his end of the bargain, your team had won resulting in a sulky Jungwoo. He walked with his head hanging low, a pout evident on his lips. You smiled at the adorable boy before taking his hand in yours. Noticing this made Jungwoo look up and his infamous smile appear.

The rest of the afternoon had gone smoothly, your group of friends getting along with Jungwoo's. Before you knew it, you had to leave and your friends almost had to drag you out of the mall. You had stayed back to talk more with Jungwoo, hoping that maybe he'd actually kiss you this time.

Much to your dismay, he had been interrupted by your friends coming to get you. You had merely waved at him, cursing your friends inwardly for having ruined the moment. Jungwoo was disappointed with himself too as he had really wanted to kiss you for real. He promised himself he would do it right next time. Whenever that next time would be.

A few days later, you were on your way to the library when you ran into Jungwoo. "Hey stranger", he smiled. "Hey Jungwoo, where are you off to?"

"I was just going to meet up with the guys, but I can walk with you a bit more." You smiled at how much of a gentleman he was. Sometimes he could act so pure and innocent towards you, yet there were times when he was protective and tough. You smiled thinking that maybe, just maybe, he acted tough to try and impress you. You weren't counting on it, firmly believing that he was too good for an average girl like you. You wouldn't let that stop you from enjoying his company though.

As you were nearing the library, you were the one to pout. You halted in front of the building, signalling him that you had arrived. "Well, this is me." He looked at the building, then back at you and for a split second, you were sure you saw a hint of nervousness in his eyes. You shrugged it off, waiting for him to say something.

Anything. You didn't want to be left hanging again.

He took a step towards you, his hands in his pockets. He towered over you, brushing a loose strand of hair back into place. Your breath hitched in your throat, knowing where this was going. He licked his lips as his gaze shifted to rest on your lips. His hands cupped your face and he brought your lips to his in a gentle kiss. You smiled into the kiss, your hands resting on his chest. He was the one to break the kiss, forehead resting against yours. He smiled and you swore it lit up everything around you two.

"Did you think I was going to let you beat me to it, (Y/N)?" You laughed at this, pecking his lips one more time before heading inside. He watched you walk away and felt his heart flutter just a little.

Just then, a loud ringing noise could be heard. Fishing his cellphone out of his pocket quickly, Jungwoo clicked on the answer button and held the phone next to his ear. Bad idea.

“Jungwoo, where the hell are you? You promised to take over my shift, didn’t you?” A loud Doyoung could be heard on the other side of the line. He should have checked who it was first, then he wouldn’t be deaf, Jungwoo thought.

“Yeah calm down, I’m almost there. I was taking… a little detour. Sorry for the delay!” Jungwoo said as enthusiastically as possible and hung up before more curses could be swung at his head. He knew he was in for a scolding, but looking at your figure retreating in the library, it was worth it.

To be honest, you didn’t see Jungwoo for a while after that. You had thought about messaging or calling him, but you didn’t want to come over as possessive, needy or even clingy. And even thought you missed the cute boy like crazy, the worst thing was that you couldn’t forget that one kiss.

Throwing your thoughts out of the window, you decided to do something about your sulky state. Only a few minutes later, you were on your bike, going to the regular bar in town, where you two had met, hoping he would be on shift.

Just as you had arrived at the building, a thought held you back, resulting in you freezing before touching the door handle. “I’m not even his girlfriend… what if he really does find it weird if I show up here randomly?” You mumbled, not noticing someone was standing behind you and listening to your little conversation.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind at all, Y/n.” A chuckle could be heard, and you turned around at the speed of light to see who had startled you.

“Mark?” You questioned, seeing the smaller boy stand in front of you. “That would be me! Oh and don’t worry, Jungwoo is just as sulky as you. He is at the dorms though.” The boy continued calmly, and brushed past you to enter the bar.

Getting back on your bike, you rode for another good half hour before you were finally standing in front of the doors. Your hand automatically reached up and pressed the doorbell. Not even ten seconds later, a confused Jungwoo opened it, shock evident in his deep brown eyes.

Before you could even utter a word, he pulled you in by your shoulders and guided you to the direction of the couch, sitting down with you in his lap. “Is it okay if I-” He started, but before he could say what he wanted, you knew what he meant.

“Is there nobody else in the dorm?” At the moment that Jungwoo shook his head as a form of saying no, you tilted his chin up and planted a kiss on them. Just as you wanted to retreat again, Jungwoo grabbed a fistful of your hair and kept making the kiss deeper and deeper.

You didn’t fully know how long you two were in that position, but after a while, the turn of a key could be heard. Practically jumping off of his lap, you jumped up and jogged to the kitchen, pretending to busy yourself with grabbing a glass of water.

“We’re home!” A voice you recognized as Taeyong’s sounded through the dorm, and was followed by silence. Walking out of the kitchen to see what was going on, you stopped in your tracks when you noticed every single gaze was on you.

“I figured Y/n must be here.” Doyoung chuckled, and you shot him a confused glance. “Don’t say you thought we wouldn’t notice Jungwoo’s dishevelled hair?”

Too embarrassed to stay after being caught, you came up with some lame excuse to explain why you had to leave as quickly as possible. Jungwoo didn't blame you as a thin layer of pink now ghosted over his own cheeks. He kissed your forehead before bidding you goodbye, leaving you all giddy.

It had been a week since the incident and you had been texting Jungwoo day in and day out. You hadn't managed to find time for each other this week, but you both were okay with that. It didn't keep you from missing him, quite the opposite. Especially since you weren't sure if the two of you were "a thing". You had made out at his place that one time, but you hadn't seen him ever since, so were you meant to take that as a sign?

You were starting to overthink when you heard knocking on your apartment door. "(Y/N)!" "Mina?", you frowned, "what are you doing here?" "Will you please go out with me, I don't want to go alone and everyone else is busy." "Mina, it's 3 in the afternoon. Who day drinks except alcoholics?" She sneered in response. "Always such a party pooper. Come on, I'm asking you nicely. Pleaaase."

"Fine. But only because I'm scared for your safety." The biggest grin made its way to her face and she leaped at you. "Okay, yeah, let go, please. I'm gonna get changed then."

She sat down on the couch and you proceeded to your room. You came out with a silk top and your comfiest shorts before Mina dragged you out like an excited puppy.

To your surprise, she decided to go to the bar where Jungwoo was working. You wondered if he had a shift today, but your question was answered the second you walked in and spotted him at the counter. You watched him in awe as he prepared the drinks, his hands skilfully pouring the required amount of each liquor. He narrowed his eyes in concentration and you couldn't help but admire how handsome he looked doing what he loved. It took

Mina waving her hand in front of your face to snap you out of your daze. She linked her arm in yours and walked over to where Jungwoo was bartending. He hadn't seen you yet and you weren't sure if he would approve of you day drinking like this. It's not like we're a couple, so screw it, you thought.

Another bartender, who you recognized as Doyoung, made his way over to you seeing as Jungwoo was already occupied. You sighed in relief and Mina ordered shots which made you cringe in expectation. You were more a cocktail kind of girl, shots were too strong for your taste.

You grabbed the small glass and brought it your lips, sighing before downing it reluctantly. You coughed, wiping your mouth in disgust. You shook your head and felt eyes on you. You looked up and were met with Jungwoo's curious gaze. He made his way over in no time.

"(Y/N)? I didn't think you'd be here, especially not at this hour." You chuckled. "Yeah, well, Mina here forced me to come. I didn't know you were working today, for the record." "Do you think we could talk? My shift ends in 30." You nodded slightly, scared that maybe he wanted to tell you whatever you had was over. "Great, see you then." With that, he went back to his side of the counter.

The fear made you down 4 more shots. Your legs felt kind of wobbly now and you couldn't for the life of you recall where Mina had gone. You rested your head on the counter, tired of everything spinning around you. Your eyelids suddenly felt heavy and you closed your eyes.

"(Y/N), come dance with meee, I'm bored." You opened an eye tentatively, recognizing the brunette before you as Mina. You huffed in annoyance before standing up. Unfortunately, the alcohol had made its way to your brain and it seemed like you had forgotten how to walk. Strong arms caught you just before you fell which made you look up at their owner.

You recognized Jungwoo and a blush crept across your face. "It's okay, I got you. Come on." You stood up with difficulty, but you managed to find somewhat of a balance. You walked towards the exit -with Jungwoo's help.

He hailed you a cab and got in next to you. "Why did you drink so much, (Y/N)?" He asked, concern evident in his eyes. You hung your head low, embarrassed that he had to see you like this. "I just- I was confused. I really like you and I was scared you wanted to tell me it was over-"

"What? Oh god, (Y/N), that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." You looked up, still pouting. "Then what?" His hand cupped your face, his thumb gently caressing your cheek. "I wanted to ask you to be my girlfriend, stupid."

Your eyes lit up at this, your mood lightening. "Is that a yes?", he asked hesitantly. "Of course it is, Jungwoo! I'm so happy." You hugged him as best as you could given the fact that you were in the back of a cab. He laughed at how adorable you were, even when drunk. He broke away from the hug and looked into your eyes lovingly. "Can I kiss you now?" You nodded shyly and in an instant, his lips were on yours. The kiss was slow and sweet, just like your relationship would reveal itself to be.

And at that moment, you swore you were the happiest girl in the world.

>> Masterlist

[equalitae]

L i k e   I    W o u l d ( I )

Pairing: Baekhyun x Reader

Genre: Angst, (Not completely, but the tension) smut 

Song to suggest: Like I Would - ZAYN

Synopsis: I was doomed from the very moment I met him. 

It was a mistake that I didn’t regret, but that I profoundly wanted to undo in the deepest part of my heart. I tried my best to untangle myself out of that mess, but he was right. 

No one knew me like he did. No one would love me like him.

Word count:  3044

Part 1 -  Part 2 - Part 3

I couldn’t breathe.

The air left my lungs like they were being kicked over and over, keeping me in a gasp for help. I felt worthless and vulnerable as I watched the whole world crumbling around me. I thought my heart had stopped beating as soon as I saw how his fingers curled around her golden locks and the way his smile widened his features.

My body was suddenly out of energy, but thankfully nobody noticed my change of mood, since they were all busy finishing the assignment left for today. The history class stopped being interesting when I started to feel like a deflated balloon. It was stupid, though. I shouldn’t have been feeling like this, since I was the one who got out of this mess.

His attentions were once directed towards me. His bright smile and shinning eyes were once caused because of me. Now, he was looking at her like she was a diamond out of a pile of untouched coal. The way he used to laugh at my jokes, was replaced by her lame jokes and his quick responses. I could perfectly listen to the way her voice trespassed his angelic one. I couldn’t help but cringe at it.

Baekhyun was a hot sweetheart, and he knew it really well. His untouched looks and perfect ways carved a path for him to whatever he wanted. He could make you do whatever he felt like just by giving you an innocent smile and a slow wink. The whole campus melted to his charms, drooling over him as he was a dessert; and he knew how to use his power over everyone smoothly.

Even so, the first time we crossed paths, it was a complete accident.

It was an early Sunday morning, free of any class possible, but I still had to wake up quickly because I was running late for work. The little bakery I worked at was really famous between the students, mostly because of the good sweets we made, reason why I had to be there earlier than anyone else.

I ran in the halls, barely holding the strips of my worn-out backpack, feeling the adrenaline rushing through my veins. If I got there late, again, it would be my second call this week and I knew that Kyungsoo wouldn’t let it slip once again. We had been friends of years, basically since we both wore diapers, but since he was the “heir” of the lucrative store, he had to be hard with his employees, no matter what.

As I reached the elevator, I clicked the button quickly, jumping in one foot while I prayed for it to arrive sooner. The metallic doors opened with a bell, and I slipped in it in a hurry, pressing the first floor with annoyance.

“C’mon”, I said to no one in particular. My eyes flickered to the red numbers on the wall, cursing at the damn thing in silence for not being faster. After a while, the doors started to close with an incredibly slow motion, making me grunt in annoyance, until I was stopped.

“Wait!” A male voice shouted. A pair of delicate hands pushed the door open, and a slim figure slipped into the elevator as the doors closed with a muffled sound. He cleaned his hands on his pants, as he took a phone out of his pockets, tapping on it furiously. I stared at him with an arched eyebrow, suddenly interested in his presence.

He had red hair with shades on it and a pair of circled glasses barely clang from the tip of his nose. He had plump lips and a well-shaped jawline that lead to his chiseled neck colored by tattoos and a necklace. I stared at his profile for a couple of seconds more, before taking my phone out to pretend busy myself on something else than him. Soft mumbles left his lips, while he kept tapping on the phone, cursing under his breath occasionally.

He put his phone away and I felt his stare on me, but I decided not to look up. His gaze burned holes on my figure, but I contained myself as much as possible, while I texted Jee, telling her that I was running late so she could cover me till I made it there. Before sending the text, an unexpected shake made the elevator move, making me lose my balance for a second. I felt a pair of long arm holding me by the waist, steading me up.

I looked up, crashing with the red-haired’s smirk, and I felt my cheeks burning as I untangled myself from him.

“What the hell was that?!”, I exclaimed instead, looking at the red numbers. The elevator had stopped in the third floor, and it wasn’t moving or making sounds anymore. I tapped the number furiously but the metallic monster refused to keep working.

“I think we got stuck”, he said, clicking the alarm button several times. I looked at him, just to find him already staring at me. I took a glance at his features, feeling awed by the beauty of them, zoning out for a second. “I feel that this old box just gave his last breath”.

I didn’t answer but nodded instead, still too amused by him to properly think about something to say. He smirked.

“You got a name? Mine is Byun Baekhyun” He extended a hand in my direction, and I stared at it, insecure if I should take it. After debating myself, I shook his hand, giving a soft smile in his direction.

“I’m Y/N”

“Oh, a pretty name for a pretty lady”, Baekhyun said with a semi-smile. I felt my cheeks blush.

“I’ve never seen you before around here. Are you new?” I said before having the chance to hold myself up. He looked at me with another smirk, before shaking his head.

“No, I’m in my second year of arts. I just transferred dorms since my older ones were closed up.”

“Oh.”

“And you? I haven’t seen you around either.” I stared at the wall, not wanting to look at him because I knew I would be drooling in no time.

“I’m in my second year of design.”

He shrugged his shoulders, looking at me with narrowed eyes. “You don’t seem like a designer, though.” I placed a hand over my chest, offended.

“What do you mean?”

“First of all, you’re wearing an uniform and your hair is all over the place. You even have a little bit of toothpaste in the corner of your lips.” I fixed my hair, looking at him badly.

“That doesn’t mean anything. You don’t look like an artist either.”

“Is that so?” He smiled. “Then to which career do I look alike?” I analyzed him, taking my time to admire his well proportionate body that fitted incredibly good in that faded striped shirt and parched pants. He was the image of street fashion, slaying it in every way possible. My mouth was eager to ask him everything to his inspiration to be so well dressed, to ask him where he got his clothes and that if he could let me design clothes for him as well.

I was a fashion sucker, admiring every type of style possible. Baekhyun looked like an artist, there was no doubt of that. His whole essence was living by it, but I couldn’t let him win. Something in him made me want to argue, to make him mad.

“Engineer.”

He gasped. 

“En-engineer?” His soft chuckles filled the elevator. “Is that the best you got?” His legs slipped on the floor, as he smoothly sat beside me. “You’re bad at lying, Y/N, but I appreciate the effort to fight me.”

“Shut up”, I said, muffling my cheeks with annoyance. He sighed loudly as he pulled his phone out once again, tapping in the screen with quick movements. His frown was deep and his pouting lips were constantly licked by his tongue as he kept his concentration on the phone. I glimpsed in his direction, before closing my eyes. Kyungsoo was going to kill me and I would get fired. I needed the money, and the idea of getting another job wasn’t of my liking.

We spent a few minutes in silence, both of us emerged in our very own thoughts. I was thinking in ways to beg Soo not to fire me, but it was nonsense. He was going to fucking kick me out and people haven’t seemed to notice that Baekhyun and I were both stuck in this damn elevator.

“You needed to be somewhere, Y/N?” I opened an eye to look at him, before sighing frustrated again.

“At work. This is my second call this week, and now I’m gonna get fired.” I passed a hand over my face harshly. He didn’t answer. “What about you, Baekhyun? What was your destination?”

He stuttered for a second. “Um, I had to meet, um, someone. I’m gonna get my head chopped now, anyways.”

I pouted my lips, thinking. “I see.”

“So, tell me Y/N… Do you want to play 20 questions?” He blurted out.

I chuckled a little. “Isn’t that childish?”

“Oh, c’mon. It’s gonna be fun.” His puppy expression made my spine tingle, and I found myself nodding at him with a small smile. The round of questions was typical, with him asking silly questions and me answering lame things. After a while, his questions tuned up their heat, becoming more and more personal.

“So, now, how do you like your men?” I was taken back by it, eyeing him a little as I wondered around the elevator with sloppy dance moves.

“M-my men? You are talking about my one-night stands?” He nodded effusively, winking at me. I bit my lips, feeling the heat crawling to my cheeks, as I thought about it.

“I’m not sure.”

“How are you not sure?” He jumped, looking amused. “You must have an ideal of what you’re looking for in hunting night, you get me?”

Yeah, like you.  I thought, but I didn’t say it out-loud, too conscious of it. “It’s not my thing. I just look and play. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Hmm, that’s new.” He walked lazily in my direction, positioning himself in front of me. He towered over me with grace, looking at me with knowing eyes. I gulped heavily, unsure of what he was doing.

“What about me, sweetheart?” He whispered, getting closer to the soft skin of my ear. His warm breath crashed against my ear, making me quiver in response.

“What do you mean?” I managed to say without stumbling.

“Do you find me as your type?” His plump lips brushed my jawline, as his hands placed in both sides of my head, keeping me caged. I couldn’t think properly with his proximity, the scent of his fading cologne entering to my nostrils with no mercy. His chest was centimeters away from mine and the tips of his hair locks tingled on my skin.

His lips were trailing a way to the front part of my face, but I kept my silence. My mind was all over the place, with him so close to my body and I found myself wanting him even closer. I was about to respond, when I felt the elevator slowly shaking, coming back to life. He smirked once again, winking at me one last time before tearing away from my personal space, leaving me breathless. I hope to see you around, sweetheart”. He said, and exited the machine without me responding.

After that day, I started to notice him a lot more than before. Baekhyun attended to several classes with me, but he tended to sit in the lasts rows. To sleep, I presume. His usual style consisted in ripped jeans and baggy-stained shirts, and yet, he still managed to look out of a modeling magazine. His hair always seemed to be disorganized, almost on purpose; and a pair of glasses never seemed to leave his face. The tattoos on his neck were interesting, and I found myself wanting to explore them.

Baekhyun was apparently one of the most acclaimed boys in the campus, desired and awed by tons of girls every day. I didn’t know why I hadn’t acknowledged him before.  The girls followed him like lost puppies, eager to catch a glimpse of his attention, but they always failed at it. He was almost always with a pair of headphones and pencil in hand, doodling things in an art book, lost in his own world.

We barely crossed paths, but when we did, he winked at me with a smirk in his features. I just rolled my eyes, smiling as well, and kept walking, the memories of that elevator fresh on my mind. I felt his eyes burning the back of my head every once in a while, too, but I didn’t dare to catch his eyes. But when I did stare at him, I removed my gaze as quickly as I could, scared that he would notice I was watching him.

Little did I know that he noticed.

It was a Friday, and the bakery was empty at this time of the night. Today it was a free day in college, so I decided to do some extra hours, so I could make up for the elevator emergency. Kyungsoo had being sweet enough to let me stay, but he had warned me it would be the last time. I swore I couldn’t pay my friend enough for his kindness.

It was almost closing time, so I made myself some coffee, enjoying the music playing softly on the background, and reading a book on the counter. The smell of caffeine brought me happiness and I felt more relaxed than before. I concentrated on the scattered words, until the bell of the door chimed.

A red-haired shape appeared on the doorstep, and I felt my body stiffen. Baekhyun was standing there, looking around with curiosity. His clothes consisted in an oversized hoodie and a pair of ripped jeans; his familiar glasses weren’t on his face. His eyes crashed with mine after a few and a soft smile appeared on his features, as he approached to my direction. An art book was left on the counter and he sat right in front of me.

“Y/N.” My name rolled on his tongue. “It’s nice to see you around.” He said, playing with the ring band on his middle finger.

“Baekhyun…” I responded. “I didn’t expect you here.”

“A friend of mine told me about this place. He said the sweets were the best ones out here. You probably know him. His name is Do Kyung-.”

“Kyungsoo, yeah” I interrupted. “He’s one of my oldest friends.” He arched an eyebrow.

“He’s one of my best friends as well. What a small world.”  I nodded.

“Tell me, Baekhyun, what can I help you with?”

“You can help me with a lot of things, babe”, he winked. “But by now, bring me your best pastry and coffee. The one of your preference.”

“The one I want?” He nodded, smiling at me for the last time before starting to doodle in his worn-out art book. The lines were smooth, almost unthought, as if he didn’t need to imagine that much to create a masterpiece. I walked to the back door, shaking my head, and I looked for the Gyeongju bread. I took the flat white coffee I was making for myself and placed them both in front of him. He eyed them expressionless, before looking at me.

