A Love Stronger Than Espresso

Chapter 3

            Louis had meant to wake up early, he really had.

        But in the early morning light, buried in the warmth of his covers, somehow just a few more minutes turned to five more minutes turned to fifteen minutes turned to a half an hour until Louis was scrambling to even have time to go to the coffee shop at all.

        Cursing under his breath, Louis jerked out of bed, rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes as he rushed to get ready somewhat decently. He showered as fast as possible before throwing on his favorite striped shirt and the first pair of jeans he was able to find, fastening a pair of suspenders in place as he rushed out the door.

        Niall, already in the kitchen because of his firm belief that it’s never too early nor too late for breakfast, clapped Louis on the back encouragingly and shoved a Pop Tart in his hand as he was leaving. It was brown sugar, Louis’ favorite. Come to think of it, maybe Louis was the one who was lucky to have friends like Niall, not so much the other way around.

        But Louis didn’t have time to dwell on that. He power walked across campus, just a little faster than a speed walk but a tad slower than a mild jog, before arriving shortly at the coffee shop, just slightly out of breath.

        The bell on the door jangled its welcome as Louis entered, followed by a quick greeting from Cute-Barista Guy. He was busy making a drink for a pretty blond girl, but the fleeting smile and call of “G’morning!” was enough to make Louis beam, even if Cute-Barista Guy was no longer looking.

        Taking a place behind the blond girl to wait in line, Louis suddenly felt self conscious. Cute-Barista Guy had hardly spared him a glance, more preoccupied with the blond that was chatting animatedly at him as he made her drink. And Louis was barely presentable, though slightly more so than the day before. Surely he’d be racking up a reputation as a careless sleepyhead by now.

        Louis cringed, spying his reflection in the oven window and realizing that he did indeed look a downright mess. His hair, which he hadn’t had time to quiff or even let dry, had been styled by the breeze and was looking haphazardly windswept. Plus his suspenders, which he’d grabbed without looking too closely, clashed strikingly with the pants he had chosen. And the more he thought about it, the less sure he was that they were clean pants anyways.

        Louis refrained from crinkling his nose at his appearance, mentally scolding himself for not having gotten out of bed sooner as the blond paid for her drink and started to leave. Just as Louis was about to step forward and sheepishly order his caramel mocha, the blond girl turned around and leaned over the counter, sliding a napkin towards Cute-Barista Guy. The ten digits of her phone number had been written neatly near the corner accompanied by a large flourished heart. The blond didn’t say anything specific, but the wink she flashed at Cute-Barista Guy was enough to get the message across.

        Cute-Barista Guy didn’t even look mildly surprised, smoothly winking back and tucking the napkin in his pocket as he drawled “Thanks, love.”

        Louis had never felt more out of place in his life, and he’d been in a fair share of awkward situations. Leaving the shop or even stepping backwards seemed to make his discomfort all the more obvious, so Louis just stood where he was, a bit too close, as the entire exchange occurred.

        The blond gave a quick wave and left, coffee in hand, and Cute-Barista Guy turned to Louis, his eyes flickering in recognition. “What can I get for ya?” He asked, as if nothing had just happened.

        Louis stared stupidly at Cute-Barista Guy, realizing for the first time what a fool he was for assuming that this perfect boy in front of him had ever held the slightest interest in him. Cute-Barista Guy seemed to be quite the flirt, with a natural charm that didn’t actually lead to anything other than a bad coffee habit and a good $4.25 less in his wallet.

        “Caramel mocha please.” Louis said quietly, placing his money on the counter.

        “You got it.” Cute-Barista Guy gave him a lopsided grin, looking a little too pleased that his coffee making skills had brought Louis back for the same order. He studied Louis for a moment like he was trying to remember something, but shook his head smiling again as he picked up a cup and sharpie and asked, “Name?”

        “A-...” Louis faltered, realizing suddenly that saying ‘Andrew’ again would be practically be creating a fake identity for himself. “Erm...Aaron.” He corrected himself quickly, flashing Cute-Barista Guy a quick smile to make up for his hesitation.

        Cute-Barista Guy nodded and wrote the name on the cup, showing no signs of having noticed that Louis (aka Andrew) was now Aaron. Louis sighed as Cute-Barista Guy made him his drink, feeling simultaneously dejected that he hadn’t been worth remembering and glad that his shabby appearance had been forgotten.

        Next time, Louis told himself as Cute-Barista Guy handed him his drink along with a receipt, his change, and a bright smile. Next time he’d make an impression worth remembering.

A/N: I'm beginning to think I should have just written this as one giant one shot but oh well! Hope you guys like it! Comment and favorite maybe? It would mean the world to me ♥