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When Mike said he wanted to check the coffee shop Dustin and Lucas had found, he didn’t think he would see it at what felt like the crack of dawn.
“Why do we have to be here so early?” Mike asked as they got out of the curly-haired man’s car.
“Cause this was the only time this week that all three of us could go together,” Dustin explained while walking inside the establishment. Mike followed, responding with a groan mixed with a yawn.
His eyes let him take in the place. The coffee shop, The Upside Down, had a cozy atmosphere, with the smell of chocolate and cinnamon in the air, and the plants potted in each corner. But Halloween was tonight, and it shows. The beige walls were decorated with pumpkins and skeletons, the black cat and ghost cookies in the glass cases, and the creepy skeleton near the entrance. Nobody seemed to be at the counter. It was way too early for this.
Mike quickly sees Lucas at one of the tables in the center, and walks over to sit next to him. “Hey, Lucas,” he yawns.
Lucas gives Mike a once-over before raising an eyebrow at Dustin, “Did you drag him out of his bed all the way here?”
“No,” Dustin deadpanned , “but you’d think that if you had to listen to him complaining the whole ride here.”
“You woke me up at dawn.”
“You stayed up till 1 for the third night in the row. When I told you we were coming here today.”
“Excuse me?” a soft voice heard through the bickering.
All three of them looked up, and saw that one of the baristas had finally arrived and walked over to where they were sitting. When Mike made eye contact with him, he felt himself blush. The boy (Will, according to his name tag) seemed to be around their age. He had hazel green eyes, chestnut hair in the style of a bowl cut, and a smile that was brighter than the sun. Mike couldn’t stop staring.
That bright smile seems to be moving. “Welcome to the Upside Down! What can I get you three today?”
Lucas went first. “I’ll get a mocha cookie crumble frappuccino.”
Then Dustin. “Pumpkin cream cold brew.”
Will nodded as he wrote their orders down on his notepad. He turned over to Mike and asked, “And for you?”
Mike blinked, as if he were waking up again. He looked at the chalkboard, and picked the first one he saw. “Uhh…” he said intelligently, “Espresso.”
Will smiled at him while he took down the request. “One espresso, mocha cookie crumble frappuccino, and a pumpkin cream cold brew.”
He was flashing that smile again. The air was starting to feel very hot. Mike felt like the world around them disappeared and it was only the two of them.
He must have missed what he asked next because as soon as he blinked, the brown haired boy was back behind the counter.
“Be right with you.” Soon after, Will began to brew their coffees.
Mike ogled at the cute boy for what seemed like days, before realizing that he probably looks a total creep for looking this long. He turned back to his friends, only to see both of them wearing a smug grin on their faces.
Mike furrows his eyebrows. “What?”
Dustin decides to speak first. “You were totally checking out that cute barista!”
Mike’s eyes widened as his cheeks began to blush red again. “Shh! Tell the whole world, why don’t you?” he whispers while covering Dustin’s mouth with his hand.
Dustin takes Mike’s hand off as he responds back, “I wouldn't need to with the way you’re gawking at him. You couldn’t be more obvious.”
To his right, Lucas is trying, and almost failing, to keep his laughter in. “You were staring at him the whole time he was asking our orders. He was probably weirded out by the lack of response from you when he asked your name.”
Well, shit.
Not only did Mike act like a total creep, but now he probably looks like a socially awkward freak who didn’t know how to interact with people.
In all honesty, that might not be too far off from the truth.
His face must be permanently red at this point. “You did say my name for me, right?”
Dustin and Lucas shared a look. They both had a mischievous look in their eyes. That only seemed to make Mike's anxiety grow. “Well,” Lucas spoke, “we gave him a name.”
What did that mean?
“Mocha cookie crumble frappuccino for Lucas, pumpkin cream cold brew for Dustin, and espresso for Mikhail!”
Oh, fuck.
There goes the last of his dignity for the day.
That seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, because as soon as Will call out their order, Lucas and Dustin both broke into, embarrassing loud, laughter.
Mike must look like a tomato at this point, he thought as he walked up with the group’s shared money to go get their drinks, more than willing to separate himself from the rioting duo.
When he got to the counter, he met the hazel-green eyes of the cute barista again, who seemed to have a hint of amusement. Will gave Mike a tray of drinks along with some napkins. ”That will be $12.35.”
That bright smile. Mike thinks that it will be the death of him.
After a brief head shake, Mike paid for the drinks and sat back at the table. He placed the drinks carefully on the table, and gave a glare to his table partners as their laughter, finally, began to disperse. Well, Lucas’s was.
“Really?”
Lucas wiped the tears from his eyes. “That made my morning.”
Dustin was still giggling while gripping Mike’s shoulder. “At least you can’t say he doesn’t know you.”
Mike groaned embarrassed, tempted to head against the table, but forced himself not to in order not humiliate himself more than he already is.
20 minutes later, the boys finished their meal, cleaning up as they discussed the movie they are going to see later. Mike was about to grab the dirty napkins, intending to throw them away, when he noticed that one of them had something written on it.
He picks it, and reads…
NIce to meet you too, Mikhail. Text me when you can XXX-XXX-XXXX
Will ❤️
P.S. I think you’re cute too
Mike blushed for what seemed like the hundredth time this morning. He looks over at the counter, and sees Will shyly looking at him with a pink blush. Before he could respond, Dustin bellowed out, “Let’s go Mikhail!”
Mike gave him the finger before looking back at Will and giving him a wink. That wonderful smile seemed to get even brighter.
The dark-haired boy walked to the door before looking at the barista. “By the way, my name’s Mike.”
Will chuckled before saying, “Yeah, I figured. Happy Halloween.”
Mike gave a small wave and a bright smile of his own. “Happy Halloween.”
He leaves the Upside Down, feeling glad that he woke up at the crack of dawn.