I pushed them further in his direction, encouraging him to taste them. They were my favorite combination in the world and I wanted to see if I had gotten in his sweet point. He bit the bread, closing his eyes for a second before sipping on his coffee. We were both silent, the music playing on the background. He didn’t speak until he finished his food, and cleaned his mouth with a napkin.

“What do you think?” I asked, anxious. I didn’t know I was so excited to know his opinion, but I examined his face with curiosity. He mumbled a little, with a serious expression on his face.

“I think that this was probably… the best one I have had in a while.” A smiled creeped on his face at my lighted up face. I clapped happily.

“I knew it! This is my favorite combination in taste”

“What other things you like to taste, hm?” His face approached to me, getting really close as he licked his lips softly. His eyes were looking at mine with fire in them, making my legs go like jelly. His hand tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, but his fingers stayed up there for longer than what they needed to be.

“Wha-?” I was interrupted by Baekhyun’s sudden question.

“Would you let me…?  I don’t know. Take you out as an act of gratitude?” The words died on my mouth. I was speechless, opening and closing my mouth like an idiot. I didn’t know how to respond, especially since his fingers where softly lingering on my collarbone, making imaginary drawings over my skin. I felt myself shivering, craving his touch, as his soft breath was crashing against my lips. He was that relatively close that could count every little flaw in his face, but I still thought they were… art.

He didn’t wait for answer, as his hand took me by the waist and led me out of there. A smirk still creeping in his face as the cool air of the night hit his face and his hands snickered around the exposed skin of my waist. The sheets ended up tangled between the both of us that night after a couple of drinks and a shameless session of flirting. His hand had trailed every single inch of my body with an extreme carefulness that I felt like a sculpture. His adoration only posed on me, as he scanned me with such a patience that made my head go dizzy and needy. His body heat kept with me all night.

What I forgot to notice, is that was going to end up ruined.

 I want to thank you all for the love “Like I Would” has received! 

The next part is probably my favorite!  

What do you think? If you liked it, please feel free it some love! 

Requests are open! Just remember to read the r u l e s before requesting! 

See you soon! Sofi, x.

[hale-of-stiles-heart]

destiel + meet cute?

Not gonna lie, I couldn’t come up with any good meet cute scenarios on my own so I found this one x And honestly, it’s perfect for Destiel. (also on ao3)

Dean and Charlie always made time to hang out at least once a week, even if it just meant walking home from work together.

Between Dean's job at Bobby's garage, his part-time gig bartending at a local bar, and his college courses, he was stretched pretty thin. Charlie was in a similar situation, juggling two jobs, one as the head of the IT department at some big name enterprise and another at a bookstore, and a new relationship with her girlfriend Dorothy.

When Dean had decided to finally get his degree, having gotten his GED a few years prior, he had met Charlie at the bookstore where he had been looking for a copy of the textbook Sam had accidentally ruined. She had been working behind the desk, tapping away on her laptop while blasting some kind of pop music, when Dean had gone to the front to buy the overpriced textbook.

They had both winced at the exorbitant price, Dean cracking a half-assed joke that had fallen flat as he pulled out his wallet. She had given a courtesy laugh before brightening with a genuine smile and punching a cash register keys that immediately brought the price down by at least twenty percent.

Beaming, she had informed him, in a conspiratorial whisper, that she had used her employee discount, much to both Dean's delight and astonishment. They had been friends ever since, bonding over their shared love of all things nerdy and the struggles of being the only LGBTQ+ members of their families.

Now, two years later, they were as close as siblings, Charlie the sister that Dean had never wanted and Dean the sometimes overprotective brother Charlie had never had. Between their busy schedules, it was increasingly difficult to hang out, even just for an afternoon.

Not wanting to give up on their hang out day altogether, they simply improvised. Which is why there Dean was, walking Charlie from her office building to the bookstore a dozen blocks away.

"Oh my god, did you see the new trailer?" Charlie asked after taking a sip of her coffee, some kind of caramel latte frappuccino thing with a huge dollop of whipped cream on top.

"Yeah. Looks pretty good," Dean answered, weaving around a woman pushing a three seated stroller. She murmured a grateful thank you as she passed.

"Pretty good? Pretty good?!" Charlie gasped, thoroughly scandalized. It showed on her face as she gaped at him, her jaw slack as she pushed her glasses further up her nose.

She gestured aimlessly with her free hand, nearly smacking a passerby in the face in her unchecked enthusiasm. Yanking her arm back, she continued on, "It's Wonder Woman 2, Dean! It's gonna kick ass!"

"I know, kiddo," Dean chuckled, holding up his hand in a placating gesture. Taking a sip of his own coffee, black with just a little bit of sugar, he rolled his eyes at Charlie's outburst.

Both of them were devout comic book fans, Dean preferring DC while Charlie was a Marvel girl through and through. They had never missed a superhero movie and they didn't plan to, always reserving tickets for the premiere. Charlie's hacking skills, while beyond illegal, were extremely helpful.

"So..." she sing-songed, batting her eyes at him innocently. But from the tone of her voice, Dean knew that she was anything but. "Have you thought about what I said about my boss?"

"Ugh, Charlie. Not this again," Dean groaned, hanging his head as they crossed the street. Shaking his head, he firmly announced, "For the last time, I don't wanna go out with your boss."

"But why not?" Charlie whined in return, jutting her bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout. It was the same pout that was just as effective as Sam's ridiculous puppy dog eyes, maybe even more so. "You've never even met him!"

"Yeah, that's why I don't wanna go out with him, Charlie," Dean sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. For the past few months, Charlie had been trying to convince Dean to go on a date with her boss, claiming that he was perfect for Dean.

Apparently, the guy's name was Castiel which was the most pretentious thing he had ever heard and he had once gone out with a dude named Brady. And according to Charlie, he was downright dreamy.

Dean had to admit that she was probably right about that. If even she thought a dude was dreamy, he must be a modern day Marlon Brando.

Charlie had talked his ear off about how handsome and considerate her boss was, detailing all of his contributions to various charities from the local animal shelter to Meals on Wheels. Not to mention how entrepreneurial he was, opening the bookstore with his brother a few years back when he had moved to Lawrence from Illinois.

She had even sung praises about how smart he was. One day she had spent fifteen minutes detailing her boss' time at Columbia, listing his degrees, and mentioning a few books he had written.

But as amazing as this Castiel guy sounded, Charlie making it sound like the dude shot rainbows out his ass that she assured him was objectively perfect, Dean had learned his lesson about letting friends set him up with people.

The last time he had gone on a blind date it was with some guy his friend Benny had set him up with. It was a disaster.

The guy's name was Fergus but he went by Crowley, probably because his parents had cursed him with a ridiculous name like Fergus. He had spent the entire date, dinner at some overpriced French restaurant where Dean had stuck out like a sore thumb in his flannel shirt and faded jeans, talking about himself and making lewd innuendos about the size of his dick.

That had been the end of Dean going on blind dates. Besides, he may or may not have had his eye on someone.

There was a regular at the bar that had captivated Dean since the first time he had seen him and he had been working up the nerve to ask him out for weeks. And he wasn't going to give up on the cute nerd he'd admittedly been pining for just because Charlie had a hot boss.

The first time Blue Eyes, as Dean referred to the man in his head, had come into the bar where Dean worked, he had looked like complete and utter shit. His black hair was messy, his clothes were disheveled, and he was sopping wet.

It had looked as though he hadn't gotten the memo about the storm that had drenched the city and filled the sky with strikes of pale lightning. Looking exhausted, dark circles under his beautiful blue eyes, thus the nickname Dean had given him, he had taken a seat at the bar. With a resigned sigh, he had ordered some whiskey, a bacon cheeseburger, and a plate of loaded nachos.

Blue Eyes had offered to share his nachos with Dean when the sound of his empty stomach rumbling had filled the air. Dean had been eternally grateful, giving Blue Eyes a beer on the house.

They had spent almost two hours talking, bantering lightheartedly as Dean made drinks for the others at the bar. And yes, Dean might have been a teeny tiny bit more dramatic as he used the cocktail shaker to make cosmopolitans and daiquiris, flexing more than necessary to show off his biceps in his tight black t-shirt.

He had been pretty disappointed when Blue Eyes had finally left the bar, though he had left behind a tip worth more than his meal. His disappointment didn't last long. Blue Eyes showed up again the next night.

He had ordered one of the fancy cocktails that Jo had come up with to set the Roadhouse apart from other bars in the area and it had somehow morphed into a little game between them. Every time Blue Eyes came in, Dean would surprise him with different cocktails, never telling him what the drink was called until he had tried it.

Dean would never forget the look on Blue Eyes' face when he told him that he was drinking an angel's tit. The poor guy's entire face had turned bright red as he choked on the mix of cherry liqueur, half-and-half, and white creme de cacao.

But for all of Dean's flirting through sexually named cocktails, he had yet to work up enough nerve to actually ask him out.

"Anyway..." Charlie drawled, whipping some whipped cream off the tip of her nose. "You doin' anything tonight? It's been way too long since we've actually hung out."

"I work at the bar tonight but I'm off all this weekend for once. No classes, no work," Dean replied, a wide smile stretching across his face at the thought. He couldn't remember the last time he had been able to sleep in past nine o'clock. He couldn't wait. "We'll have a slumber party. You can braid Sam's hair."

"Ugh, I haven't seen Sam in months. He's off being a hotshot lawyer," Charlie lamented, throwing her head back. Looking over at Dean, she narrowed her eyes and asked, "He still growing his hair out? It's gotta be past his ass by now."

"Oh, yeah," Dean agreed, nodding a couple times. "Pretty soon he'll be tripping over it."

Charlie laughed and started rambling on about how if Sam was Rapunzel then Dean must be a Disney princess, too. He nodded along as she debated whether or not he would be Moana, a free spirit who loved travel, or Belle, beauty and brains all rolled into one, until he was distracted by a store window.

It was an independently owned clothing store, an upscale boutique called Sew It Seams that catered to women especially. And by that, he meant that a large portion of their stock was lingerie.

They sold everything under the sun, from frilly lace panties to dominatrix-esque leather bustier, in every color imaginable. From what he had heard from customers at the bar, they actually had plus sized articles of clothing made for women who didn't just have hourglass figures or bigger thighs.

In their store window, there were a few torso mannequins, headless, armless, and legless as they advertised different types of lingerie. It was an unexpected sight on the street full of more family friendly shops which is probably why it caught Dean's eye.

Well, that and the fact that he had always been a bit fascinated by lingerie. Ever since he was nineteen and he'd tried on Rhonda Hurley's satiny pink panties.

Call it a kink, call it a fetish, call it a run-of-the-mill preference. Whatever the hell it was, he had it.

The only person he had ever dared tell was Charlie. Which is why he was glad she was with him.

As he admired a pair of bright red panties and a matching sheer babydoll, he reached over to nudge her hand. He groped under blindly under he finally made contact, muttering, "Hey, Charlie. Wouldn't I look sexy in that?"

He turned around with a cocky grin to see her reaction, expecting an eye roll or a punch on the shoulder. It was fair to say he was expecting to see Charlie standing beside him, not Blue Eyes himself.

The man blinked at him, his angelic blue eyes wide as Dean's face filled with heat. He quickly glanced around in search of Charlie, finding her about a yard away with a hand clamped over her mouth as she shook with poorly concealed laughter.

"Uh, I—" Dean squeaked, his voice high pitched, but he didn't get to finish his pathetic excuse because Blue Eyes cleared his throat and squinted at the store window.

"I suppose," he murmured thoughtfully, nodding to himself. But, turning to Dean, he pointed a finger at the store window and claimed, "But I believe that color would be better. It complements your skin tone."

His jaw nearly dropping, Dean inclined his head to look at the other mannequin that was adorned in the same style of lingerie. The babydoll and panties were pale pink, dainty and feminine and oh so intriguing.

"Uh, yeah... I guess you're right," he managed to stammer out scratching the back of his neck as he was overwhelmed with how much he suddenly wanted the lingerie set. Face still warm, he dropped his eyes to the sidewalk, staring at a spot of old chewing gum.

"So, uh..." Charlie's voice sounded, making Dean tense. He knew that tone. That was her 'I'm-about-to-meddle' tone. She confirmed it a second later when she announced, "I guess this is as good a time as any for introductions."

Dean whipped his head up so fast he was surprised he didn't break his own neck, narrowing his eyes at his best friend. She just smirked back at him before she spoke. "Dean, this is my boss Castiel Novak. Castiel, this is my best friend, Dean Winchester."

Dean's jaw immediately dropped as he turned to Blue Eyes, or rather Castiel. Charlie's fucking boss. The guy he'd been pining over and the guy she'd been trying to set him up with apparently one and the same.

Blu—Castiel offered a rather shy looking smile, drawing Dean's attention to the chapped pink of the other man's lips. He managed to tear his eyes away before things got even more awkward, returning Castiel's smile with one of his own.

Their moment was interrupted by Charlie who chimed in, "Y'know, as good as Dean would look in those panties, I bet they'd look even better on your bedroom floor, boss."

"Charlie!" Dean squawked indignantly, shooting a glare at his friend over Castiel's shoulder. "Stop hitting on him for me!"

"Well, someone has to, Dean," Charlie said simply as though it made complete sense. She rifled around in her purse for a moment, handing Dean her hoity-toity coffee as she did.

A moment later, she pulled out a slip of paper and a pen. After writing something on the paper, she handed it to Castiel, explaining, "That's Dean's number. He has the whole weekend off so you can take him on a date tomorrow."

She turned to Dean with a bright smile. "Well, I'm gonna get to work. You crazy kids stay here and talk about where you're going for your date—" she looked back at Castiel "—Dean loves pie. The diner on Fifth Street serves his favorite pecan pie. You should take him there."

Without another word, she spun on her heel and continued her walk to the bookstore, her ponytail swaying as she jogged across the street. Dean and Castiel were left to stare at Charlie's back before awkwardly glancing at each other.

"So..." Dean began, pursing his lips and shoving his hands in his pockets. He rocked back on his heels as he chanced a look up at Castiel. "Tomorrow night?"

"How about tonight?" Castiel countered with another smile, sounding adorably hopeful. After biting his lip, he elaborated, "I'll be at the Roadhouse tonight. Maybe we could split some nachos again? You could make me one of your dirty cocktails."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Dean responded, maybe a bit too eagerly. "How does a cock sucking cowboy sound?"

"Depends," Castiel said, nodding decisively. Smirking, looking much more confident, he inquired, "Is that the drink or you?"

Letting out a startled laugh, Dean answered, "Depends. How good are you gonna tip me?"

As Castiel laughed, the sound lighting him up from the inside, Dean acknowledged that he might have to change his stance on letting friends set him up. Then again, he hoped that he wouldn't ever need to be set up with anyone because Castiel seemed pretty damn perfect.

Send me Destiel prompts!

[bites-kms]

Password?

There are multiple speakeasy bars in town, you just have to be sneaky and curious enough to find them! Rumor even has it that there used to be one, with limited seats of 6 per night, inside a beautiful water tank in Williamsburg where the personalized service was greeted by the moonlight and the Manhattan skyline. But that is vox populi... isn’t it? With some of them being easier to find than others, whereas others preserve the vintage look and feel or the strength of the alcohol, all of them have their charm and attractiveness. Whatever you prefer, NYC has a bar waiting for you.  Employees Only

I loved this place: it was the night we all celebrated together with the Singapore 6, my dear friends from Ogilvy. More than a speakeasy, it’s just a very nice old fashion decorated bar, with a very expensive fortune teller at the entrance and some delicious drinks. Apparently, the good vibe - and single people - are found at the bar, but this day was extremely hot and luckily we booked a table inside in advance. The music is perfect although with the conversation accumulation the overall environment becomes a little bit louder than usual, but definitely it’s a spot worth checking in Chelsea.

Beauty & Essex

This beautiful, magnificent place is hidden behind an antique store. The chandelier, the big hanging lights, the delicate and retro decor, the chance to toast with free and unlimited champagne bubbles at the ladies’ for your make up inspiration is just fantastic. The food is also super good, but the service not so much. They invited us with complementary drinks in order to leave the table sooner, which was a nice gesture, but being such an expensive place, you’d expect better. I’ve heard brunch time is fantastic, with delicious mimosas and bloody maries. For me, this is the cheaper bar in town for a quick drink. Just tip the bar tender found in the toilet and get a delicious bubbly rose. 

The Back Room

Keep your eyes out for a sign that reads "Lower East Side Toy Company." Then enter through the gate and go down a flight of steps to get to this Lower East Side speakeasy. This is one of the two bars left from the prohibition era. It’s very well hidden behind a dodgy alley. If it wasn't because of the security guy smoking outside, you will certainly miss it. Its hidden entrance is the same one that was used more than 80 years ago.There's even another room hidden within the bar that's behind a trick bookcase (today’s the VIP room). It’s very well preserved, with authentic furniture, decor and old phones. They even serve you in tea cups as they used to do to pretend to disguise the interior of the drinks. The drinks are strong and here is no joke, you wanted alcohol during Prohibition, you better chug it up!

Sunshine Laundromat

I found this one when looking for a place to do my laundry. My usual Laundromat caught fire and they are closed since then. My mom went to church over one Sunday and told me she remembered seeing another laundromat place around, by the church. While there, I notice that a dog is actually inside one of the machines, and definitely caught my attention. I reached out closely, only to find out there were dummy machines disguising a door to wonderland: a secret, hidden pinball arcade with beers and loud music, opened everyday for you to either relax your laundry wait or just to enjoy a couple of beers at night. 

Please Don’t Tell

Hidden on the right side of a hot dog stand - which, by the way, are delicious, this enter-to-the-phone-booth-and-wait-your-turn-to-be-served speakeasy was a tricky one. It took me months to actually make it there, and I waited for 40+ minutes since I didn’t have a reservation. The waiting was not that terrible, it was ok actually... After having a delicious hot dog, I waited outside so I didnt get all smelly inside the hot dog parlor, but people were actually willing to wait up until 2 hours! There’s no drink in the world that would make me do that. Thankfully, the bar has the courtesy to call you whenever they are about to get a seat available for you and your party. I went to welcome YY and Steph, the new Singaporeans in town. It was great. They have a mystic gin and yerba mate fusion drink which was strong but nice and it was a surprise that all the venue was Latino owned and full of Argentineans.- I guess that is the part you should not tell! :D Overall, it was a great experience and it’s located in a very beautiful street, near Mother or Pearl, Niagara and other bars to check out if you happen to have to queue extra-orbitant amounts of hours. 

Apotheke

Monday’s Bossa Nova, Tuesday’s Jazz, this hidden place in Chinatown is the perfect den for an intimate drink after a delicious feast either at Chinese Tuxedo or a more relaxed delight at Nom Wah Tea Parlor, the first Hongkongnese dim-sum place in New York. An old pharmacy, you’ll notice it due to a small and beautiful german sign with the name “apotheke” and the Pasteur lab pipette design. Everything inside is pharma-inspired: drinks, decor and even the lights chandeliers. Be ready for a sensorial experience. It’s funny to think that this place is actually located in what it used to be, not long ago, the most dangerous and bloody intersections of New York. Doyers Street’s history it’s filled with violence, racism, xenophobia and segregation. According to ATI, “This forgotten cranny, buried deep in the heart of Chinatown, has seen the most gang violence in the history of the city, and, by some estimations, the country”. Rumor has it that until today you should avoid entering to its empty alleys or underground basements, since “stranger things” may be ongoing. 

Fig 19

Not my favorite, yet pretty, this hidden place is also located in between LES and Katz, the until 4am deli which only closes during Jewish festivities, ideal for an after hour snack. It is a beautiful dim spot tucked behind the bright white walls of the Envoy Enterprises gallery, full of antiques and taxidermy. I personally love the prosecco on tap, and it does play good music, since it gets a little bit club-moody once the clock runs over midnight. So actually yes, maybe not my first choice, but it’s indeed a great place to have a glass (or two!)

Bathtub Gin  Gin was the predominant drink in the United States during the Prohibition-Era 1920's and many variations were created. "Bathtub gin" was developed in response to the poor-quality of alcohol that was available at the time. Hidden behind an actual working coffee-shop, it’s actually a beautiful, a little bit noisy yet sophisticated bar. It offers tapas and charcuterie, which kind of makes the difference among these bars. Definitely worth a try! The Ship  According to The New Yorker,  this bar is “where Captain Haddock would meet Tintin, if he trimmed his beard and had a loft in SoHo”, but according to me, it’s where I have a drink with my former New Yorker lady boss and mentor, her friend and Mariano, my Argentinean partner in crime in Quito. The best part aside the delicious drinks? Dangerously closed to Baby Grand, the place to go for public karaoke to $1 per song!

The Basement  This finding was fun. I was making some time before hitting the rendez-vous for my date, and decided to take advantage of the happy hour near SoHo. I ended up in the middle of Chinatown, behind this Coke fridge, finding the very much photographed Basement bar. Underneath a tea parlor, there’s a hidden beer pong place, with table games, great ambience and free pop corn. The best part was when a guy invited me to play beer pong (at 6:30pm) and I politely declined since I needed to leave soon. When I left, I approached him and his friend to tell them “Sorry, I need to go, but next time, I’ll beat your ass” to realize his friend was actually his twin brother! Suddenly beer pong just got twice as interesting! 

