Pairing: 3Racha & Felix
Genre: Coffee Shop AU
!!TW!! : mild angst, just them falling in love and eventually getting their shit together
(requested by @angelkisses0915)
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3Racha was the name of a fairly popular local coffee shop within walking distance of the university campus, meaning their early mornings and late evenings were usually the busiest times, with the tired students needed caffeine to kickstart their day or keep up their energy to work late. Lunches and afternoons were calmer, saved for the weekends.
They had a few regulars, but most of the clientele that showed up around these times were usually older people out for some socializing or workers in tailored suits rushing to order before taking off to another meeting.
(The reason behind this was pretty simple: as amazing as their coffee was, the pastries, snacks, and sandwiches also offered on the menu just weren't as good and, while they weren't downright awful, people usually found someplace else to eat their fill before coming to order a drink.)
And so, they were quite surprised when one Tuesday afternoon, a young man who could only be a student walked in and ordered a piece of strawberry shortcake with a bottle of water. He obviously wasn't from their neck of the woods if he didn't even know about their coffee.
He'd taken it to go and, when Changbin had handed him his order (Jisung was actually the one behind the counter, but he'd suffered from an episode of extreme gay panic when the guy walked in, so Changbin had to take over), he smiled and his nose scrunched up and oh my God he's so cute what the hell—
"Thank you so much! I'm sure it'll be delicious! I'll see you around!"
Lee Felix was the name he'd given when putting in his order – and boy, were Chan, Changbin, and Jisung in for one hell of a ride with that one.
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Felix came back every day for five whole weeks after that, always ordering a coffee (he'd learned since his first time) and a different pastry to go, and there was no denying the trio was kind of whipped for him already. As such, they were a bit disappointed when the cute freckled boy didn't show up one day, but they didn't mind too much, preparing themselves for the usual rush that occurred every Friday (starting from the end of the afternoon to the late evening).
They were quite confused when said rush simply... didn't happen.
"Where the hell is everyone?" asked Changbin, gawking at the literally empty room beyond the counter.
"I have no idea," sighed Jisung, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "We're going to lose a lot of stuff if this keeps up—"
"Guys, guys!" Chan suddenly burst inside, his eyes wide with palpable horror. "A new coffee opened just on the other side of the street!!!"
"What!?"
They left the reins to their one extra employee, Jeongin, and the trio promptly left their shop in order to go check it out. They were both awed and horrified by the incredible amount of costumers standing in line and patiently waiting outside the doors of a brand-new coffee shop. It was smaller than 3Racha, but it also had a cute little terrace outside, with large, colorful parasols meant to protect from sun and rain alike. All of the tables were occupied, and they didn't need to peek inside to know all seats in there were filled, too.
Two incredibly handsome men were right outside, which was probably part of the reason why they managed to attract so many people in the first place (the number of giggling girls and blushing boys was easily noticeable). One was tending to the seated costumers while the other took orders, made small talk, and answered the costumers' questions.
Getting closer, they noticed that the coffee shop was named Sunshine, and it truly seemed to fit the general atmosphere of the place. Warm tones, flowery decorations, and a heavenly, sweet smell wafting from inside and spreading all the way down the street.
And then, without warning, none other than Lee Felix stumbled out with a cute yellow apron and two full trays of little croissants.
"Thank you for being so patient, everyone!" he greeted the waiting crowd with an endearing grin. "I apologize for the wait! It shouldn't take much longer but, in the meantime, please enjoy those – on the house!"
The costumers cheered as Felix started walking down the line, handing over pastries and napkins with a giant smile stuck to his face. After about two minutes, he finally made it to the trio, and his eyes widened slightly in recognition.
"Oh, it's you!"
"Do you work here, Felix-ssi?" asked Chan, curious.
"Work here?" It was the dark-haired worker welcoming the costumers who scoffed as he walked past them. He looked both amused and annoyed. "He owns the place."
Felix flushed a bit at that. "Minho-hyung, you don't have to say it like that..."
The other man rolled his eyes, but briefly patted his head before continuing on his way back up the line to gather the costumers' trash. As soon as he was gone, Jisung turned on Felix with a bitter taste filling his mouth – betrayal.
"Is that what this was all along?" he asked, a tad angry. "You were just taking note of your future rivals until it was time to hit where it hurt? Our Friday sales completely went out the window because of you!"
Felix's smile fell a bit at that. "Ji- Jisung-ssi... I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention at all, but the shop's opening has been advertised for weeks—"
Changbin scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not your intention, right. Well, don't bother coming back – you can obviously make your own coffee."
Before Felix could reply, Changbin spun on his heels and walked away. Jisung glanced at the sign above the shop and scoffed before following after him. Chan simply stared at Felix for a moment before heaving out a sigh and going after his boyfriends, obviously having nothing to say on the matter.
Felix felt quite disheartened, but he was quickly distracted by the need to answer to the costumers and so, with a heavy heart he tried his best to hide with a cheerful smile, he got back to work.
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"They hate me."
"They don't hate you, Lix."
"You didn't hear them talk. You didn't see their looks. They hate this place and they hate me and they- they don't even want to see me again!"
"Then they're obviously assholes not worth your time. You deserve better."
Felix pouted a little. He'd been whining about the earlier incident to Minho while seeking some pity, but he should have expected he wouldn't find that from the older – Minho just wasn't the pitying type and, most importantly, he was way too protective of Felix.