COMING SOON:  Garfunkels // The Burgary // Angel’s Share

[1misstherooftop-blog]

What’s the Scoop

Read on ao3

Summary: Davey works at an ice cream shop that Jack frequents

Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly

Warnings: mentions of vomiting

Word Count: 5827

There was nothing cold about New York City in July. Everything simmered in the heat. Concrete sidewalks singed the feet of barefoot children, buildings groaned as the sun beat down all day. People exited theaters into the sweltering head, wiping at the sweat that beaded their foreheads.

Nothing in all of New York compared to the boy who walked into What's The Scoop at precisely 2:35 pm.

Davey had been blissfully unaware of the heat until then. He was surrounded by ice cream, the temperature of the store at least twenty degrees colder than it was outside.

The door swung open, the bell tinkling, to let in the prettiest boy David had ever seen. His hair was dark and unruly under a beanie (in ninety degree heat!), his arms bare in a ridiculous tank top. Davey wasn't even fazed by his cargo shorts, he was so distracted by his perfect face.

He blamed the sudden heat creeping across his cheeks on the gust of warm air from the open door.

"Hi, welcome to What's the Scoop," Davey greeted him. "You can order when you're ready."

The boy nodded, staring at the menu. "Can I just get a milkshake?"

"What flavor?"

"All of them."

Davey glanced up from the cash register. The boy was deadly serious. Davey cleared his throat. "Can I, uh, can I get a name for that?"

The boy squinted at him. "Is this a new policy? Ha, it's like Starbucks."

Davey laughed awkwardly. How was he supposed to explain that he just wanted to know the boy's name? He didn't say anything, just looked at the guy expectedly.

"Oh, yeah! It's Jack."

Davey scribbled the name on the cup. He could feel his face getting red. He scooped the ice cream in a rush, the cool air fighting back his blush. Jack watched him struggle to scoop the more frozen ice creams.

"No one ever buys these flavors," Davey explained, finally prying out a scoop of ice cream.

Jack smiled. Davey's heart lurched. He would do anything to see that smile again. "Guess I'll have to come in more often."

Davey could've cried with happiness. He chuckled instead, blending the milkshake. It turned an off brown color that kind of matched Jack's pants. "Here's your milkshake, Jack." Davey hoped he didn't say Jack's name in a creepy way. He really just wanted to say Jack's name.

Jack took it, still grinning. "Thank you. How much?" He had his wallet open, staring at Davey expectedly.

Davey waved him off. "Don't bother. You're cleaning out the flavors no one eats."

Davey told himself it was the heat that colored Jack's cheeks pink. "Thank you," he said again. He pulled a five dollar bill out of his wallet and a colored pencil. He scribbled something on the bill.

"Isn't It illegal to write on money?" David asked. He didn't know if he was more impressed by Jack drawing on currency or by Jack having a blue colored pencil in his wallet.

Jack held a finger up to his lips. He dropped the bill in the tips jar, winking at Davey. He pulled some sunglasses out of his pocket, putting them on. Davey didn't know how he managed to make that look hot. "Have a nice day."

"Thanks, you too." Davey managed. Jack left, back into the heat. Davey slumped against the counter, his face in his hands.

"I'm fucked," he muttered. He reached into the tip jar blindly, scared to remove his hands from his face. He pulled the money out, peering at it through his fingers. Jack had written his number across Lincoln's face.

The bell rang, another customer ducking in out of the heat. Davey straightened immediately. He could deal with Jack after work.

The next week was somehow even hotter. Davey had taken to sitting in the freezer between customers to escape the heat. He'd fallen asleep there Monday and jerked awake when the bell rung.

Jack, in all of his sweaty and masculine glory, had been leaning on the counter, grinning at Davey as he hurried to the cash register.

"Same as last time?" Davey had teased. Jack had laughed, shaking his head. "Can you add toppings?"

Davey had made a tiny noise of horror but obliged.

The next few days were all Jack. He came in around 2:30 each time. Davey had taken to setting an alarm on his phone so he could lay in the freezer with no risk of missing Jack.

His phone buzzed on cue, jerking Davey out of his half asleep state. He scrambled to his feet, adjusting his uniform to not be wrinkled.

It took three minutes for Jack to arrive. He lit up the moment he spotted Davey, his smile blinding.

"Heya, Dave," he said, leaning his hands on the counter. Davey was pretty sure if there wasn't a wall between them Jack would be much closer, an arm around his shoulders maybe, their sides pressed close. Davey really wished there wasn't a wall between them.

"Heya, Jack" Davey echoed back. "Same as last time?" He asked.

"Nah," Jack said, distracted. He was staring at the menu posted to the wall, his face squished with concentration. "Can I get a large vanilla cone? I didn't know you had soft serve here."

"Oh, yeah, we do." Davey grabbed a cone, expertly swirling the top.

Jack whistled. "You're a pro."

Davey shrugged. "I'm here a lot. You get good at it after a while."

Jack nodded. "I was wondering about that. Why are you always the only one here?"

Davey was stumped for a moment. He did not want to explain to Jack that he had been picking up shifts so he could see Jack everyday. "Not a lot of employees and I'm not very busy." Davey said instead, shrugging.

Jack nodded. He accepted the cone from Davey, immediately biting into it. Davey almost yelled. Of course Jack bit into ice cream. Of course Davey was falling ridiculously hard for a ridiculous boy.

Jack sat down at the stools near Davey. He was devouring the ice cream, grinning at Davey between bites. Davey smiled back. He smiled a lot more when Jack was around.

"Question," Jack said, munching on his cone.

"Hit me," Davey said, toweling off the counter.

"Why haven't you texted me?" Jack was looking at Davey with his intense eyes. Davey couldn't tell what color they were but he wanted to find out.

Davey fidgeted a little bit. He didn't have a good excuse. He had already put Davey in his phone as a contact, but every time he opened a message to text him he chickened out. He wanted to ask Sarah for advice but she had been too busy with Katherine.

"I, uh" I have horrible anxiety and you're so pretty I can't text you "I've been watching my little brother a lot and haven't gotten a chance." Davey winced at his own lie.

Jack popped the rest of his cone into his mouth, nodding. "Okay. How old is your brother?"

Davey was immensely pleased that Jack had dropped it. "He's nine, but if you ask he'll say ten."

Jack laughed. "They're cuter the younger they are."

Davey nodded. "Do you have any siblings."

"Uh, yeah." Jack scrubbed at his hand with a napkin. "I've got a foster brother, Spot. We grew up together."

"That's cool, I always wished Les was a little older."

"Spot and I are close." Jack stood, pushing his stool in. "So, are you watching Les tonight."

Davey squeaked a little. "No, actually." He couldn't lie again.

Jack beamed. "I'll be waiting on a text then."

Davey forced himself to laugh. Jack left, waving as he went.

Davey spent the rest of his shift trying to think of something to say. He didn't know how to text someone you were interested in. What if he screwed it up?

The moment his shift was over he dug his phone out of his pocket, dialing Sarah.

"What's up?" She asked the moment she picked up.

Davey pressed the phone to his ear to hear her, shouldering his bag to walk home. "Did I tell you about Jack?"

"Hm? No, I don't think so." Sarah's voice became muffled. "Kath! Did Davey tell us about Jack?"

Davey didn't hear Katherine's response. "She says no. Who is he?"

Davey took a deep breath. "He's a guy who keeps coming into my work. He's really nice and pretty and he left his number."

Sarah cooed. "Have you texted him?"

"That's the problem," Davey said, exasperated. "I don't know what to say, I'm too nervous."

"Oh, don't stress out, you're fine, Dave." Sarah's voice was soft. "He wouldn't give you his number if he didn't like you."

Davey nodded even though she couldn't see him. "What should I say?"

"Something casual. Just say 'hey'."

"'Just say hey'." Davey mimicked. "Is that even casual? What if he takes it the wrong way?"

"What other way can he take it?"

"I don't know!?" Davey sighed. "Ask Katherine."

"Dave, are you kidding me?"

"Ask Katherine."

"David."

"Ask her."

"I'm not- hey!" Davey heard a slight scuffle. "Hey, Davey." Katherine said, sounding breathless.

"Help me what do I text a cute boy?"

"A cute boy- back off he asked for me- have you tried just saying hey?"

Davey could hear an exasperated noise from Sarah. "You're no help either!" He was whining. "I hope you two are happy."

Katherine laughed. "Sorry, Davey it's fool proof. You can't go wrong with hey."

Davey sighed. "Fine. Whatever you two say." He reached his apartment, digging in his pocket for keys. "I hope you're happy."

"Just text him! You'll be fine," Katherine promised. Davey heard her hand the phone off the Sarah. "We've gotta go now, I love you. Tell me how it goes."

"I love you, too," Davey grumbled. The call ended. He dropped his phone into his pocket. Davey groaned, opening his door and slinking inside. He toed out of his shoes and threw himself onto his couch.

His phone was an accusatory weight, pulling him closer to hell. He gave in, yanking it from his jeans.

Jack's contact info was already pulled up. He tapped the message button, wincing as it pulled up his keyboard. What was he supposed to say? Sarah's voice was insistent in his ear 'just say hey'. Davey hated to admit his sister was right.

'Hey' he typed. He pounded the send button before he would regret it. The moment it flashed delivered he dropped his phone in panic. That was a bad idea.

He picked his phone back up, opening Google to search how to delete messages from someone else's phone. He groaned when nothing useful came up.

Davey threw himself back onto his couch, balancing his phone on his face so the screen was over his eyes. He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath. This was fine. He was totally fine.

The screen lit up, bright through Davey's closed eyelids.

He snapped upright, scrambling for his phone.

'Hey! This is David, yeah?'

Davey groaned. Why didn't he say so in the first place???

'Yeah! Sorry. It's David.'

The typing bubble popped up right away. Davey was terrified and excited at the same time.

'Cool!! Nice to hear from you! What are you up to?'

Not laying on the couch moping about texting. 'Nothing much, you?'

'I'm eating dinner with Spot, actually. And his boyfriend. They're being gross.'

Davey laughed. He could do this, this was easy. 'Do you like his boyfriend at least?'

'Race? Yeah! I love him'

Davey dropped his phone in shock. At this rate it would be fracked by the time he went to bed. He scrambled to pick it back up, his fingers tripping over the keys to answer Jack. 'Race!? As in Antonio Higgins?'

'HIS NAME IS ANTONIO!?' Jack kept typing, clearly not done. 'HE WOULDN'T TELL ME! THIS IS WONDERFUL!!!! HOW DO YOU KNOW??'

'He's a friend of mine. I've known him since before he was Race.'

'Oh my god! I'm asking him about you'

Davey regretted his choices. He and Race had been friends a very long time. He had no idea what kind of crap Race could tell Jack. How many embarrassing stories that would ruin Davey's chances with Jack.

The typing bubble popped up on Davey's screen. 'He got really excited and he says hi. He also said 'save me' but I promise he's fine.'

Davey sat up on his couch. He was thanking every god that Race hadn't started rambling.

'What are You doing to him?'

'I'm just eating.'

Davey had a feeling "Just eating" for Jack was different than other peoples definitions. 'Eating what?'

The typing bubble popped up then went away. Jack didn't seem to want to admit it.

'Jack. What are you eating?'

Jack answered this time. 'Spaghetti that Race made.' There was a pause, then another text. 'Have You seen the movie Elf?'

Davey groaned. 'You did not.'

'I did.'

Davey was tempted to block Jack. Instead he answered 'I side with Race here. Your eating habits are terrible.'

'Excuse You I eat what tastes good.'

Davey laughed out loud. 'you do not! You had a milkshake that was every flavor!'

Jack sent a frowny face. 'How about we make a deal?'

'Okay....' Davey said, trying to convey his hesitance. 'What deal?'

'Tomorrow, I pick your ice cream, you pick mine. We both see what the other considers good.'

Davey considered. All he really had to lose was his good health. 'Okay. Deal.'

'Yes!' Davey smiled at Jack's excitement. 'Shit, gotta go, Race is bringing more food.'

'See you.' Davey said. Jack didn't respond. Davey hoped Race had forgiven him for the spaghetti.

Davey got ready for bed, his heartbeat already skipping in anticipation for tomorrow.

Davey was having trouble breathing. It was 2:34 and Jack had yet to arrive. He had spent his shift so far planning what to give Jack. Something simple but not wimpy. Something with flavor but not to Jack's extent. He thought a traditional caramel brownie sundae was enough. He wasn't ready to see what Jack would make for him.

The bell rang in the middle of his musing. His head jerked up. It was Jack. He almost jumped over the counter but managed to stay still.

"You ready?" Jack asked, leaning on the counter with his elbows. He looked eager.

Davey grimaced. "I'm ready. Are you going first?"

"Hell yeah!" Jack put his palms flat on the counter. "I'm coming over."

"You're what?!" Davey squeaked, making no move to stop Jack.

Jack launched himself over the counter, landing next to Davey. "I've never been on this side before."

Davey spluttered. "Employees are allowed back here not you."

Jack shrugged. "Dave, it's gotta be a surprise. Let the master do his work."

Davey sighed. He handed a spoon to Jack. Jack beamed at him.

"I need you to turn around."

Davey turned around. He was regretting a lot of things. Agreeing to do this with Jack, applying for this job, moving out of his parents' home, being born.

He could hear Jack moving around, struggling to scoop ice cream and rustling through the toppings.

"If another customer comes in I'm screwed," Davey pointed out.

Jack laughed. "How many other people come in besides me?"

Davey didn't answer. People just tended to wander in. Some days he only saw one person, some days entire baseball teams piled in. He figured Jack was talking about regulars. So far Jack was the only one.

"It's your turn." Jack sounded triumphant.

Davey turned, hoping to see the ice cream. No such luck. Jack was hiding it behind his back, grinning deviously.

Davey closed his eyes for a second, accepting that this was happening. He scooped ice cream efficiently, piling it into a bowl. He added brownie crumble and caramel, perhaps with a little flourish because he knew Jack was watching. He hadn't asked Jack to turn around.

Jack whooped when Davey finished. "Come eat with me," he said, hopping back over the counter, somehow managing to keep the ice cream out of Davey's sight. He sat down in one of the stools, looking at Davey expectedly.

"You mean sit there with you?" Davey asked. His hand was cold from holding the ice cream.

"Yeah. Come on, take a break. Enjoy some ice cream with me."

Davey knew he wasn't getting out of this one. He clamored over the counter with much less grace than Jack, finally settling in a chair next to him.

Jack slid the cup of ice cream to Davey. "I made my speciality. I call it the Taste of New York."

Davey looked at the ice cream. It looked like someone had thrown up in a cup, which was sort of appropriate for New York. "What is it? It looks horrible."

Jack made a hurt noise. "Excuse you, Mr. Perfect Scoops. We aren't all naturally inclined to make pretty ice cream."

"I mean what are the flavors, Jack."

"Oh, right. It's mint chip, rocky road, and lemon sorbet. With caramel syrup and also strawberry. But don't worry, I complimented that with cherries and sprinkles."

Davey blinked hard. He could do this. He picked up a spoon, digging in to get some of everything. Jack watched Davey eat it. The concoction touched his tongue. He gagged.

"Oh, come on!" Jack threw his hands up. "It isn't that bad!"

"No, no," Davey forced himself to take another bite. "I'm just lactose intolerant, it takes a bit for me to force it down."

"Shit what!? Dave, you can't eat that! Why are you working here?" Jack reached for the ice cream.

"It's good pay," Davey protested. He pulled his ice cream away from Jack. "Plus I don't care. At all. I'll eat this whole thing to prove it."

Jack looked a little bit scared. "Can I have mine at least before you drop dead?"

Davey handed Jack his sundae. Jack cheered. "Brownies!"

Davey used every bit of his willpower to continue eating his ice cream, watching as Jack devoured his. The final spoonful was like cement, crawling down Davey's throat.

This wasn't going to end well. Davey scrambled for trash can, spitting out the last bit of ice cream. He could feel his stomach rejecting it but he forced it down. He kept his head down, coughing and trying to get the taste of lemon sorbet out of his mouth.

"It wasn't that bad!" Jack protested, putting his now empty cup down.

"Yeah, no, it was fine. My body just didn't want to try and digest that." Davey's head was spinning a little bit. He blinked till his vision was straight. "Are you happy?"

Jack grinned. "I'm overjoyed. Don't you understand the pleasures in live you've been missing out on?"

Davey wasn't sure throwing up ice cream was a pleasure. He did think Jack was one.

"Yeah, I think I get it." Davey pushed his empty cup into the trash.

Jack stood, quite suddenly.

"Are you leaving?" Davey asked, standing as well.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I uh-I gotta go visit Spot."

Davey sort of didn't want Jack to leave. He nodded anyways. "Okay. Have fun. Don't ruin his food."

Jack nodded, looking distracted. He looked at Davey, his eyes wide. Quickly, before Davey could really take in what was happening, he grabbed Davey's hand, leaned forward, and kissed Davey. It was fast, barely a brush of his lips. Davey gagged.

Jack winced, still holding Davey's hand. "Not the reaction I like hearing."

Davey cleared his throat, extremely aware of the heat creeping up his cheeks. "No, that was the lactose. I mean, that was really nice, but I might puke on you."

Jack's face broke into a grin. "Thank god, I was worried there. Tomorrow then?"

Davey smiled at him. "Yeah, tomorrow."

Jack squeezed his hand before dropping it. The bell rang sadly as Jack disappeared outside.

Davey dove for his phone, scrambling back over the counter. He was dialing Sarah before he was even steady on his feet.

"He kissed me!" Davey yelped the moment Sarah picked up.

"He what!?" She was immediately as excited as Davey.

"He kissed me!" Davey took a breath. "It wasn't actually great, I sort of gagged, but he wanted to kiss me again!"

"Wait, you gagged?" Sarah laughed. "Was it that bad?"

Davey groaned. "No, he made me eat this horrible ice cream concoction."

"You're lactose intolerant!" Sarah sounded much more worried than Davey thought she should be.

"It's okay." Davey's stomach was rolling again at the memory. "I think I threw most of it up."

"Oh my gosh, David! I don't care about Jack anymore are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I need you to tell me how I can get him to kiss me again."

Sarah laughed again. "Come on, can't you just kiss him?"

Davey snorted. "No, never, the thought makes me want to throw up again."

Sarah sighed. "You're being dramatic."

Davey groaned. "You sound like mom. You know I'm not good at initiating things. Do you think he's going to kiss me or not?"

"Hm, that depends. What did he say to you before he left?"

"Um, he was kinda upset I gagged then I told him it was just the lactose and he said good and that he'd be back tomorrow."

Sarah cheered loudly in Davey's ear. "He said tomorrow!? Oh, Davey, he definitely wants to kiss you. I'm so happy look at my bro, getting all the cute boys." She sounded like she was sniffling.

"Calm down." Davey said, smiling a little bit. "Do you want me to call you after work tomorrow and tell you how it goes?"

"Yes! Please, I'll be awake all night thinking about it. I'm gonna tell Katherine, oh this is so exciting. I'm so proud of you!"

Davey was grinning now. "Thanks, Sarah. I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too! I'll have my phone on all night don't make me wait."

Davey laughed as the call ended. He was glad Sarah believed in him because he definitely didn't believe in himself. He almost wanted to call in sick tomorrow. The idea of seeing Jack again was making him anxious. Sure, he really wanted to see Jack again, but he didn't want to be a disappointment. He didn't think he was good enough for Jack. He knew Sarah would be mad at him for thinking like that. He shook it off, exhaling hard. It was going to be fine.

Jack showed up at 2:42 looking frazzled. Davey had been chewing nervously at his nails since 2:00 and by the time Jack flew through the door he had bitten his nails down to stubs.

"Dave! Give me your best banana split." Jack was grinning as he sat down.

Davey worked quickly, loading extra ice cream on for Jack. Jack watched him the whole time, his chin propped on his hands. Davey simultaneously wanted to kiss him and run out the back door.

He gave Jack his ice cream instead, waving off his money.

"You can pay me back a different way," Davey said, completely forgetting to think for a moment.

Jack's eyes lit up. "How's that?" He asked.

Davey gulped. He may have fucked up right there. He figured it was too late to go back now. He leaned over the counter, grabbing Jack by the collar of his shirt. Jack squeaked a little bit but let Davey pull him closer. Their lips met sloppily, Davey too nervous to actually kiss him.

He pulled back quickly, trying to gauge Jack's reaction. Jack looked overjoyed. They stared at each other for a moment, Jack beaming at Davey. He finally reached for Davey, pulling him back in.

It was a much nicer kiss now. Jack's lips were insistant on Davey's and slightly chapped. Davey really didn't want to stop kissing him. He also didn't want another costumer to come in.

He pulled away, lingering too closely to Jack for a moment. He finally leaned back over the counter, waiting for Jack to speak.

Jack whined instead. "Come on you can't just kiss me like that and then go back to work," he complained. His eyes were wide and pleading with Davey.

Davey felt his heart lurch. Jack actually liked him. Sarah was going to be so proud.

"Yes I can," Davey said, unusually bold.

Jack gloomily took a bite of his ice cream. "Do I get another kiss?" He asked, chewing on the spoon.

Davey considered it. He wanted nothing more than to kiss Jack senseless, forgetting his job and his responsibilities in favor of getting lost in the feeling of kissing Jack.

"Finish your ice cream." Davey said instead.

Jack finished the sundae in record time, almost choking in his rush.

Davey was nervous again. He had gotten too cocky. He didn't know what to do now, he hadn't planned that far ahead. Jack took care of the choice for him. He stood, kissing Davey intently. Davey kissed him back, aware of both the fact that he was still at work and that he didn't want to stop this time.

He let Jack end the kiss, sighing as their lips parted.

Jack sat back down, leaving Davey leaning over the counter. "You working tomorrow?" He asked.

Davey blinked a few times, trying to focus on how to function again. "Huh?" He asked. His voice sounded scratchy. He cleared hes throat and tried again. "Yeah, I'm working."

Jack stood, tossing out his ice cream cup. "Cool! I'll see you then."

Jack reached for Davey's hand, giving it a quick squeeze before he left.

Davey waited till the door was closed and grabbed his phone. Sarah answered in one ring, sounding breathless.

"What happened tell me everything!" She half yelled.

Davey laughed giddily. "I kissed him! I actually kissed him!"

Sarah cheered. "Look at you! You're telling me he didn't initiate the kiss?"

"No, I did. It wasn't great but then he kissed me again and it was amazing."

"I'm proud." Sarah sounded very excited. "And I'm happy you're happy. I'm telling Katherine now."

Davey heard her yell for Katherine and quickly tell her what had happened.

Katherine spoke suddenly. "David Jacobs I'm so proud of you," she said.

Davey couldn't stop smiling. "Thank you, Katherine. Are you on speaker?"

"Yes!" Sarah answered.

Davey really appreciated these girls. "Good. How to I not mess this up?"

Davey could hear them quietly conferring. Sometimes it scared him how smart Sarah and Katherine were together.

"He obviously likes you," Katherine started. "So I don't think you can mess it up."

"You should ask him out." Sarah suggested.

"Take him to the movies. That's always a good date." Katherine added.

Davey nodded to himself. "Okay. Alright. I can do this. Thank you, you do are lifesavers."

"Of course, bro." Sarah said.

Davey cringed a little. "Don't try and use teen words it doesn't make you sound hip."

Katherine laughed. "You're still at work." She pointed out.

Davey winced. "Shit, yeah. I'll talk to you guys later."

"We love you!" Sarah said before the call ended.

Davey put his phone down, chewing on his lip. He didn't really know how to ask somehow out. He also didn't know what type of movies Jack liked.

He knew someone who did. Davey left his phone off the rest of his shift, finally calling when it was over.

"David Jacobs, you bastard," Race said affectionally.

"Hey, Race." Davey was getting too used to talking on his phone on his walk home. "I need your advice."

"Oh, is this about Jack?" He asked.

Davey grimaced. "How did you know?"

Race laughed. "Dave, he won't shut up about you."

"You're just making this up." Davey protested.

"No! I can't lie about how annoying he is. It's just Davey this and David that. Do you know what he did?" Race sounded broken.

Davey was scared. "What did he do?"

"He literally interrupted Spot and I to talk about you. And by interrupted I mean he kicked Spot's door open while we were making out on his bed. And it was a really promising make out session Spot was right about to grab my-"

"Okay! I get it! Stop please I'm begging you." Davey was grinning though.

"Alright, fine. Just know that Jack is basically ruining my sex life." Race cleared his throat. "Anyways, what is it you need help with?"

"What kind of movies does Jack like? If I ask him to the movies which should we go to?"

"Honestly Jack's huge on Pixar. And superhero movies."

Davey exhaled. "Thank god those are good. He has good taste."

"Oh don't start. I hear enough about you from him. Do you know how tempting it is to tell him all the embarrassing things I know about you?"

Davey groaned. "You wouldn't."

"No, as long as you don't start this."

"I won't, I promise. Just know I have plenty dirt on you to tell Jack."

Race was silent for a moment. "Mutual agreement to never tell anyone anything?" He asked.

"Yeah, good plan." Davey finally reached his apartment, suddenly tired from working. "Okay, I'm exhausted."

"Get some sleep," Race said right away. "You can text or call if you need me."

"Thanks. I'll talk to you later, Tony."

"I'll be looking forward to it, Walking Mouth."

They both laughed, ending the call. Davey got ready for bed quickly, sinking onto his mattress thankfully. He was going to ask Jack out tomorrow.

He was going to mess this up.

Davey arrived ten minutes early for his shift, tired and anxious as hell.

He was rummaging in his bag, not looking up. He finally found his stupid name tag, pinning it to his shirt as he finally looked up.

He was expecting one of his coworkers, Erika if he had read the schedule correctly. Instead he saw Jack.

"Uh, you're not supposed to be behind the counter." Davey said. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do here.

Jack saved him from having to decide. "I work here now." He announced.

"Huh?" All of his careful planning on how to ask Jack out disappeared. Davey did not know what to do.

"They hired me. You're supposed to train me today, did no one tell you?" Jack was smiling.

Davey at once terrified and completely overjoyed. "I'm training you?"

Jack nodded. "Aren't you excited? You can finally teach me to do those cool swirls."

Davey somehow managed to get behind the counter with Jack. He was living in a different reality where Jack was with him and they worked together. It was a very good reality.

"Uh, Davey?" Jack sounded like he had been trying to get Davey's attention for a while.

"Yeah?" Maybe this was the actual reality.

"Can you maybe show me how to do the fancy swirl?" Jack looked a little bit nervous. It was not a good look for him. Davey much preferred the cocky and confident Jack he had seen so far.

"Yeah, I'll show you everything." He knew the routine for training new employees. It would only take an hour at most, then Jack would be ready to work alone. He hoped Jack would work shifts with him, though.

Davey opened the glass over the ice cream to show Jack. "First you need to know how to serve scoops. The spoons stay in these cups so they're hot, that makes it easier to scoop the ice cream." Davey picked up a spoon to show Jack, demonstrating how to roll it to create a round scoop. "Try it."

Jack did. He managed a somewhat circular scoop, quite impressive for his first try.

"Good job," Davey said.

Jack grinned at him. "Do I get a reward?"

Davey froze. He wanted nothing more than to kiss Jack. He wanted to pull him into the freezer and shut the door and kiss him until his lips and fingers went numb. Instead he shook his head. "Perfect swirl then you will." He was banking on Jack not being able to do soft serve.

He showed him how to make sundaes and smoothies first, mixing a small smoothie that Jack drank in one gulp.

Jack was extremely eager to try the soft serve machine. Davey saved it for last. Jack practically cheered when Davey grabbed a cone, expertly filling it and swirling the top.

Jack tried it as well. He could barely get the ice cream in the cone. It was a sad lopsided mess. Davey really wished it was perfect.

"Jack," he started. Jack looked concerned. "That's hideous."

Jack sighed. "This is harder than it looks." He took a bite of the ice cream, grimacing. "It doesn't even taste good now."

"I don't think how it looks has anything to do with the taste." Davey was having trouble following Jack's train of thought.

"Can I try again?"

Davey nodded. At least Jack was determined.

Jack tried again. And again. And again and again until he was clearly frustrated.

"That one wasn't bad, Jack." Davey lied.

Jack groaned. "Yes it was. I need motivation."

Davey knew he said he wouldn't kiss Jack till he perfected the swirl, but he really wanted to. Jack was looking at him with those gorgeous eyes and Davey wanted him to get it.

"One more try." He said.

Jack sighed. He tried again, as terribly as last time. "This is horrible." He set the ice cream cone down and looked at Davey.

Davey touched Jack's cheek, leaning in.

Jack stopped him. "I didn't get it?" He sounded confused.

"That's okay." Davey was frozen until Jack responded. He didn't want to push it. Jack grinned. He leaned in, kissing Davey finally. Jack's lips were soft and tasted like soft serve. Davey didn't even like ice cream but he wanted to keep kissing Jack.

Jack pulled away anyways, holding Davey at arm's length. "As much as I want to keep kissing you I think if we keep going I won't be able to stop."

Davey laughed. He felt light headed, his lips tingling. "Are you done with the swirl?"

"One more try." Jack tried again. It was perfect.

"Jack! Could you do that the whole time?"

Jack grinned a little sheepishly. "I figured it out after the first one. I just wanted to see if you'd keep your word."

"You're impossible." Davey couldn't fight back his grin.

"Is there any chance other customers are gonna show up? It's hot."

Davey checked the time. "Actually I usually sit in the freezer around now. Care to join me?"

Jack let Davey pull him to the freezer. Jack kissed him the moment they were out of sight. "Gotta stay warm," he said against Davey's lips.

Davey laughed. "We can't stay in here too long or we'll get in trouble."

Jack kissed him to shut him up.

[faucetdouble51-blog]

72 Hours in Seattle

Hi, it’s Abby. My mom asked me to write an introduction for this post about our last-minute trip to Seattle a few weeks ago. I was invited to play in a soccer tournament there and this one was different than most because there was only one game a day, which means there was plenty of down time to explore a city. (That is how I convinced my mom to go.)  We flew out the morning after my last final and stayed with her college roommate, Jenn for three nights and three days. Mom already told you that the culinary highlight of our trip was eating a Dutch Baby with backyard raspberries in Jenn’s kitchen nook, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t pound some pavement in search of great food around town. Here, Mom and I take turns giving you a run-down of our packed 72 hours.

DAY 1: THURSDAY

1:00 [Jenny] I am forever in search of counter-service spots when I travel, especially for lunch, when you don’t want to spend an hour-plus lounging around while the sun shines on a brand new city that is calling for you. That’s why we dropped our bags at my friend Jenn’s house (in Ballard) at 12:45, then headed straight to The Fat Hen, a sweet, bright fast-casual spot that served avocado toasts, ricotta toasts, freshly squeezed juices, and good coffee. It killed us to forgo Frankie & Jo’s, the vegan ice cream shop sensation right across the street (they have multiple locations around the city) but we were saving room for dinner. FYI: Delancey — remember Delancey? — was right there, too. [Photo credit: Seattle Magazine]

2:30  [Abby] We walked from Fat Hen down 15th Street to Ballard Avenue, the main drag in Ballard, a neighborhood that reminded me of Brooklyn. There was a ton of stuff to do and a lot of fun shopping including a cool second-hand furniture store called Ballard Consignment, an aesthetically pleasing succulent store (I can’t remember the name, can someone help me?), and a trendy clothing place called Prism where my mom tried on a thousand dresses but ended up just buying my sister an iron-on patch for her jean jacket that said “Stay Wild Child.”

4:00 [Abby] We met up with my mom’s friend Jenn, who got out of work early for us, and headed to Golden Gardens Park for a walk. It was so beautiful! I got a virgin pina colada at Miri’s, a new cafe right on the beach. Also, even though everyone says Seattle weather is not so great, look at our sky! It was like that for most of the time we were there. (Here’s a tip to future travelers: Go there in late June, early July.)

5:30 [Jenny] I think the only reason why I agreed to take Abby to Seattle was so I could try to snag a table at The Walrus and the Carpenter, the original Renee Erickson French-style raw bar in Ballard that opened almost ten years ago and that I tried to get into during my last visit, only to be turned away by the long wait every time. This time I wasn’t messing around. At the very un-glamourous hour of 5:30, I dragged Abby, Jenn, and Jenn’s 15-year-old daughter Stella to dine on fried oysters and small plates in their bright happy space. FYI: Erickson has opened a bunch of other places in Capitol Hill, including a steakhouse Bateau, another oyster bar with the greatest electric mint color scheme (Bar Melusine), and stuffed doughnut mecca General Porpoise, which, for Abby, might’ve been more of a reason to go to Seattle than her soccer tournament. (More on that below.)

7:30 After dinner, we walked back up Ballard Avenue to get ice cream at Salt & Straw, the Portland-based makers who have won over legions of fans with their artisanal concoctions…think Fresh Sheep’s Cheese and Strawberries or Oregon Wasabi and Raspberry Sorbet. But the line was too long, and even though it was still early, we were on East Coast time, so we headed home to bed. (For those of you interested, here’s an interview with Salt & Straw founder Tyler Malek on the always awesome Bon Appetit’s Foodcast.)

DAY 2: FRIDAY

10:00 [Abby] I had a soccer game in Redmond (we won 4-0!) where the most exciting food moment of the morning was a pretzel that came with that fakey nacho cheese that is so delicious. We didn’t get to start exploring again until lunchtime and decided we wanted to spend the afternoon checking out Capitol Hill. First stop…

12:30…Rocket Taco for lunch, where we ate some of the best carnitas tacos I can remember.

1:45 It was Pride Month! We loved the rainbow crosswalks which made for especially good instagram posts. (That’s me with our friend Maylie. And this was at the intersection of East Pine and 10th Ave.)

2:30 [Abby] And of course, we had to hit Elliott Bay Books. My mom bought me a paperback copy of The Handmaid’s Tale — I’ve been watching the TV show and it’s very disturbing, but she said I’d like the book. (She wants me to tell you that for school I also had to read Hiroshima and Take the Cannoli)

3:01 [Abby] Then the funniest thing happened. I had been looking forward to going to the iconic General Porpoise Doughnuts from the moment we booked our flights — we practically planned our entire Capitol Hill outing around it — but when we got there at 3:01, we tried to open the door and it was locked. It closed at 3:00! For about ten seconds we were all super disappointed but then, out of nowhere, an employee walks outside and asked “Does anyone want a dozen free doughnuts?” I guess they like everything to be fresh, so at the end of the day, they give away what hasn’t sold instead of selling them the next day. That might’ve been the highlight of the trip. And those doughnuts were some of the best I’ve ever had– the vanilla stuffed ones especially!!

4:00 [Jenny] We hadn’t planned on it, but we decided to hit Pike Place Market (because: of course!) on our way home to Ballard from Capitol Hill. We bought fruit and a lovely flower arrangement for our lovely hosts, but for the most part we just walked up and down the long hallways and gaped at the offerings. Maybe the most amazing part was that I got a parking spot on Pike Place right in the middle of everything (across from the flagship Starbucks.) I kept looking at the spot and looking at the sign saying This is too good to be true (once a New Yorker always a New Yorker, I guess) but it was actually true. Over a month later, I’m still on a high from it.

6:30 [Jenny] I know this is hard to believe, but we still had more to eat. I’ve written about this before, but the way Abby and I go about planning where we want to eat in a new city is completely different. I go to tried-and-true sources like Bon Appetit City Guides or Eater’s Heat Maps. She goes right to instagram, searches by locations, then studies the grid until a particularly inspiring pastry or bowl of ramen shows up. That is how she landed on Fremont Bowl where we went with Jenn’s family. Abby’s review: “Crazy good Japanese bowls, with fish, chicken teriyaki, and so much more. I’m not really a tofu fan, but according to my mom she had the best tofu she’d ever had in her life at this place. Fremont’s a fun area to walk around, too.” She’s totally right, the fried house-made tofu that our friend Maylie ordered was off-the-hook delicious. I was psyched because right next door was Book Larder, a store that specializes in cookbooks and community culinary events, but sadly they were closed for a private event. I guess that’s as good an excuse as any to return to Seattle in the very near future.

DAY 3: SATURDAY 9:00 [Abby] Mom, Jenn, and Jenn’s husband, Ben went for an early run around Green Lake Park (about a 3-mile loop she says) then we all gorged on Jenn’s now legendary Dutch Babies and plotted the day. Ben pointed us in the direction of the giant Asian Market Uwajimaya which was awesome (Oh, before that, Mom stopped for another cup of coffee at Anchored Ship in Ballard) but we ended up eating around the corner at at Dough Zone due to some intense soup dumpling cravings, aka the best food in the world.  It’s a good thing my next soccer game wasn’t until 4:00 that afternoon. We pretty much rolled out of there. Those dumplings were amazing.

6:00 [Abby] After my soccer game (lost 2-1) we drove to Mulkiteo and caught a ferry to Whidbey Island, about 25 miles north of Seattle across the Puget Sound, where Jenn and Ben have the sweetest cabin. The ferry was only about 25 minutes, but involved spectacular views of islands and huge mountains in the distance.

7:30 We only had about 12 hours to hang on Whidbey, but we got a good taste of it, snacking on their porch (above), chilling out by the campfire for an epic sunset; Ben grilled some local salmon and hot dogs for dinner. The house only had two bedrooms so my mom and I got to sleep in a tent listening to the crackling campfire. 

. Side Note [Jenny] Those of you who follow me on instagram might remember this photo. Jenn and Ben were torturing themselves trying to decide what color to paint the cabin — they were going for a dark Scandinavian cottage look — so I conducted an insta poll asking which combo you all liked. Most of you were in favor of the navy/white palette, the third one down. Last week, she sent me this pic:

How beautiful is that?!?!?! They went with Sherwin Williams Inkwell for the house and Benjamin Moore Oxford White for the trim.

DAY 4 SUNDAY

8:30 [Abby] We had an early afternoon plane to catch, so didn’t have a ton of time to explore, but we did manage to squeeze in a walk on the beach and a quick trip to Langley, where we ate eggs and cinnamon rolls at Useless Bay Coffee, then took a walk to a dramatic sandbar called Seawall Park. The town was so charming! From there was a convenient shuttle from Whidbey to the Seattle Airport, and we were on our way home.

Boy you fed us well, Seattle. We miss you so much!

Related: 36 Hours in Austin; 36 Hours in Portland, Maine; 48 Hours in Montreal.

Source: http://www.dinneralovestory.com/72-hours-in-seattle/

[digitalmarketingagencydwarka]

THE EMPATHETIC MARKETING : NEW WAY TO MARKET ONLINE

COVID-19 HAS CHANGED THE WAY WE FUNCTION

With limited activity out of home, Indians are highly involved in reading, contributing and influencing on social media. According to Nielsen, the total volume of Covid-19 related conversations reached 22.3 million on March 24 in the country.

“Nielsen -Market research firm said social media volume saw a whopping 50 times surge between January and March 20 in India in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.“

A senior official of the firm noted that social media buzz picked up from 0.4 million in January and 1.6 million in February to a staggering 20.3 million till March 24.

This definitely calls for the right kind of online marketing – The Empathetic Marketing.

What is Empathetic Marketing?

Empathy-based marketing is about walking in your customer’s shoes to understand their experience and how we can better help them get what they want. You don’t want to think like the customer. You want to BE the CUSTOMER.

Move away from marketing-centric thinking —TO> customer-centric thinking

How to Do Empathetic Marketing during a Crisis?

At JAK Software,we follow the customer centric approach and make Empathetic marketing plans for our clients. Here are some useful tips for addressing your marketing concerns.

This can help every brand as a basic action plan in order to make right choices avoiding mistakes.

5 Ways to Do Smart & Responsible Empathetic Marketing during COVID-19

Whenever there is a drastic shift in a cultural movement, just like the one going on in the present COVID-19 it becomes very important and essential to address the issue with tact, empathy and mindful marketing.

At Jak Software (digital marketing agency) we care for our clients and their clients in turn and plan digital marketing Strategy accordingly.

1) Evaluate Your Visuals and Language

Visual communication is very powerful, and so are the words that we use, so it’s important to think about the messages that are being sent by you, digitally.

Avoid visuals of crowds or people touching each other in your Social Media. This mainly includes people working in offices or at social gatherings out of the house.

Reframe marketing language that describes close interaction with others. Reconsider figurative language like “get in touch,” “we’re in this together,” “work hand in hand,” or “get closer to your customers.” Messages encouraging immediate interaction may be deeply scrutinized.

Replace visuals, if needed. Push the timelines to later in the year, revising the imaginary that may be tricky for the current and upcoming campaign visuals.

Note: We are talking specifically about “push” content here—the content that is actively being put up in front of people during this time across channels (e.g., email subject lines, social posts, current campaign taglines, content, blogs, etc).

Visitors will likely have some forgiveness about pre-existing content as this quarantine period is expected to be temporary.

2) Be concerned about the Crisis

It applies to any tragedy or crisis.

Keep people informed. In order to pertain your business you need to communicate in response to the crises For example, try and communicate about the proactive measures taken by you, store closures, or policy updates related to COVID-19. Such information add value to customer relationships as they are extremely informative and valuable even though it’s being memed on social media.

Don’t be an alarmist. Be mindful of overly dramatic language, as well as any additional information you’re sharing. Don’t add to the panic.

Avoid bragging. Remember that some people are genuinely worried as not many people are still working. As a default, for anything your brand says in the near future a spirit of humanity and empathy should be a filter.

Mind your tone. No “Hot COVID-19 sales!” or other tactless messaging.

Note: Still be perceived as clueless even if communication isn’t offensive. Particularly on a social platform where messaging is expected to be more real-time make sure you’re referring to the present situation.

3) Adjust the Marketing Campaigns and also Schedule Content Timelines

For a specific moment some brands produce quick turn campaigns. For example, Ford swapped its vehicle ads for a coronavirus-response campaign. These are always impressive and help to seek people’s attention (and, to a marketer, enviable), but there are prohibitive risks involved that make this kind of war-room action kind of unrealistic

Therefore, the first step should be to audit what’s currently running or in the pipeline, especially the pre-scheduled content if anywhere launch is imminent.

Organize marketing and sales campaign timeline. It is going to help track every sale and accompanying promotional campaign. This would also help in avoiding last minute planning or even forgetting about the sale entirely.

Decide what should be paused immediately. If you’re not sure that the content is appropriate, push timelines back on major campaigns that will likely be eclipsed, or pause entirely. It doesn’t mean that we need to scrape it altogether just because a campaign has some elements that aren’t appropriate right now. It’s likely that things would be fine once the outbreak subsides.

Consider what to prioritize or pivot. Move some things up in the interim, or look for ways to successfully pivot some messaging.

The good news being that once things resume as usual, this content break might give you an advantage.

Also, keep an eye on the quarantine advisements in your geographic business areas, every region is on a different timeline, this way you can be proactive in your communication once things get back to normal.

4) Highlight ways in which your Brand Can Help

Do remember that brands exist to provide value, and the products/services that are helpful during this time full of stress deserve the attention of those who can benefit from them. Tell the brand story that helps to enhance people’s lives while quarantined.

Communicate benefits. In order to get people involved more and more share engaging information like, does your product give people things to do at home? Does it help people do their jobs without face-to-face interaction? Clarify your brand’s potential and unique value in this cultural moment.

Create relevant and helpful content. Your brand can provide value to people,even if your product doesn’t directly help folks deal with the quarantine. How can you educate, entertain, or inspire people stuck at home all day?

Your marketing does not have to stop as long as you keep the focus on helping people and not patting yourself on the back.

5) Be Positive and Not Ignorant

You don’t need to meet a grim cultural moment with a grim brand tone and instead be pleasant. Specially make sure you’re referring to the present situation.

Look up to your Brand Heart for basic guidance. The brand strategy you’ve created during this time is incredibly valuable. Use your Brand Heart  to remind yourself what your brand stands for, and what that means in the context of COVID-19.

Be personable. Be emotional. For instance, offering your well wishes or using imagery of people smiling would be good.. In fact, it can be refreshing for people to recall normal life, and to be hopeful for this quarantine to end soon.

Think about your future message. Many brands pivot to campaigns that promote optimism, hope, and humanity. It helps in making people feel better about the present situation.

Create more employee-generated content (EGC). This quarantine is an opportunity to spotlight your people and your culture. For instance, What are your employees doing in their spare time? How are people working together to keep things light? What are people doing to stay healthy and prepared? Remember, too, that people will crave more human interaction through social media, video conferencing, etc. Fill that need for both your employees and customers too.

Remember: Even if we are stuck inside, the more you show your human side, the more we all can feel connected. It might sound cliché, but it’s true: We’re all in this together and we need to be there for each other.

KEEP IN MIND : The Quarantine isn’t gonna Last

As one of the renowned Digital Marketing company in Delhi ,Jak Software is geared up to work empathetically for its clients and We won’t ponder too much about when the “end” of this period will come but we’re expecting to emerge from quarantine sometime soon in this year. We encourage you to be prepared for that transition thoughtfully and proactively.

Because of times like these we’re reminded that the stakes of marketing are not life or death. But we’re also reminded that feeling productive, and adding value to the world is very meaningful. We’re aware that many people relying on this feeling may have lost it suddenly, feeling unmoored by what’s going on , and our hearts are with them.

Wishing everyone best of health and safety during this challenging time.

POST NAVIGATION

[jobsearchtips02]

Coronavirus: Pharmacies struggle to meet demand amid supply shortages

Emanuel Simhayev, owner and pharmacist at Get Well Rx in Astoria, Queens, consults with a customer purchasing face masks. April 2, 2020

Emanuel Simhayev’s small pharmacy is short-staffed these days.

Most of his employees, worried about getting exposed to the coronavirus, are no longer coming to work. Simhayev, 33, and his technician Evelyn Quirindongo, 53, are now scrambling to meet the surging demand for medication and other essentials at Get Well Rx Pharmacy in Astoria, Queens. 

As tens of thousands of people test positive in New York City and many more show symptoms and are presumed to have the virus, communities are turning to their neighborhood pharmacies for prescription and over-the-counter medicines to alleviate their symptoms. 

The unprecedented demand created by the global pandemic is creating shortages for even basic over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol, as supply chains strain from the manufacturers that produce the medications to the wholesalers that deliver them to pharmacies, making it extraordinarily difficult to keep shelves fully stocked for key items in hot zones like New York. 

“I never thought a pharmacy in the 21st century can run out of essentials, the most basic medications,” Simhayev said. “When you face this hardship you cannot really help much. You do your best.”

‘Insatiable demand’

It’s not just Tylenol that’s hard to come by. The drug, made by Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare, is on backorder until April 30 at Broadway Chemists on the Upper West Side. Sophia Liristis, the pharmacist in charge there, said most medications and medical devices used to combat the virus are currently on backorder or are rationed out by wholesalers in limited quantities.

When Liristis, 34, checked the system Tuesday,  thermometers, gloves and masks were not available until May. Pulse oximeters, used to monitor blood-oxygen levels, were unavailable until May 31. Ventolin inhalers, which can ease shortness of breath, were only available two units at a time. 

The two most talked about drugs, which have inspired some hope as possible treatments for the virus, are also in short supply. A study in France concluded that hydroxychloroquine, usually used to treat malaria and autoimmune diseases, was particularly effective in fighting the virus when used in combination with the antibiotic azithromycin, though those results have been disputed. New York state is now conducting its own clinical trials. 

Effective or not in the fight against COVID-19, hydroxychloroquine is on backorder, and azithromycin, often sold under the brand name Zithromax Z-pak, is in very limited supply and almost unavailable, according to Liristis’ records.

S Bros Pharmacy in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood filled its inventory with hydroxychloroquine and Z-paks when word spread the drugs were a possible treatment. But the pharmacy is now dispensing hydroxychloroquine only to patients who suffer from chronic autoimmune diseases to meet guidelines set by New York state, which limit the drug to FDA-approved therapies and COVID-19-positive patients participating in the state trials to ease shortages. 

Vlad Serebryanik and Rimma Kiryak consult with a customer at City Drug & Surgical in Washington Heights. March 26, 2020

Spencer Kimball | CNBC

S Bros’ shelves are also scarce in Tylenol while hand sanitizer, vitamin and zinc supplements and cleaning supplies like alcohol and peroxide are long gone. Staff was excited to receive a few cans of Lysol spray so they can disinfect the store more often than once a night.   

“There’s a shortage of everything — it’s never enough,” said Evangeline Frezoulis, 37, the pharmacy manager at S Bros. “The wholesalers are not able to supply as many pharmacies as needed.”

When Broadway Chemists doesn’t have an item in stock, Liristis tells customers to check with chain pharmacies, even though that hurts business for smaller, family-owned stores. 

“You’re just trying to help the patient get what they need,” Liristis said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s here or somewhere else — we’re just trying to work together.” 

Pharmacies are improvising when they can. City Drug & Surgical in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood has been making hand sanitizer since the brand names sold out about three weeks ago. Yelena Yoffe, the pharmacy owner, said it takes about 40 minutes to make a batch of 24 bottles. They sell out the same day.

AmerisourceBergen, a pharmaceutical wholesaler, said the pandemic is pinching supply chains worldwide. As the company places large orders to meet surging U.S. demand, manufacturers in countries like India, which is under  nationwide lockdown, are balancing those orders with obligations in regions like the European Union, which is also severely impacted.

“What we’re seeing in the supply chain today particularly from the pharmacy side is an insatiable demand for a limited amount of product,” said Heather Zenk, senior vice president of secure supply chain at AmerisourceBergen. “We are seeing manufacturers talk about things like historical inventory demands and historical product movement,” she said.  

In response, AmerisourceBergen is limiting how much pharmacies receive of certain drugs to ensure they get at least some product, a policy the company calls “fair allocation.”  

Cardinal Health, another major wholesaler, said it’s managing the distribution of more than 100,000 products considered critical inventory which are in unprecedented demand since the pandemic started to spread. “We are experiencing backorders and declining inventory levels at rates never experienced before,” the company said, in a website statement, warning that customers may only receive partial deliveries while other products are out of stock altogether.

‘An epidemic you never even imagined’

As the virus spreads, pharmacies are doing what they can to protect employees from exposure and enforce social distancing. At Get Well Rx in Queens, Simhayev has signs posted asking customers to wear masks and enter two at a time, but it’s tough to get everyone to notice and follow the rules. So, he keeps his door open to accommodate the line and create space so the store doesn’t become overcrowded. 

With horrible situations like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina and Sandy, you knew there was an end at some point — there was finality to it. This is something where we just don’t know what’s going to happen.

Yitzy Engelberg

Pharmacist and owner, Best Five Star Pharmacy

Queens has been particularly hard hit by the virus with 34% of the more than 52,000 confirmed infections in the city as of Friday. In Simhayev’s area of Astoria, at least 144 people have tested positive, according to data released by the New York City Department of Health on Wednesday. The number of infections is likely higher as testing remains limited. 

Simhayev said a woman came to his pharmacy panicking earlier in the week and cut to the front of the line asking for medication to treat her husband’s cough and shortness of breath. Simhayev sent them to the doctor next door and an ambulance was ultimately called for the man, who is in his 40s and was presumed positive. 

“You have things like this happening, and you have a line of people waiting,” Simhayev said. “When you work in times like this, it’s an epidemic that you never even imagined was possible.” 

Some pharmacies are no longer open to foot traffic. Broadway Chemists shifted to delivery only to prevent the small store from overcrowding and keep employees safe from exposure. The pharmacy’s neighborhood has at least 204 confirmed cases of the virus, according to city data. 

“Small stores can’t afford to get infected,” Liristis said. “If one person gets infected, we’d have to shut our doors and not be able to accommodate the community.”

Frezoulis said S Bros has probably served hundreds of customers that have tested positive or are presumed positive. City data shows at least 601 confirmed cases in the neighborhood. She said that while the situation is frightening and each day brings uncertainty, the pharmacy staff maintains calm to reassure the public. 

“If we don’t stay calm, everyone will panic with us,” Frezoulis said.

At Best Five Star Pharmacy in the Corona neighborhood of Queens, employees lock the door to ensure only two customers enter the store at a time. Corona is one of the hardest hit neighborhoods in the city with at least 947 people testing positive, according to city data. Five Star is close to Elmhurst Hospital, where nurses and ER doctors are on the front line in the fight against the outbreak, grappling with a dramatic surge in seriously ill patients requiring intensive care.  

Yitzy Engelberg, pharmacist and owner of Five Star, said the store’s hours have been reduced to limit foot traffic, but the staff stays late to get prescriptions filled for the next day.

“The truth is we never close,” Engelberg said. “We close the doors, but we don’t close the work.”

Engelberg, 49, focuses on filling prescriptions and limits sales of over-the-counter products to reduce the amount of time people spend in the store. Customers are so far remaining calm under the circumstances and are understanding of the new rules and restrictions, he said. Like most pharmacies, he faces shortages.

“One of the biggest problems is the supply chain has been rather dubious at times,” Engelberg said. “I have a lot of wholesalers I deal with. It comes in, it comes out. You get them, you don’t get them.”

For the time being, Five Star has enough Z-paks in stock but there’s no hydroxychloroquine. The unknown duration of the crisis weighs on Engelberg.  

“With horrible situations like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina and Sandy, you knew there was an end at some point — there was finality to it,” Engelberg said. “This is something where we just don’t know what’s going to happen.”  

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from Job Search Tips https://jobsearchtips.net/coronavirus-pharmacies-struggle-to-meet-demand-amid-supply-shortages/

[coffeelevel8-blog]

72 Hours in Seattle

Hi, it’s Abby. My mom asked me to write an introduction for this post about our last-minute trip to Seattle a few weeks ago. I was invited to play in a soccer tournament there and this one was different than most because there was only one game a day, which means there was plenty of down time to explore a city. (That is how I convinced my mom to go.)  We flew out the morning after my last final and stayed with her college roommate, Jenn for three nights and three days. Mom already told you that the culinary highlight of our trip was eating a Dutch Baby with backyard raspberries in Jenn’s kitchen nook, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t pound some pavement in search of great food around town. Here, Mom and I take turns giving you a run-down of our packed 72 hours.

DAY 1: THURSDAY

1:00 [Jenny] I am forever in search of counter-service spots when I travel, especially for lunch, when you don’t want to spend an hour-plus lounging around while the sun shines on a brand new city that is calling for you. That’s why we dropped our bags at my friend Jenn’s house (in Ballard) at 12:45, then headed straight to The Fat Hen, a sweet, bright fast-casual spot that served avocado toasts, ricotta toasts, freshly squeezed juices, and good coffee. It killed us to forgo Frankie & Jo’s, the vegan ice cream shop sensation right across the street (they have multiple locations around the city) but we were saving room for dinner. FYI: Delancey — remember Delancey? — was right there, too. [Photo credit: Seattle Magazine]

2:30  [Abby] We walked from Fat Hen down 15th Street to Ballard Avenue, the main drag in Ballard, a neighborhood that reminded me of Brooklyn. There was a ton of stuff to do and a lot of fun shopping including a cool second-hand furniture store called Ballard Consignment, an aesthetically pleasing succulent store (I can’t remember the name, can someone help me?), and a trendy clothing place called Prism where my mom tried on a thousand dresses but ended up just buying my sister an iron-on patch for her jean jacket that said “Stay Wild Child.”

4:00 [Abby] We met up with my mom’s friend Jenn, who got out of work early for us, and headed to Golden Gardens Park for a walk. It was so beautiful! I got a virgin pina colada at Miri’s, a new cafe right on the beach. Also, even though everyone says Seattle weather is not so great, look at our sky! It was like that for most of the time we were there. (Here’s a tip to future travelers: Go there in late June, early July.)

5:30 [Jenny] I think the only reason why I agreed to take Abby to Seattle was so I could try to snag a table at The Walrus and the Carpenter, the original Renee Erickson French-style raw bar in Ballard that opened almost ten years ago and that I tried to get into during my last visit, only to be turned away by the long wait every time. This time I wasn’t messing around. At the very un-glamourous hour of 5:30, I dragged Abby, Jenn, and Jenn’s 15-year-old daughter Stella to dine on fried oysters and small plates in their bright happy space. FYI: Erickson has opened a bunch of other places in Capitol Hill, including a steakhouse Bateau, another oyster bar with the greatest electric mint color scheme (Bar Melusine), and stuffed doughnut mecca General Porpoise, which, for Abby, might’ve been more of a reason to go to Seattle than her soccer tournament. (More on that below.)

7:30 After dinner, we walked back up Ballard Avenue to get ice cream at Salt & Straw, the Portland-based makers who have won over legions of fans with their artisanal concoctions…think Fresh Sheep’s Cheese and Strawberries or Oregon Wasabi and Raspberry Sorbet. But the line was too long, and even though it was still early, we were on East Coast time, so we headed home to bed. (For those of you interested, here’s an interview with Salt & Straw founder Tyler Malek on the always awesome Bon Appetit’s Foodcast.)

DAY 2: FRIDAY

10:00 [Abby] I had a soccer game in Redmond (we won 4-0!) where the most exciting food moment of the morning was a pretzel that came with that fakey nacho cheese that is so delicious. We didn’t get to start exploring again until lunchtime and decided we wanted to spend the afternoon checking out Capitol Hill. First stop…

12:30…Rocket Taco for lunch, where we ate some of the best carnitas tacos I can remember.

1:45 It was Pride Month! We loved the rainbow crosswalks which made for especially good instagram posts. (That’s me with our friend Maylie. And this was at the intersection of East Pine and 10th Ave.)

2:30 [Abby] And of course, we had to hit Elliott Bay Books. My mom bought me a paperback copy of The Handmaid’s Tale — I’ve been watching the TV show and it’s very disturbing, but she said I’d like the book. (She wants me to tell you that for school I also had to read Hiroshima and Take the Cannoli)

3:01 [Abby] Then the funniest thing happened. I had been looking forward to going to the iconic General Porpoise Doughnuts from the moment we booked our flights — we practically planned our entire Capitol Hill outing around it — but when we got there at 3:01, we tried to open the door and it was locked. It closed at 3:00! For about ten seconds we were all super disappointed but then, out of nowhere, an employee walks outside and asked “Does anyone want a dozen free doughnuts?” I guess they like everything to be fresh, so at the end of the day, they give away what hasn’t sold instead of selling them the next day. That might’ve been the highlight of the trip. And those doughnuts were some of the best I’ve ever had– the vanilla stuffed ones especially!!

4:00 [Jenny] We hadn’t planned on it, but we decided to hit Pike Place Market (because: of course!) on our way home to Ballard from Capitol Hill. We bought fruit and a lovely flower arrangement for our lovely hosts, but for the most part we just walked up and down the long hallways and gaped at the offerings. Maybe the most amazing part was that I got a parking spot on Pike Place right in the middle of everything (across from the flagship Starbucks.) I kept looking at the spot and looking at the sign saying This is too good to be true (once a New Yorker always a New Yorker, I guess) but it was actually true. Over a month later, I’m still on a high from it.

6:30 [Jenny] I know this is hard to believe, but we still had more to eat. I’ve written about this before, but the way Abby and I go about planning where we want to eat in a new city is completely different. I go to tried-and-true sources like Bon Appetit City Guides or Eater’s Heat Maps. She goes right to instagram, searches by locations, then studies the grid until a particularly inspiring pastry or bowl of ramen shows up. That is how she landed on Fremont Bowl where we went with Jenn’s family. Abby’s review: “Crazy good Japanese bowls, with fish, chicken teriyaki, and so much more. I’m not really a tofu fan, but according to my mom she had the best tofu she’d ever had in her life at this place. Fremont’s a fun area to walk around, too.” She’s totally right, the fried house-made tofu that our friend Maylie ordered was off-the-hook delicious. I was psyched because right next door was Book Larder, a store that specializes in cookbooks and community culinary events, but sadly they were closed for a private event. I guess that’s as good an excuse as any to return to Seattle in the very near future.

DAY 3: SATURDAY 9:00 [Abby] Mom, Jenn, and Jenn’s husband, Ben went for an early run around Green Lake Park (about a 3-mile loop she says) then we all gorged on Jenn’s now legendary Dutch Babies and plotted the day. Ben pointed us in the direction of the giant Asian Market Uwajimaya which was awesome (Oh, before that, Mom stopped for another cup of coffee at Anchored Ship in Ballard) but we ended up eating around the corner at at Dough Zone due to some intense soup dumpling cravings, aka the best food in the world.  It’s a good thing my next soccer game wasn’t until 4:00 that afternoon. We pretty much rolled out of there. Those dumplings were amazing.

6:00 [Abby] After my soccer game (lost 2-1) we drove to Mulkiteo and caught a ferry to Whidbey Island, about 25 miles north of Seattle across the Puget Sound, where Jenn and Ben have the sweetest cabin. The ferry was only about 25 minutes, but involved spectacular views of islands and huge mountains in the distance.

7:30 We only had about 12 hours to hang on Whidbey, but we got a good taste of it, snacking on their porch (above), chilling out by the campfire for an epic sunset; Ben grilled some local salmon and hot dogs for dinner. The house only had two bedrooms so my mom and I got to sleep in a tent listening to the crackling campfire. 

. Side Note [Jenny] Those of you who follow me on instagram might remember this photo. Jenn and Ben were torturing themselves trying to decide what color to paint the cabin — they were going for a dark Scandinavian cottage look — so I conducted an insta poll asking which combo you all liked. Most of you were in favor of the navy/white palette, the third one down. Last week, she sent me this pic:

How beautiful is that?!?!?! They went with Sherwin Williams Inkwell for the house and Benjamin Moore Oxford White for the trim.

DAY 4 SUNDAY

8:30 [Abby] We had an early afternoon plane to catch, so didn’t have a ton of time to explore, but we did manage to squeeze in a walk on the beach and a quick trip to Langley, where we ate eggs and cinnamon rolls at Useless Bay Coffee, then took a walk to a dramatic sandbar called Seawall Park. The town was so charming! From there was a convenient shuttle from Whidbey to the Seattle Airport, and we were on our way home.

Boy you fed us well, Seattle. We miss you so much!

Related: 36 Hours in Austin; 36 Hours in Portland, Maine; 48 Hours in Montreal.

Source: http://www.dinneralovestory.com/72-hours-in-seattle/

[baekhyunsahoe]

pt 1 revised

“HOT GRILL!”

Chanyeol presses himself into the wall corner as a server passes through with a steaming iron plate in tow. He can feel the heat radiate right against his apron clad crotch and he holds back a whimper.

Whoever said working at EXO Korean BBQ house was easy clearly lied. Then again no one told him that. It’s Chanyeol’s fourth day as a runner and one thing he’s learned is that the floor is definitely a battlefield, a dimly illuminated in blue lights battlefield with each table armed with tongs and scissors as they throw their raw meat of choice onto the circular grill and watch it sizzle as the smoke rises and engulfs half the restaurant with fumes from the all-you-can-eat Korean barbeque goodness. They dine like kings seated upon white leather seated booths, employees their bitches for the night as they yell their order left and right. It’s loud in there after all. Deafening decimals of the top 40 booming, or when it’s near closing, trap music. It’s busy. Completely overwhelming. Chanyeol’s never really been too coordinated to begin with. He finds himself on his toes every second.

Upon finally deeming it safe to remove himself from becoming one with the side station, he finds the lapse in his judgment too late and nearly crashes into another coworker decked out in the all black button up collared dress shirt they all have to wear. BAEKHYUN, his name tag reads. He’s a rather pretty little thing with kohl rimmed eyes and soft looking dyed blonde hair. But then –

“Say corner next time,” he hisses, shoving Chanyeol deliberately with a bony shoulder.

“Got it,” Chanyeol winces with a pained smile. Sheesh.

Six more hours to go…

  --

  His break comes as a small miracle in life. It’s basically closing when Suho, the manager, pulls him aside, floor plan in hand.

“Go on your thirty.”

Chanyeol nods. He ignores his reflection staring back at him in the spectacles of the polite well-mannered yet just as aggressive as everyone else manager. He knew he looked like a hot mess, oil spills on his shirt and apron. What once was a youtube tutorial attempt at an updo probably a chaotic mop of hair on top of his head, black bangs sweaty and his forehead shiny with gel. You could honestly cook some Korean bbq on his face by this point… for free.

The fresh air of the outside world feels like heaven. Chanyeol takes a deep breath. It was dark out, and it’s probably way colder than it feels, but the restaurant is a nonstop overheated smoky pit of bulgogi and kalbi fumes, making the temperature outside beyond refreshing in comparison.

Chanyeol’s feet are killing him even as he sits on curb. The parking lot is still full and he sees customers walking in despite them basically reaching closing time. This establishment never turns away anyone though, so even at 11 o clock they accept business with open albeit aching arms.

It must be the longest time he hasn’t touched his phone in one day. He pulls it out of his backpack and sees a few snaps from Jongin. The fool’s drinking while studying for midterms. Chanyeol shakes his head a small smile on his face when he hears a loud bang from the kitchen back door behind him.

Out comes Baekhyun, apronless for once. Chanyeol’s never seen him without the apron, and he can’t help but check out his figure, tight black slacks hugging his noticeably shapely hips and slim thighs. He forces himself to look up before he becomes known as a creeper.

“Hi.” He greets somewhat scared because Baekhyun wasn’t exactly the friendliest person on the planet.

“What.” Baekhyun snaps at the same time he pulls a personal bottle of what looks like Hennessey from who knows where. He chugs it as Chanyeol blinks in shock and mild amazement. What a baddie.

“Um.”

“Are you gonna snitch?” Baekhyun drawls but shows no fear. His pink lips are wet. The light from the back of the building highlight him in an almost dramatic way. “Or did you want some?”

Chanyeol seriously goes over his options for a second. Accept and be a badass or refuse and basically write pussy BITCH on his forehead.

“Yeah sure.”

He gets up to his full height of 6 feet 2 inches. Baekhyun looks up at him and it’s the first time Chanyeol feels like he’s actually being seen as a person instead of a runner noob.

Baekhyun looks impressed himself, handing him the personal.

Chanyeol chugs it mindlessly trying hard to be cool but damn near chokes when he remembers how disgusting Hennessey was when warm and worse, no chase. He’s trying not to grimace but the laugh that comes out of Baekhyun’s mouth confirms his failure. He cant help but feel a little good about himself that he got Baekhyun to laugh though, or maybe it was the hot alcohol going down his throat and his body reacting immediately after not eating for almost 12 hours.

“Thank you.” Chanyeol breathes, wiping at his mouth. Baekhyun takes another swig killing the little bottle.

“You owe me.” Is all he says with a handsome smirk before walking back in leaving chanyeol buzzed and suddenly feeling the cold.

By the time he’s over Baekhyun’s laugh, his thirty is up.

   -----

  “Hey.”

Chanyeol’s grabbed roughly by the arm, no introduction no explanation, and dragged to section one – the godforsaken high-tops near the host stand.

Baekhyun lets go but not before shoving a broom and dustpan into Chanyeol’s hands.

“Clean my section for me,” Baekhyun orders, looking up at Chanyeol with an expectant look of sorts.

“Uh,” Chanyeol starts.

“It’s simple. Degrease the bowls, degrease the tables, sanitize it, sanitize the chairs and chair legs, wipe down the light and wooden panels, then sweep and mop the floor,” Baekhyun lists and Chanyeol has to seriously wonder if Baekhyun even knew what the word ‘simple’ meant. Before he can dwell too long Baekhyun finishes with a passive aggressive, “You owe me remember?”

Wow. Baekhyun really came to collect within an hour time frame. Is that how it was at this place?

“Okay,” Chanyeol agrees accepting his fate. That miniscule shot of heem wasn’t worth it to be honest. Like Chanyeol was buzzed for twenty minute then it went away.  

Baekhyun steps closer. “Are you mad?”

“No!” Chanyeol splutters.

“Good,” Baekhyun smiles with satisfaction. “Don’t forget to do the set up. Plates, napkins, chopsticks.” Baekhyun retreats to the side station in two steps and comes back with a utensil in each hand. “Scissors and tongs. Got it?”

“Okay,” Chanyeol nods feeling tired already.

“Have a good night,” Baekhyun trails off, squinting at Chanyeol’s nametag. “Chanyeol.” He adds as if acknowledging Chanyeol indeed had a name makes the situation any better. Hearing him say his name did send a strangely delightful chill up Chanyeol’s spine though. “Bye.”

He leaves without wasting another second.

Chanyeol sighs, staring at the mess that is section one. Other people already look halfway done with their cleaning. Loud ratchet music is blasting from the speakers and everyone seems to be chilling but Chanyeol doesn’t know anyone and it seems people here aren’t too interested in getting to know fresh meat.

He gets to work, pulling on gloves after finally locating where they were stored to begin with. He regrets not bringing his earphones because the trap playlist was really not what he needed right now.

It’s been half an hour and he’s only on grill number two at table eleven. Chanyeol’s not sure if he’s slow af and sucks at this or if everyone else were just born with god given grill cleaning talent. It was probably a little of both.

He senses someone’s presence behind him right when he sees a shadow loom onto the table.

“Ha.”

Chanyeol turns around curious as to who decided to give him the time of day.

It’s a tall boy. He looks young with gaunt facial features and a big nose, but a baby face. He’s pretty cute like all the servers, Chanyeol guesses they all had to be attractive to work here however shallow that sounds. This particular staff member’s sleepy eyes are full of amusement and his black hair rocks high school style bangs making him look even younger.

“Yes?” Chanyeol prompts unsurely as the guy proceeds to just linger.

“He better be paying you for that,” he says.

Chanyeol finally notices his nametag – Sehun, it reads.

“What do you mean,” Chanyeol asks slowly.

“Baekhyun. Making you his bitch and all. Cleaning his section and stuff,” Sehun flicks a piece of kalbi bone off the table. “He should tip you out for it.”

“Oh.” Chanyeol doesn’t know why but his face burns at this. Is he really Baekhyun’s bitch? Why did he strangely have no problem with that? He shakes his head, “No it’s cool. I owed him a favor.”

“Already?” Sehun looks genuinely surprised. “You’ve barely been here twenty four hours.”

“It’s my fourth shift actually.”

“Exactly.” Sehun purses his lips as he nods. “Tell you what. I’ll help you clean once I’m done with my section but only if you personal run for me tomorrow.”

“Personal run?”

“Yeah. Wait do you even work tomorrow?”

Chanyeol thinks for a moment, summoning a mental image of his schedule into his mind. “Yeah.” He confirms. “Four to close.”

“Perfect! It’s busy on Saturdays and Suho doesn’t break me til 12am that fuck,” Sehun pouts a little. “I definitely need a runner if I want to make decent take home.”

Chanyeol’s never run for anyone before, mainly floor running with no designated server to attend to. Picking up empty plates off tables and clearing the expo line until it was time to go home. He still hasn’t mastered the art of carrying two trays which is pretty pathetic seeing as he is one of the taller workers and should be swole. Coming out with one tray looks sad.

“I’m down. I’ll be your runner,” Chanyeol confirms with finality and a genuine smile. Alas, someone was treating him like one of humankind!

Sehun grins back at him. “Sweet. I’ma teach you all you need to know.”

“Gee thanks!”

“I gotchu,” Sehun does the finger gun thing. “Baekhyun’s gonna be so jealous.” He snickers but before Chanyeol could ask what he means for the second time in barely a minute, goes on, “I’ma go finish up the plates, then I’ll be back to help you.”

“Thanks man.” Chanyeol says again, truly grateful.

Sehun does the finger thing once more and walks away, half twerking to ‘slob on my knob’ that booms loudly over the stereo.

--

   Chanyeol can’t help but feel awkward hovering around section six as Sehun goes table to table taking orders. ‘Table touching’ he had called it. He squats to talk to customers, being tall as a teenage tree and all. Chanyeol takes note to do the same when he finally gets to be a server.

He observes the sweet eye-smile Sehun almost robotically has on his face like a mask. With every word he says to the guests, the smile is there. Then the moment’s over and Sehun rushes him to the side.

“I just fucking got slammed the host is such a cunt,” Sehun whispers loudly. “Tao’s lucky I got side and sauce setups or I’d beat his ass.” Sehun takes a deep breath appearing to do some practiced meditation breathing as Chanyeol sends a prayer to whoever this Tao guy is. “Anyway, here’s a list. You memorized the table numbers right?”

Chanyeol wants to say he barely gave the four by two section map a spare glance opting to inconspicuously peek at the written numbers on the table but nods instead. “Yup.” He says confidently.

“Awesome.” Sehun rips a piece of paper from his notepad. “Thirteen rice total and don’t forget the forks and all that extra shit these bitches asked for.”

“Okay.” Chanyeol can barely comprehend Sehun’s chicken scratch handwriting but okay.

Sehun salutes him, patting him on the shoulder. “Thanks hyung.”

Feeling good about himself at the respectful term, Chanyeol gets to work.

The first slam is a breeze. Twenty minutes in, Sehun pulls Chanyeol aside again and gestures to the section much in the way Mufasa did in the Lion King when he was explaining Pride Rock.

“You see this? This is the chill stage. Everyone’s chilling,” he dramatically points at random guests. “She’s chilling. He’s chilling. They’re chilling so we’re chilling,” Sehun smiles looking like a proud father. “They got their first round of meats and their drinks,” he pauses, squinting at a cloud of smoke. “Actually. Have you ever changed a grill before?

“No…” Chanyeol answers slowly secretly hoping it would never have to come to this. Grill changing anxiety was real.

Sehun claps a hand on his shoulder.

“You gon learn today.”

It’s a terrifying experience, being in control of people’s lives by the burning hot grill in your hands, trying to make sure no dumbass accidentally touches it or moves in the way. You gotta be a hundred and one percent aware of your surroundings. Chanyeol now understands why most servers yelling hot grill look intense and stressed, near death experiences and all.

The new grill slams down atop the burner and the customers are amazed. Chanyeol’s amazed at himself too.

“Thank you!” They say enthusiastically. Chanyeol smiles as beads of nervous sweat form and drip down his face.

“HOT GRILLLLLLLLLLLLLL.” He screeches as he walks. “Hotgrillhotgrillhotgrill CORNER.” He makes it to the dish pit and drops off the grill. Success, he thinks.

When he turns around, Baekhyun’s leaning against the wall, sipping on his straw with what looks to be soda. Or it could be Hennessey again who knows.

“Good job,” Baekhyun tells him but despite the compliment sounds sarcastic as hell.

Chanyeol nods in a half bow and rushes out. Damn Baekhyun looked good. He must have just clocked in because he was sans apron and full view of sexy hips and – Chanyeol chances a double take and yep. Baekhyun had a nice ass. It wasn’t really a surprise. All his personality traits just screamed ‘I can act like this because I have a nice ass’.

When nine pm rolls around, Chanyeol’s previous assumption that things would slow down is shoved down his throat. The wait is at two hours, the lobby is swamped, no one’s gone on their break, and Chanyeol doesn’t even have time to spare to take a much needed piss.

Sehun’s warped into a military commander, barking orders with a hot flush on his face and sleeves rolled all the way up.

“Tao’s slamming me for fun,” Sehun pants, eyes narrowed to slits, pretending his hands are binoculars as he glares straight into Tao’s being at the host stand. “That asshole. There’s other sections open too you know but he doesn’t care. Too lazy to walk to the other side of the damn restaurant. Ugh, fuck this shit.” Sehun looks on the verge of an emotional breakdown. Chanyeol feels bad that he couldn’t make things easier for him. As far as hes concerned runners are there to allow the server more time with their tables.

“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol apologizes.

“Nah you’re good. We’re just understaffed. Like severely understaffed. No one’s bussing the tables. No one’s changing the grills fast enough. And last but not least, no one’s running the food.  When the kitchen gets backed up, we’re all fucked.” Sehun looks at his ipad. “It’s been more than ten minutes. I gotta get table sixty five’s meats. Shit, I haven’t even gotten their drinks yet. Can you grab them some waters at the bar?”

“Got it!”

Chanyeol’s never actually gotten drinks for tables before. He’s never even met the bartender. The bar zone is another battlefield altogether. A bunch of drinks are on the black mats atop the red marble counter. Tickets are sloppily stuck on the side of the glass, labeling the drink, server name, table, and even the time. Some are from twenty minutes ago. That wasn’t good. Chanyeol moves into action, grabbing six water glasses and puts them on the circular tray, praying he won’t drop this shit as soon as he runs it.

He’s pouring the water and ice, half missing as he tries to multi task and shove straws into each cup.

When he’s done with the pitchers, a dark looming presence that’s impressive from a rather short guy makes itself known.

“Are you not capable of the simple task of placing empty pitchers to the right side of the bar?” Kyungsoo, his name tag reads, apparently the bartender, says calmly but with a cut throat icy tone. His big eyes beat Chanyeol’s own wide ones.

“My bad.” Chanyeol says distractedly nearly spilling a glass of water.

“Put the empty pitchers on the right side of the bar.”

Chanyeol does as he told and gets another scolding. “My right,” Kyungsoo emphasizes.

Chanyeol wants badly to answer back because he did not clarify that but he bites his tongue and does as he’s told.

He barely hears a ‘behind you’ of a familiar voice as he’s lifting his tray of glasses and if Baekhyun hadn’t swerved left when Chanyeol turned around a full on wet collision would have taken place.

“I said behind you,” Baekhyun snaps at him.

Chanyeols pouting now, tired of getting yelled at. “I didn’t hear you.” He says under his breath not making eye contact.

“Then fucking listen next time. Your ears are big enough.”

Chanyeol’s taken aback at the unsolicited insult. R00d, he thinks.

He miraculously makes it back to section six without spilling his tray, and drops the drinks off at 65.

They’re a group of young guys around their early 20’s all dressed fashionably in snapbacks and hoodies. There’s a few bottles of soju and giant Hite bottles already on their table despite having just got seated not too long ago. Must have started drinking during the wait time.

“Yo thanks!” One of them with bunny teeth and an innocent boy-next-door face whoops. Buzzed, Chanyeol observes.

“No problem.”

“Are you a server too?”

“Where’s Sehun?”

“I’m hungry!”

“Is Jin hyung working today?”

Chanyeol’s bombarded with questions and suddenly feels overwhelmed. Maybe he isn’t suited for server life. Having to actually be constantly interacting with tables no with strangers basically... hungry strangers. Drunk strangers.

“Sehun’s getting your food, guys.” Chanyeol says politely. “And I’m not sure who Jin hyung is. Sorry.”

“Aw man! No hooks up today.”

“It’s his birthday!”

“Can you sing for him?”

“Shut the fuck up!” the one who’s birthday it apparently was hisses. He’s a really pale slim guy on the very end of the booth near Chanyeol. He seems to be consumed by his oversized black hoodie and looks miserable but chill at the same time.

“But Yoongi-hyung! You get pineapples!”

“I loathe pineapples, Jimin.”

Jimin frowns as ‘Yoongi hyung’ stabs at a spicy radish banchan.

Another male on the opposite of the end of the booth tugs at Chanyeol’s sleeve. His melanin is popping and he’s got a video game character slash manga boy look about him along with a quite charming box shaped smile. “Can you guys sing for him later? His name is Yoongi, say he’s turning 87 years old.”

“I can hear you, Taehyung,” Yoongi seethes. “I’m not 87 years old.”

“Then stop acting like it!”

Chanyeol finds himself with the plastered on robotic smile like Sehun earlier and finally understands why. Customers be so needy and they all talk at once! He couldn’t imagine what it’d be like if it was a bigger party, or when they were ordering side dishes. Shudder. He wishes badly for Sehun to pop up and take him away from all this… this… customer service.

“Don’t mind them. They’ve had a few,” a smooth voice from the far end of the table says. This guy looks more mature and notably more sober than the others. His silver hair peeks out beneath a black beanie with the letters RM. “Just checking up but no rush or nothing, do you know if our food’s coming? We’re famished.”

“Oh! Yeah lemme go check in the kitchen for you.” Chanyeol’s right about to flee the scene when he sees Sehun approaching with 2 trays in hand. Full hands in full hands out yo. He passes one to Chanyeol and steps into the limelight.

“Hey guys! Sorry about that! I had to run some food but I’m back and I got your order! Yay!” Sehun drops the food one by one with lightning speed. “Beef bulgogi, double order brisket, beef belly, and spicy calamari.” He turns gracefully and grabs at the food in Chanyeol’s tray. “Also the appetizers, popcorn chicken, fried calamari and  japchae.”

Jimin is about to open his mouth to say something but Sehun cuts him off. “Don’t worry your soondooboois on the way. Just about 5 min, okay? They gotta make sure the soup is nice and hot for you! Sorry about that!”

“No, it’s okay! Thank you!”

Sehun walks Chanyeol away and sighs. “Thanks for taking care of them. Theyre regulars. Young but they tip pretty fat. Rare for millenials let me tell you that. Jin’s friends though. Before you ask, Jin’s main cashier. He’s off today. I’m surprised he’s not with them – ”

“— it’s the Yoongi guy’s 87th birthday.” Chanyeol blurts before he forgets.

Sehun laughs. “Oh god. He’s gonna kill us for singing. I’m so excited. This is gonna be fun. I’ma send in the pineapples in about 45 minutes.”

“Why pineapples?”

“We don’t have any birthday specials here but we do give a free plate of pineapples and sing.”

“Oh.”

“It’s better than nothing.” Sehun shrugs. “Anyway, once I get those, I want you to ask everyone available to do a birthday for us.”

“Copy that.” Chanyeol salutes. Sehun grins.

“You’re doing great by the way.”

Chanyeol grins back.

--

    Time passes differently inside EXO Korean BBQ house. One second it’s five pm the next it’s been three and a half hours. It’s a bit insane and almost feels like Chanyeol is in a whole other world completely. Hence, the forty five minutes until the birthday comes in the blink of an eye.

The adrenaline rush is definitely hitting Chanyeol by this point.

Sehun’s been reminding him a catchy but kinda lame ‘teamwork really makes the dreamwork’ with every checkbook he obsessively opens once the table is out the door, never failing to grin borderline maniacally at the 25% tip they’ve been getting.

“Bless,” Sehun cheers. “Suho better give me a strawberry soju cocktail for this.”

Chanyeol laughs. “I wouldn’t mind that either.”

“Yeah sure you deserve a shot! You’ve done well Yeollie. Can I call you that? Do people call you that?”

“Not really but it’s fine.” Tbh Chanyeol hated that nickname bc wtf. “As long as I get to call you Sehunnie.”

“Nevermind.”

They share another laugh and then lo and a behold, a random fellow server pops out.

“Hi Chen.” Sehun chirps. “Whatcha got there?”

“Your birthday pineapples, bitch.”

“Damn you stay on them birthday pineapples.”

“Well when you got vocals such as I then yes. You never know when you’ll get discovered and if it’s through singing happy birthday at a restaurant then so be it,” his finely chiseled jawbones are more pronounced as a foxy grin spreads across his face. He turns to Chanyeol. “Hi. Don’t believe we’ve met. New guy right?”

“Yeah that’s me. New guy.”

“Ha you’re funny. I like you, new guy.”

“Watch out. He says that to everyone he think he can take advantage and manipulate into doing his dirty work,” Sehun warns playing around on his ipad.

“Hey!”  Chen interjects. Chanyeol grins, feeling more at home and part of the EXO fam now. It was a good feeling.

“Anyway. Birthday time. Get like two or three more people, okay? And maybe a clean grill so you can bang on that shit and get everyone’s fucking attention.” Sehun dictates.

“On my way.”

Chanyeol speeds around the restaurant looking for non-busy folks. Fail – everyone basically says no or ignores him when he asks, sad face. Alright then, so maybe not quite part of the EXO fam yet.

He bumps into Baekhyun unintentionally. A cute shocked ‘ah!’ leaves Baekhyun’s mouth, and seriously it’s so cute but almost sexual that Chanyeol’s face burns. Wild, wild thoughts.

“Say ‘behind you’!” Baekhyun practically shouts at him looking scandalized. Chanyeol just stares, a bit flabbergasted at the feisty little thing Baekhyun was. A loud huff. “What do you want?”

“Birthday?” Chanyeol finally remembers his mission in life.

“Ugh,” Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “Fine. Come on.”

Chanyeol can’t help the big goofy smile on his face at Baekhyun actually agreeing to do something nice for him well technically for Sehun but still. Progress, people.

They weave through the crowd of servers and customers alike with the grace of a seasoned employee. For once in Chanyeol’s life his clumsy demeanor is absent. Maybe actually putting a conscious effort to stop fucking up was all it took. Or maybe motivation. He stares at Baekhyun’s fluffy blonde hair and swears he can catch a whiff of mild sweet cologne. Of course Baekhyun probably had magical powers to still remain bulgogi and kalbi scent free even halfway through his shift. This guy was just way too attractive for his own good. Chanyeol is wondering ridiculously what his zodiac sign is when Baekhyun abruptly stops.

Chanyeol crashes right into him just as Baekhyun throws his hand behind him to stop Chanyeol albeit a little too late. His hand lands directly where the sun don’t shine, against Chanyeol’s groin or in Layman terms – full on dick smack. Ouch.

Chanyeol groans, low and pained and would very much like to keel over at his premature demise, but with the intertia still in full effect, he stumbles into Baekhyun’s shoulder instead. This brings him right against Baekhyun’s ass and despite just getting hit down there, feels his cock twitch as blood rushes down. Oh no noono.

“Can you watch out?” Baekhyun asks as if it was his fault and blatantly ignoring what he had done to Chanyeol’s family jewels.

“I am sorry.” Chanyeol dryheaves, seeing stars.

Still in the midst of getting it together, Chanyeol sees a server in front of Baekhyun pulling back after replacing a burnt grill from the table right in front of them. So that’s what caused this random traffic jam in the first place. Then Baekhyun’s peering back at him.

“Are you okay?” Baekhyun asks with an amused smirk.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He’s not.

Baekhyun looks down for a brief moment then back up into Chanyeol’s eyes again. “That was your thing wasn’t it?”

OH my god, Chanyeol thinks. Is he seriously asking that right now?! Freakin’ specifically and shit? Chanyeol doesn’t know what to say! And he’s sure his face is red as a tomato.

“I – it – “

Baekhyun laughs again. The second time Chanyeol’s got him to and the 77% chance of never being able to have children due to untimely hot grill induced dick smacks seems worth it.

“Well get used to it,” Baekhyun advises. “It happens a lot here.”

Chanyeol has no idea why the hell that is a thing that happens a lot here and truthfully that’s a little scare and almost enough to make him turn in his two weeks but then Baekhyun’s snickering giving Chanyeol reason to believe this little shit was just fucking with him. Heck, that was probably on purpose. They finally make it to section six, Chanyeol speechless the whole way not trusting himself to not blurt out WHY YOU HIT MY DICK and dramatically explain it has feelings too, you know.

Sehun, Chen and a few others have already appeared to have gathered around table sixty five.

“FINALLY!” Sehun shouts.

“Shut up,” Baekhyun says with no bite.

“His name is Yoongi,” Sehun tells everyone then they’re in a single file line of tall men in black looking like a squad. Gang gang.

Sehun suddenly bends down and brings his hand to his mouth as he booms,

“Ayeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee we got a birthday.”

“AYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE WE GOT A BIRTHDAY!” the rest of group echos almost deafeningly. Table sixty joins in, cheering madly looking incredibly shit faced.

“Hey everyone we got a birthday in the house. His name is Yoongi and he’s turning 87 years old today!” the crowd laughs as Yoongi looks absolutely livid, mortified, and tipsy all at the same time. He sinks down into his seat. Sehun’s got the pineapples in front of him and three hands reach out with torch lighters lighting up almost comically. “Let’s all sing him happy birthday!”

Chanyeol thinks he’s singing loud but it’s drowned out by the whole crowd. It’s a bit moving, hearing everyone sing. Strangers who don’t even know you all singing and helping you feel special on your birthday. It was making Chanyeol weirdly sentimental. The added ‘WOO’ with every line also made it fun and silly. Chen apparently wasn’t lying about his vocal skills. Hella extra but damn. People were loving it even as he did an unsolicited high note of Yoongi’s name in the background for no real reason.

Chanyeol’s enjoying the whole scene unfolding when he finally hears Baekhyun singing. If he wasn’t already sprung off his ass for the guy he would be now. Even though it’s quite a ruckus in there, he can clearly hear him and if that wasn’t the loveliest sound he’s heard in his life... he doesn’t realize he’s staring, captivated, until Baekhyun turns his head and catches his gaze.

His eyes are lit up from all the flames of the torch lighters, red orange embers dancing in his dark irises and Chanyeol cannot fathom how anyone can be so heartstoppingly divine. He’s effortlessly gorgeous and he’s more beautiful than the moment.

Its over too fast. There’s yelling, clapping, some howling and a random ass Lil Jon style YEEEEEEEEEEA-YUHHHHHHHHHH.

The rest of the servers disperse just as quickly as they assimilated.

Sehun’s just finished having a conversation with table sixty five – all chanyeol heard was soju cocktails on the house – and then he finds himself huddled in a nearby corner, Sehun on his left and Baekhyun on his right.

“How is he?” Baekhyun asks Sehun, and Chanyeol realizes he’s referring to him but straight up acting like he wasn’t there.

Sehun gives a thumbs up with no hesitation. “Good! He’s good.”

“Hm,” Baekhyun doesn’t look convinced. “I wouldn’t know. Never had him.”

“Yet!” Sehun gestures almost lazily at Chanyeol. “Do you want him?”

The question is about serving and running but geez it sounds weird and questionable and makes Chanyeol’s cheeks burn a little at the words if taken out of context.

“I’m good,”  Baekhyun says flippantly, but then he moves up against Chanyeol, real close, so close it brings his soft looking lips millimeters away from Chanyeol’s collar as he looks up at him. “He’s all yours.”

Chanyeol can’t meet his gaze, his eyes drop to those kissable lips, he can’t stop staring at them. Baekhyun licks said lips, wetting them probably because its’ so smoky in here so they had a tendency to get chapped but haha was that not sexual as fuck? Or so help me. Or help Chanyeol. Yeah Chanyeol needs help. Baekhyun’s really making him question his morals because his presence alone is enough to get Chanyeol junior stirring in the confines of his slacks.

“You owe me again.” Is all Baekhyun says but in a quite voice intended for only Chanyeol to hear. Then he’s walking away without sparing him another glance.

Chanyeol feels frozen to the spot but hot all over.

God, Baekhyun…. He was so damn fine, fuhhhhhhhhh. FUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

“Soooooooooooo,” Sehun raises an eyebrow slowly, arms crossed, seemingly picking up on the thicc sexual tension lingering in the air. “Wanna run for him?”

“Huh?” Chanyeol’s still out of it.

“Baekhyun. He doesn’t like to admit it but he needs a runner sometimes. I seen his section burning because he’s too busy flirting with customers.” Sehun picks at a fingernail.

“What makes you think I want to run for him?” Chanyeol gets defensive, feeling a bit ashamed at being so easy to read.

Sehun rolls his eyes. “Please like I haven’t seen the way you look at him. He’s got the same effect on half the human population.”

“Are you saying I look at him?”

“Yes, Sherlock Holmes.”

“I don’t look at him,” Chanyeol denies hurriedly.

“Relax,” Sehun laughs. “I’m not gonna tell him. Though he probably already knows. But I can request Suho to put you on the floor plan as a runner for him.”

“Would that really be a good idea…”

“Sure! One of the things about EXO, is we are one! There’s no front of the house or back of the house we are all one. We like to make sure we’re a team and that we can work well together. This will be the perfect opportunity to develop a good relationship with Baekhyun hyung. He’s an amazing server. He makes the most tips every shift. You can learn a lot from him.”

Develop a good relationship? Chanyeol’s got different things in mind. Shit. nooo. Can’t think that way. Unresolved sexual tension will not help this situation.

“I don’t know... he doesn’t seem to like me very much.” Chanyeol  sighs piling up a few empty plates.

“Nonsense!” Sehun booms throwing his hand up for emphasis and nearly smacking a guest in the face as he does so. He leans closer. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you too.” He winks and goes back to table touching.

Chanyeol bites his lip, eyes searching for Baekhyun through the busy bustling restaurant. His heart stops, then skips several beats and refuses to go back to normal when he sees the object of his desire staring back.

--

    Chanyeol goes home that night with more than house tip. His first runner tip out. Sehun had been generous. Fifty bucks is pretty good for a tip out. Most runners only get 10% but Sehun said he had kicked ass and was a natural and I quote ‘would be serving in no time.’

Jongin’s still up at their shared one bedroom. He’s in the living room which is technically his area of the apartment, six beers deep, still in his pajamas, and playing Monster Hunter.

“Yo.”

“Whaddup.”

“Tired as shit,” Chanyeol kicks off his shoes.

“You smell like straight up Korean samgyubsal dude,” Jongin scrunches his nose.

“And you smell like bad life decisions,” Chanyeol eyes the empty pack of beer and the half full bottle of jameson. “What’s the occasion?”

“Midterms over. Got a D. I’m celebrating.” Jongin shrugs. “Wanna join me?”

“Wow you finally got the D.”

“That joke is as old as your virginity.”

“I am not –  “

Okay, but he is. Was it weird??? He’s like twenty four… he may have never had a real relationship before but that doesn’t mean something was wrong with him! Was it his fault if his three focuses in life growing up was family, school, and gaming?! ‘Scuse him if he never took the time to hoe around. Matter of fact,  a lot of girls and even guys found Chanyeol attractive. Things just… never worked out. And and and it’s not like he was a pure holy virgin angel nun or something! No he’s seen a boobie or two. He’s definitely  kissed before; drunken make outs reign supreme in the formative college years. So yeah! He was like Mother Theresa on the hood of a Mercedes Benz. Innocent, but not thaaaaaaaaat innocent... or something. Damn, it’s hard to defend his honor. Deciding vehemently in his mind, this was HIS choice and it’s totally normal and ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE HIM and he’s actually lucky because he is waiting for someone special, Chanyeol gets back to the subject at hand.  DRINKING.  Chanyeol doesn’t know why the hell not he wouldn’t. His body is aching all over and the exhaustion is starting to set in. A beer or two sounded wonderful. He opts to take a quick shower to get the stench of bulgogi off him but the quick shower turns in to a twenty minute jacking off session.

Dark eyes, light hair, the hottest piece of ass he’s ever seen…

And an aggressive but beautiful and intoxicating Baekhyun telling Chanyeol to fuck him harder.

“Ah fuck,” Chanyeol hisses as he comes everywhere. What a huge load.

If Sehun’s true to his word and gets Chanyeol as a runner for Baekhyun, it’s gonna take a lot of pre shift jizz sessions to stop the inevitable boners a certain server will give him.

Chanyeol ignores the beer and goes straight for the hard liquor, hating how everything was more and more reminding him of someone he’s only known for a few days and didn’t really respect him but was slowly taking over his existence.

“You good?” Jongin slurs, looking worried but mostly drunk.

Chanyeol gives him two thumbs up and reaches for the controller.

--

  Running for Baekhyun turns out to be as sexually frustrating as Chanyeol’s fantasies predicted it to be.

At first, the animosity was strong.

“Who said you could run for me?” Baekhyun had asked when Chanyeol was clocking in fumbling with his apron trying not to stare at Baekhyun’s ass. “I don’t need a runner.”

“Am I running for you?” Chanyeol asks innocently, deciding to play dumb like he did not know that that was the original plan Sehun had made last night.

That gets Baekhyun shoving the PM floor plan to Chanyeol’s face. “What does it say?”

“Oh. I guess I am.” Chanyeol gulps nervously. Why the hell was Baekhyun so worked up, sheesh. “I can just not run for you, if you want…”

“And have Suho up my ass? No thanks,” Baekhyun pauses, a thoughtful look on his face. He steps closer. “Are you even good?”

“W-what,” Chanyeol stammers at the close proximity. Baekhyun’s breath smells just like the minty gum he was chewing.

“Are you good?”

“Uh, Sehun said I was good.”

“Sehun also said you wanted to fuck me,” Baekhyun says with a roll of his eyes and it’s not sure if its jokingly or sarcastically, if it was a test, or what.

Chanyeol opens his mouth to say something, he doesn’t even know what there is to say to that but then Baekhyun goes on.

“Anyways, I want you close to me at all times. Bother me. Ask me what I need. I don’t wanna see you running off helping others. If someone else asks you for something, ignore them. You’re my runner, so you run only for me. Do you understand that?” Baekhyun’s speech sounds like a weird bdsm euphemism but Chanyeol nods repeatedly to every word he says.

“Okay,” Baekhyun’s voice is sweet. He must have a thing for telling people what to do. “Let’s go then.” There he goes again…

“ESKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETIT!” Someone yells from the dish pit, adding comedy to the otherwise tense moment.

Chanyeol follows behind Baekhyun, eyes trying not to enjoy the view too much.

He’s failing miserably though. He keeps glancing down – down at Baekhyun’s ass. Ugh. He’s so sexy. He wants to reach out and touch it. But he’s sure Baekhyun wouldn’t appreciate that so he keeps his hands to himself. It’s getting impossible to keep his thirst lowkey when Baekhyun’s around though and Baekhyun being all nice and cordial isn’t helping. Chanyeol knows it’s simply because he’s basically his slave today and tips depend on how well they perform as a tag team duo.

But… like…

Baekhyun is touchy feely as fuck.

It’s half way through the dinner rush when Chanyeol begins to reach his limits. Baekhyun wasn’t like this the first few hours, but in the next few hours that followed Chanyeol noticed Baekhyun’s been on three bathroom breaks which were probably not for peeing but for chugging more of his personal. Each time he returns, his breath no longer smells of minty gum but instead pure alcohol of the cognac variety.

And the alcohol definitely loosens Baekhyun up.

It’s small and subtle gestures that Chanyeol doesn’t notice at first. Baekhyun constantly asks if he’s okay, but in a sweet touchingly concerned tone with matching sincerity in his beautiful perfect eyes. Second, he keeps thanking Chanyeol and using the word ‘please’ when he needs something. That was doing bad things to Chanyeol’s mind but let’s not go there. It’s little things like this that’s got Chanyeol feeling like he’s gonna spontaneously combust. Now when Baekhyun asks for something, he leans in so close, the way he looks up at Chanyeol with a smile, the same smile Chanyeol knows is the fake sweet robotic smile all servers do but to have it directed at him from Baekhyun – shit’s got him weak. Baekhyun is cute, sexy and irresistible. He’s charming when he wants to be and not only using it on his tables but he’s using it on Chanyeol too. And Chanyeol doesn’t really know why. He hopes there’s more to it thant the alcohol talking.

“Chanyeollie,” Baekhyun tugs him to the side station and proceeds to eliminate the space between them, bringing their chest right against each other as he moves his mouth to Chanyeol’s ear. It seems to be done in an effort to get his words to reach Chanyeol since it’s extremely loud in the restaurant at the moment but wasn’t this a bit much?

“Y-yes??”

“I need you,” Baekhyun breathes against his neck. So so wrong, Chanyeol thinks. That sounds so wrong. Ugh. He swallows hard.. Baekhyun continues. “If you didn’t know,” he murmurs, “We just got slammed. I’ve taken all their drink orders, and I can get the rice and side dishes but I want you to get the drinks. Can you do that for me?”

Chanyeol’s heart is racing. It’s hammering so loudly in his chest at how close Baekhyun is to him, Chanyeol doesn’t think its possible for his heart to beat this rapidly but here we are.

“Okay, I’ll get it.” Chanyeol tries stepping back but he’s trapped against the wall.

Baekhyun looks up at him. They’re within kissing distance for crying out loud. There’s a pink flush high on Baekhyun’s cheekbones, another give away he certainly has been drinking. He looks adorable… and so doable. Shit.

“Thanks,” Baekhyun’s sultry gaze drops down to Chanyeol’s lips. Chanyeol thinks it’s his imagination he swears it is but nope, Baekhyun’s hella staring right at his mouth. “I owe you,” He says slowly and just as slowly drags his gaze back up to meet Chanyeol’s eyes again. Then he licks his lips and smiles. “Go.”

Chanyeol’s temporarily stunned into the side station even minutes after Baekhyun saunters back to section seven.

Shit. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit. Chanyeol can’t feel his legs. He can’t feel anything but the shameful tug of arousal pooling in all sorts of heated desperation and lust around his lower stomach and groin. He’s never felt this turned on. He never wanted someone this much. Baekhyun could probably burn his ass with a hot grill and he’d still wanna hit that. This was getting out of control.

“Are you okay?” Sehun asks him at the bar as Chanyeol robotically fills 16 glasses of water on one tray.

“Yes.”

“That’s a lot of waters.”

“Yes.”

“Baekhyun making you do all the hard labor huh?”

Chanyeol snaps. “What exactly is his deal anyway?”

Sehun looks amused. “Watcha mean?”

“Why is he so. He’s acting different today.”

“Probably drunk. He always drinks on the job when he has a runner.”

“I know he’s drunk or whatever. But like. I’m getting whiplash here. One second he’s – but then. Ugh. Is he usually, you know. Like that…?” Chanyeol makes wild gestures that don’t mean shit.

Sehun snickers. “The fuck?”

Chanyeol doesn’t know how to say it. He’s probably trippin’, this is wishful thinking and Baekhyun isn’t making moves or seducing him, he’s just being nice and Chanyeol’s taking it the wrong way because everyone’s kind of a dick here and speaking of dicks apparently his is a poor depraved soul that needs some bad.

“Nevermind,” he says instead feeling stupid. He distractedly grabs sixteen straws and starts stabbing them into the water.

A laugh from Sehun. “Oh boy. Don’t tell me he’s already got you all riled up? It’s been three hours.”

Yeah three hours of nonstop touches – touches to Chanyeol’s bicep, lower back, and Baekhyun had a habit of backing up into Chanyeol I’m talking ass to groin and remaining in that position while he tells him what to do. To ‘overlook his section’ most likely but WTF. Who talks to people in that position? Baekhyun that’s who. Chanyeol’s already practiced blaming any felt hardness on his ipad in his apron pocket if anything were to pop up. Which it almost did… many times. Chanyeol was having a record of how many semis he can get in one day.

Shaking his head, he lets out a frustrated groan, the most distraught emotions he’s ever shown at EXO. “He’s hella on me,” Chanyeol blurts feeling dumb again and very teenage boy.

Sehun stirs a strawberry lemonade. “Uh yeah. That’s Baekhyun. You should be happy though.  It really seemed like he hated your guts but now it looks like he’s tryna get you up in his. Teambuilding!”

Somehow Chanyeol doesn’t think hoeing around with your coworkers means team building but sure. Let’s go with that.

He decides not to say anything more. Can Sehun even really be trusted? All the servers here seem to have a dark side. It was like an anime where all the heroes have an alter ego or some shit.

Dropping off the drinks is like the hard level of a roblox obstacle course. Everyone’s literally in the damn way even on a Sunday evening. No one seems to care when he says behind you. Chanyeol was steadily heading towards his first EXO mental breakdown.

“There you are,” Baekhyun calls out heading towards Chanyeol once the drinks were all set. “Are you ok?”

“Yes. Hi.” Chanyeol says through gritted teeth. Baekhyun may as well be the devil in disguise. All the sins in Chanyeol’s mind were making him want to drown himself in some holy water. He didn’t get it. He’s never usually like this. It was making him a bit disgusted with himself.

“I’m going on my thirty. Can you watch over the section?” Baekhyun strokes Chanyeol’s arm as he asks. What the fuck –

“Yeah I can do that. Is everyone good right now.”

“Mhm.” Baekhyun gestures to a party of sixteen. “I know those guys. They’re hella chill. They shouldn’t give you any trouble. I’ve already told them I’m going on break. So just 74 or 75 arent part of their group. 74 are harmless little ahjumma’s, charm them with your dimple. The other is a group of thots, charm them with your deep voice, maybe act like you wanna bone them or something.” Baekhyun explains quickly then pulls Chanyeol down by the collar, “ – but don’t actually do that.” He glares playfully then nearly gives Chanyeol a heartattack as he shoves his ipad into Chanyeol’s apron pocket which is oh you know, right near his crotch. Dear god, Chanyeol thinks. “You got this!”

Then he’s off, and heading towards the back room.

--

    Chanyeol doesn’t notice it’s Baekhyun at the party of sixteen until 8 minutes later. He’s got a burgundy windbreaker on over his uniform and he’s pulled up a chair right next to an extremely good looking mofo that makes up head count number one in the cockfest of chinese dudes at the table. Chanyeol had to admit, the guy had the face of a model and he looked tall too if his giant yaoi hands were anything to go by. He was also a blonde, dyed and dirty with an undercut that looked fresh. This guy must get haircuts every two weeks to maintain that shit. Do you even know how much haircuts cost these days?! This guy’s loaded. There was no other explanation. His resting bitch face only disappeared into a gummy smile whenever they raised their soju bombs to cheers or when Baekhyun opened his mouth.

Baekhyun was clearly lit by this point, he had taken way too many shots of the cocktail and the soju bombs. Chanyeol didn’t know if it was jealousy that was pissing him off or the blatant disregard to the rules. Then he sees Baekhyun massaging the Ballin Bi-weekly Haircut guy’s thigh from under the table as he giggles and Chanyeol nearly walks out. What. A fucking. Hoe.

“Excuse me, can we get a grill change please?” one of the girls from the table of thots ask sweetly, batting her fake lashes.

“Okay.” Chanyeol lifelessly grabs a clean grill from the side station making sure to mean mug Baekhyun's fine ass man friend as he does so. He gets ignored, existence forgotten and sighs as he switches the grills at 74.

“Thank you! You’re the best!” the girls gush.

“No problem,” Chanyeol’s mastered the fake smile early in the game. He wonders how many smiles here were actually genuine because he knows his isn’t anymore. Can he have a fucking shot right now too?

Speak of the devil – Baekhyun looks up just as Chanyeol booms ‘hot grill’ like a war cry.

“Chanyeollie! Hey. Want a shot?” he offers as if he’s part of this table, not working or anything.

“No thanks.” Chanyeol says, pride stopping him.

“Come on, dude. Live a little.” The guy beside Baekhyun says, smiling. The fuck, why was he smiling? Once again – WERE ANY SMILES SINCERE HERE? The world may never know.

“I’m working,” Chanyeol says politely but it comes off harsh.

Baekhyun laughs. “Sorry guys. He’s new.”

“It’s cool. I respect his work ethics.”

“What about my work ethics?”

“What work ethics?”

Baekhyun hits him. It’s flirtatious. “Kris!” he whines. That was flirtatious too. Chanyeol’s eyes darken and he angrily moves away. KriiiiiiiiiSSssssss, his mind mocks.

They’re so casual with each other. Definitely fucking. Chanyeol wants to die. Why must all the good ones be hoes?

He drops off the dirty grill and notices the time. Hasn’t it been more than 30 min? Where the fuck was the manager? Did he not care?

He sneaks into the back to peer into the office and sees Sehun in there, back facing him talking to who was probably Suho.

“My schedule is fucked. I asked you for Wednesday off weeks ago!”

“Sehun, please calm down.”

“I’ve been waiting for so long but you’ve still never made the time. You suck!”

“Sehun – babe, please – ”

Babe? Woooooooooooooooah.

Realization dawns upon Chanyeol that this is most likely not a conversation he should be hearing. He’s about to slowly walk away like a ninja in the night but Sehun senses him and catches his eye. Shit. Chanyeol runs off.

He gets the check for 74 and 75. Takes orders for the other side of the party and even grabs rice for another servers section. By then Baekhyun is still straight chillin.

Chanyeol can’t stand anymore of this BS. He’s not gonna make a scene or anything he wasn’t the type. But his aura wasn’t something he could hide. He tended to wear his emotions on his sleeve and face. Baekhyun looks over and although shit faced seems to finally come back from whatever hell planet he was on right now.

He gets up. Kris guy tugs him.

“I have to go back now.”

“Just clock out. I’ll tip you your other two hours pay.”

“You’re gonna tip me it anyway,” Baekhyun sasses then walks off, but as he does he grabs Chanyeol by the sleeve without saying a single thing. Chanyeol’s forced to follow suit. They pass Chen in the expo line.

“Watch my section,” Baekhyun orders like a boss. Chen scowls but doesn’t decline. Damn was everyone Baekhyun’s bitch around this place.

Chanyeol’s about to ask where they’re going but it could only be one place seeing as he’s being dragged past the host stand, past the waiting area and there’s only one area to go here – the bathroom.

He’s sure Baekhyun is gonna yell at him for something or the other. The lobby has cleared out at least, so the bathroom is empty when he’s all but manhandled into it.

“Take your apron off.” Baekhyun commands instantly.

“Why?” Chanyeol asks defiantly.

“You can’t wear your apron in the bathroom, dumbass!” Baekhyun says loudly as if this was a piece of information passed on from generation to generation at an early infant age. Chanyeol doesn’t like it.

“Well my bad. I didn’t even know I was going to the bathroom.” Chanyeol mutters, feeling like a rebel. His heart beats wildly for even talking back.

Baekhyun ignores him, grabbing at the string of Chanyeol’s apron, right atop his crotch and undoing it himself.

“Whoa – “

“I said take it off.”

The apron is thrown in the little gold tub where clean towels are supposed to go below the sink. Baekhyun does the same for himself then grabs Chanyeol again and shoves him inside the stall. It isn’t until he’s locking it that Chanyeol’s alarm bells go off. Dude what was this. Was he gonna kill him? Omg.

“Baekhyun – “ Chanyeol starts.

“You are so fucking distracting.” Baekhyun growls once again putting hands on Chanyeol – pressing him against the cold marble wall behind him as the music booms around them.

“What? I’m sorry?“ Chanyeol’s adrenaline rush is waning, he feels dizzy and disoriented.

“You should be,” Baekhyun stares seriously at him. His cheeks are even more flushed, lips a kissable dark red from the strawberry soju cocktail. “I can’t work properly with you.”

Chanyeol feels his stomach flip. “I’m sorry…” he says sadly, anger forgotten just like that and suddenly feeling like a failure.

“Stop apologizing, you idiot.” Fact; Baekhyun even rolls his eyes while drunk. Noted. He also still looks damn good. Blonde bangs fall into his eyes as he shakes his head in unexplained frustration. “I mean I can’t work with you. Properly with you because I’m distracted. You’re distracting me and I NEVER get distracted.”

“Why are you distracted.” Chanyeol gets the question in, having a weird feeling about the direction this conversation was going.

“Because of you,” Baekhyun spits and his tone sounds disgusted, but he’s looking into Chanyeol’s eyes like he wants him. “All I can think about is getting you alone.”

Chanyeol’s mind goes blank.

Then races.

“What?” He’s blushing. He can’t not be blushing. What did Baekhyun just say? His cheeks are positively burning and he feels like the drunk one with how his brain isn’t functioning right now. Had he heard him correctly? Is he going crazy? Was he fantasizing? Is this real life?

“You know what I mean.” Baekhyun says this with confidence. “You seem innocent but you can’t be that innocent.” Of course no, for he was mother Theresa on the hood of a Mercedes Benz we went over this remember.  

“Umm,” Chanyeol is speechless, shook, and trying hard to make sense of the situation. “I think I know what you mean? B-but I’m not one hundred percent sure so I don’t want to assume anything.” Wow, talk about ruining the moment. Spoken like a true loser. Go chanyeol.

Baekhyun stares at him. He seems to be having a hard time understanding things at the moment too but at least he can blame it on the alcohol. “What? Are you telling me you don’t want me?”

“Um,” Whoa. Where that come from. He didn’t know how to say ‘yes I want joo’ without sounding like a complete fuckboy so instead opts for a, “Y-you’re very attractive.” Hurriedly with no swag, stammering as he does so, feeling a w k w a r d. No one says things like this out loud these days! Don’t fuck this up, his mind and libido screams at him. But at the same time… Baekhyun’s drunk isn’t he? Does he even know what he’s saying?

“I know,” Baekhyun nods with a slight daze eyed smirk. He’s cute af. “And you want me?”

“I do.” Chanyeol admits in a half whisper. He was scared to say it, to let Baekhyun know already but put on the spot like this he was more scared if Baekhyun thought the opposite. The truth shall set you free.

Baekhyun smiles looking extremely pleased with life. “Okay good.”

He presses against Chanyeol but unlike during their shift where Baekhyun would be close but not close enough no just a tease, this time – their bodies meet perfectly. Their height difference feels as though made for each other. Baekhyun rubs his lips into Chanyeol’s neck, placing wet kisses. Chanyeol can’t believe this is happening Chanyeol can’t even breathe.

“How do you want me?” Baekhyun asks tongue swirling around Chanyeol’s adam’s apple.

Chanyeol’s about to bust a nut forreal.

He’s hard already and its been two seconds since this physical shit even started. Baekhyun can probably feel it no Baekhyun can definitely feel it, there’s no way he can’t, plus he reaches down and squeezes, looking up to smile sweetly at Chanyeol. OH MY GOD –

“That was fast,” Baekhyun comments, stroking Chanyeol through his slacks.

“Ah – ! Ahhhh – fuck,” Chanyeol groans squeezing his eyes shut because this was all too stimulating and he didn’t trust himself not to come right then and there. WAS THIS REAL.

“That is the plan.” Baekhyun grins. “Do you have lube?”

“Wait.” Chanyeol snaps out of it. “Wait. Stop. We can’t … do this… here.”

“You don’t have lube?”

“No! I mean – “

“Then why not?”

There were a million reasons why not! Uh, they were on the clock? It was a filthy mens bathroom at their work for the love of god don’t tell him this did that not bother Baekhyun at all!

“You’re drunk.” Chanyeol says instead, trying not to think too much about how he missed Baekhyun’s lips against his neck already.

Baekhyun laughs. “I’m not that drunk.”

“You’re hella drunk,” Chanyeol says firmly and with great effort pushes Baekhyun off. He regrets it immediately when he sees the flash of hurt on Baekhyun’s face so he rushes to explain. “I don’t want to take advantage of you or anything.”

“Oh god.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes looking offended. His whole demeanor does a 360. He apparently isn’t used to getting ‘no’ for an answer. “Forget it! I should’ve known.”

“Known what?“

“That you are a pussy ass loser bitch noob. This never happened.”

“Baekhyun – what – “ He frowns, hurt. “I’m not a pussy bitch.”

“Pussy ass loser bitch noob,” Baekhyun corrects.

Chanyeol ignores it. “Listen, I do like you, I know we just met but I’ve never felt so strongly for someone before it’s weird and scary but all I know is I like you. You make me happy. I even liked running for you. Seeing you smile… “ Baekhyun’s staring at him with glassy eyes. He seems to have reached the drunk emotional stage of no return. Chanyeol gently puts a hand on his shoulder. “And of course I want you…” He decides to leave out the ‘nice ass’ part ( maybe some other time ) and continues with sincerity, “But this isn’t – you’re drunk. I don’t want it like this.” Chanyeol thinks he did a good job explaining himself but Baekhyun’s facial expression is devoid of anything but drunk anger and rejection.

“No, fuck it. You’re judging me like everyone in the fucking world does. And you’re lying just like everyone else too! So I’ll just go find someone else.” Baekhyun waves him off preparing to leave.

Chanyeol panics. “What the fuck – don’t do that!” Chanyeol shouts, a spike of jealousy and possessive ness and the image of Kris in his mind.

“Why the hell not? I can do whatever I want.”

“You should respect yourself. If you wanna do that, don’t just go to random people when youre drunk. You deserve more and youre better than that.”

Baekhyuns gaze is cold as death. “you don’t know me you don’t know anything. Fuck off. This was a mistake. You can go home. Like I said, I don’t need a runner.” Baekhyun turns his back and when chanyeol tries to grab him shoves chanyeol back with unrestrained anger and strength. Chanyeols back hits the wall. “Don’t ever touch me again.”

Baekhyun walks out after that leaving chanyeol alone in the bathroom. The music plays loudly. But chanyeol doesn’t hear anything but the harsh words replaying themselves in the his head.

He feels like hes been stabbed. Had he fucked up by saying no to baekhyuns advances? He think he did the right thing here. most guys would probably go for it, but this wasn’t okay. It was totally taking advantage if he did what Baekhyun wanted. Shit did Baekhyun even want him or was he the closest available hot blooded male? He didn’t wanna think if this was a normal thing Baekhyun did when hes had too much to drink or if Baekhyun had actually been feeling him.

He knows Baekhyun is more complex than what he lets people see. Most people act the way Baekhyun do if they’ve been hurt before and developed a guard around themselves to avoid being betrayed again. Trust issues and shit. chanyeol doesn’t know why hes so torn up about this because baehyun wasright he didn’t know him at all. But he just felt this strong connection to him. he really fucking like him… the few moments where he got to see Baekhyun smile and laugh made him happy and he didn’t know why. Shit feelings were really such a curse. This is why he stayed single like his whole damn life. Feelings just got in the way and made you depressed.

But Baekhyun…

He couldn’t stop these feelings even if he tried.

He has no idea what to do, he picks up his apron and wraps I around his waist. He looks at himself in the mirror. He looks flushed and sweaty and miserable. He splashes water on his face. It doesn’t help. He feels feverish and a little sick to his stomach the though of Baekhyun hating him.

He sees another apron and realizes Baekhyun forgot his. Hes picking it up when a piece of paper falls out.

To; chanyeol thanks for being an awesome runner. Drinks on me >.> I owe you, remember? 925 237 2372

~Baek

[httpwwwdotbombdotcom]

CP Stories

(This tale outlines one afternoon/evening of the summer I spent working at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. I got off work, walked to my dorm, and started writing everything down as it happened.)

*open notebook*

SO here I am on the very hot shuttle bus, packed to the gills. The shuttle bus is, in its purest form, a school bus painted a horrible blue-green and slapped with a Cedar Point logo. There are two of these monstrosities; one that runs from the men’s dorms to the Commons dorms, and one that runs from the Commons to town, where you can go to the mall, Wal-Mart, etc.) So every time I need something or if I’m bored on my day off, I have to first walk through the park, through the marina gate to the men’s dorms, sit and wait for the green monster, die in the sweltering heat, ride for 25 minutes to the Commons, wait for green monster #2, die again in the bus heat, ride another 15 minutes into town, then disembark. All this for a tube of toothpaste?

Suddenly the death trap lurches forward and we’re off. Having my legs folded and propped up on the seat on front of me has made my legs sweat a lot. It is however my my go-to comfiest school bus position. I patented it back in ‘98 during my first season of school bus riding. A close second favorite position was sitting on the floor backwards, playing with my Beanie Babies on the seat.

Soon enough we pull into the Commons parking lot. I thank the purple-uniformed Jamaican boy who lets me off in front of him. I also thank the bald, wrinkly, slow-talking bus driver whose name I’ve decided is Harry. I like old guys. Well most of them.

I step onto GM#2 and take my seat, third from the back on the right, and assume The Position. It makes my legs sweat but there really is no better position. There are two Mexican girls across from me, one of whom has obviously discovered the Hollister store at the Sandusky Mall. She has on Hollister sunglasses, shirt, denim shorts, belt, and flip flops. Hollister Overload, muchacha. I have only set foot in that store once, back home. If I hadn’t been sent running, choked by the overwhelming bro-cologne bomb I might have stayed long enough to see more than the one rack of $20 paper-thin tank tops that looked like they’d crumble if I looked at them wrong. It’s not that I don’t like their clothes, some of them are cute, it’s just that I can’t stomach paying that much for something that will a) wear out very quickly and b) put out the message that I want people to think I’m cool for wearing this brand. That’s all you’re paying for is the damn logo. Get me a plain white tee and I’ll paint a frickin bird on it and sell it for $20. My other thing is.. If I do wear a name brand, I don’t wear everything from the store all at once so you don’t Overload.

Bus driver #2 has obviously decided to take us on the scenic route. It’s been 20 minutes and the mall is nowhere in sight. Not that I have anywhere to be, I don’t have a date with toothpaste or anything.

*later, back from Wal-Mart*

I take the first bite of my cheddar, honey mustard, and cocktail sauce sandwich. It’s less-than-delicious, but will do the job it’s intended of, which is of course to quash my insane hunger. These days I find myself eating a lot of “makeshift dinners”, partly because let’s face it I’m broke, but also because I get a small sense of excitement from inventing a new food, no matter how sad the food is. I decide next to quash my boredom and go outside. Suddenly remembering yesterday’s episode with the dollar-bill-rejecting vending machine, I tap into my “savings”, a very small piggy bank I fill with loose change. (It’s not actually a pig it’s a plastic cylinder with a slot at the top and a dollar bill decal wrapped around the outside. I stole it from my older sister who had won it in one of those middle school fundraiser contest things.) Success, I find four quarters. So I gather up my makeshift dinner, the quarters, my phone, and this notebook, and head down the sketchy metal staircase to the “lounge”. I put this in quotes because our “lounge” is really 3 picnic tables under a rickety pavilion that is probably older than both my parents combined, flanked by a water fountain and two poorly-working microwaves. Luxurious right?

While carefully walking down the aforementioned stairs, my dinner already devoured, I come across a foreign couple just casually chatting on the bottom step. As I approach them, I can tell they come from somewhere in Eastern Europe. Let’s say Czechoslovakia since it’s fun to say! (Is that even a country anymore?) Their chatter continues and they simultaneously turn their heads to look up at me. The girl gives me the ol’ elevator eyes, seemingly glancing a bit too long at the length of my pink shorts. The guy’s eyes pan down, obviously noting my bare feet. He meets and returns the girl’s look of mild disgust. I cheerfully greet them and breeze past, careful not to tread on the oil stain on the concrete that always reminded me of a pair of lungs. Once they are almost out of earshot, I let out a chuckle. People, it’s 95 degrees out and after this summer I’m 99% sure I’ll never see any of you again, not that I’d care anyway.

Suddenly noticing all three picnic tables are occupied by Skype-ing foreigners, I opt to set up shop in the grass under one of the two trees. I sit with my back against the trunk, notebook in my lap and toss my phone into the grass under my knees. 

It’s the summer before I start college and I have recently been inspired by the completion of my recommended reading. It’s the first book I’ve read of my own (suggested) will since I don’t know when. (It was recommended not required, give me at least half credit here!) I used to read A LOT as a kid but the older I get I’m finding it more and more difficult to sit and focus on one thing for too long. Oh! Here comes the mutually disgusted Czech couple! See there I go, I get distracted that quickly.

Anyway, I was talking about inspiration. I tend to become inspired by many things over the course of a day, if I allow myself to be open to inspiration. Sometimes I ignore it, sometimes I try to channel it into writing something worthwhile, sometimes I honestly don’t know what to do with it and I spend so much time trying to decide what to do that by the time I make a decision, I’ve lost the inspiration. RIght now it seems to be working for me.

Before I go any further, let me introduce myself. Hi I’m Katie. I’m 16 weeks shy of 19, 2 weeks shy of starting college, and 10 days shy of quitting my job here at Cedar Point. I don’t actually work in the park, I work at a restaurant on the beach as a food runner. Nope, not a server, just a runner. I spend between 4 and 8 hours per shift, 4 or 5 days a week running hot, heavy plates of gross food to ungrateful customers. And also performing other various tasks for other employees. If we were an honest society, my job title would be “Everyone Else’s Bitch”. But I don’t like to complain, It’s alright I guess. I mean I have no frame of reference as this is my first job, but the daily tips I get are great, and sometimes the customers are friendly? And if not, I steal fries from their plates before I bring ‘em out. Once I even took a quick dip into a guy’s BBQ sauce too. Sometimes if they are blatantly rude it gives me material for humorous Facebook posts later on. I’ll spend my shift thinking of how to word it then post when I get back to my dorm. With all the weird shit I observe on the daily, I’ve managed to become pretty damn good at turning the unfortunate into something laughable, even if just to myself. Although judging by the number of likes I get on some of my posts by the next morning I can assume they’re laughable to others too.

Suddenly my phone chimes with the reception of a new text. It’s from Chad, a decidedly very lonely blond kid from high school. “Hey ;)” I quickly reply, “Don’t bug me now.” Truth is, I’ve been struck by inspiration and I don’t want to lose it this time. That quickly goes out the window when a different pair of assumingly Eastern European girls sit down at the picnic table nearest me and begin to chat loudly in their language over a delicious-looking triple chocolate muffin and hot tea. Feeling defeated, I retrieve my phone and try to connect to the terrible wifi. Meanwhile I get another text  from Chad. “Why?” I reply, “Inspiration struck and I’m rolling with it.” knowing him and his probably lack of understanding of the creative mind, he’ll probably reply with something along the lines of “Wtf?”. We’ll have to wait & see.

While waiting, I grab up my quarters and slink over to the vending machine to get a Brisk. I remembered that, based on my extensive personal research, it’s the perfect complement to pretzel sticks, and it just so happens I have a bag of the things up in my dorm. I leave my things in the grass, and head back up, over the lung-oil stain and up the metal stairs to the sweltering hallway to room 172. The room is about ¼ the size of my bedroom at home, with dirty cracked wooden floors of extremely pale blue and an equally dirty window. It came equipped with steel bunk beds with a blue plastic-covered mattress, two mismatched 4-drawer dressers, and a yellow side table with a squeaky drawer, a lamp, and an armless, high-back wooden chair. I feel the need to note that the little lamp is about 3x brighter than the actual light on the ceiling. With my addition of mini-fridge and pink bedding it seems a bit more livable. I grab my pretzels and head back out to my tree. When I get there, I find that the muffin-sharers are still there only now across from them sits another pair of girls who are staring intently at a laptop screen, the bright light illuminating their confused faces in the darkening dusk. The muffin gals say words in their language that have a tone similar to a goodbye salutation. My guess was correct as they soon gather up their tea mugs and and rise from the table. After a bit more chatter they lean in and kiss on the lips. Interesting. 

Dusk has become night, the sunlight is now completely gone. I decide to use the light of my phone to write a bit more before heading up to sleep on my oh-so-cozy PlastiMattress™. OH! I remember to check on my Chad-versation. His reply: “Umm okay…” Ha. Toldja.

Trying to gather my next thoughts, I end up zoning out on the pop machine behind the confused laptop couple. The guy must think I’m staring at him because he looked up at me, equally as confused at me as with the laptop. Oops. I’m supposed to be invisibly people-watching. I’ve been had.

*a bit later* 

It’s still the same night, only now I’ve put on sweatpants and moved my writing sesh inside decay pavilion. My phone died while I was surfing the world wide web. The area is now inhabited by 12 other people, now 14, and approximately 6 billion little sweat flies. They seem to really like my feet. I gotta get out of here, time for bed.