"If I actually listened to what you said, then I wouldn't find anyone," he huffed.
"Good. No one's good enough for you."
Annoyed, Felix whacked his arm. As if on cue, Hyunjin walked out of the kitchens with a tired, but satisfied grin.
"Still sore about your hot boys turning on you?"
"Ah. Yes. Laugh at my misery, not like it can get any worse now that they've banned me from their shop."
"Wait, what?" Hyunjin's eyes widened a bit. "Did they really say that?"
"Well, they basically said not to bother coming back, so yeah." Felix slumped over the table, hiding his face. "I didn't mean to cause trouble for them... and now they- they actually hate me..."
Upon hearing the genuine hurt in Felix's voice, Minho's expression softened a bit. He, Hyunjin, and also Seungmin had been teasing the freckled boy a lot in the past few weeks because of his blatant crush on the "hot coffee guys" from the shop across from theirs. They didn't expect that crush to maybe develop into something more and, now that Minho realized Felix was actually feeling pained by the entire situation, there was only one thing that could be done. He reached out, grabbing Felix's hand and, when the younger looked up to meet his eyes, he grinned.
"Leave it to me, Lix."
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"Alright fuckers, listen up and listen well, 'cause I'm only going to say this once: get your heads out of your sorry asses and go apologize to Felix."
The last thing Jisung, Changbin, and Chan expected was for the handsome, dark-haired Sunshine employee to show up minutes before they opened, waltzing in like he owned the place and ultimately saying, well, exactly that.
"The hell?" blinked Jisung.
Minho (his name was written on his nametag) glared at him. "You three have acted like complete assholes and now he's hurt, so fix it."
"He's the one who played us," growled Changbin, annoyed. "Acting all cute and nice when he was planning on stealing our customers from day one. Probably trying out all of our stuff to figure out people's favorite and how to make a pretty penny off our backs—"
Minho slammed his hands down on the counter, his traits hardening, and Changbin's rant was instantly cut off.
"Felix is nothing like this," he hissed. "Sunshine's opening has been advertised all around the neighborhood for months now, and it's been his dream to open a bakery for years. He doesn't care about making money nor does he want anything to do with that stupid rivalry you're trying to instill – he's a genuinely good person, the nicest you'll ever have the chance to meet, and I swear to God, if you don't get your shit together and apologize for the way you treated him, then we will declare war on your stupid café and win. Got it?"
A tad too terrified to refute him, the pair nodded quickly and, seemingly satisfied, Minho spun on his heels and walked out of there with a dramatic flair. A few seconds later, Chan walked out of the kitchens, having apparently heard everything – guilt was written all over his face.
"Maybe... maybe we should have a talk with Felix," he suggested softly.
His boyfriends let out matching sighs but nodded in agreement. Maybe they'd gotten just a tad too carried away the last time they met but, hopefully, they'd be able to make things right with the freckled boy.
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When they showed up a few minutes after Sunshine closed for the day, they were greeted by Felix's bright smile as he eagerly opened the door for them.
"I didn't think you guys would come here! I totally thought you hated me!"
He was laughing as he said that, but none of them missed the slight strain in his voice and the awkward shifting of his eyes, and it only made them feel worse as they realized that this was the person they'd basically accused of trying to take down their own shop.
"I'm sorry for how I acted the other day, Felix-ssi." Jisung looked down. "I was just surprised, and a bit upset, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you."
"And I'm sorry for the stuff I said," added Changbin, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know you're not that kind of person. And I- I don't hate you – I doubt anyone could, really."
"And I'm sorry for not reigning those two idiots in," completed Chan, slinging an arm around each of his boyfriends. "I shouldn't have just walked away like that, or encouraged that kind of behavior."
"It- it's—well, it's not okay, but I'm glad we've worked this out," admitted Felix, his smile softening a bit. "Why don't you take a seat? It was a slow day today; we still have some stuff in stock if you're feeling up for a snack?"
"I'd love to," instantly agreed Jisung. "It smells heavenly in here!"
Felix laughed at that, and their hearts almost instantly melted.
Maybe... maybe they were just a bit further gone for the freckled boy than they first thought.
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It didn't take long for Felix and the boys to grow closer. They started a routine of Felix delivering some baked goodies for them in the mornings in exchange for some coffee and, in the evenings, Changbin, Jisung, and Chan would head over to Sunshine to grab some late dinner with the freckled boy.
It was with great relief that they found out Felix wasn't actually dating any of the people he worked with. Minho was so protective of him because he was actually his stepbrother, and the older was also dating Hyunjin. And, after meeting Seungmin (one of Sunshine's managers, and Felix's best friend), they were quick to invite Jeongin to tag along, knowing the two would get along.
Before they knew it, they started inviting Felix to hang out with them outside of their workplaces. What were supposed to be dates between the three of them turned into outings with Felix and, when they did happen to go out just the three of them, they couldn't help but feel like something was missing.
Or rather, someone.
"He's so cute, guys," groaned Jisung, flopping on the couch. "How can anyone be this adorable? It should be illegal!"
"Not that he isn't always cute, but what's making you say that now?" asked curiously Chan.
"He just texted me a picture of a plushie he found at the sore and said he bought it because it reminded him of me!"
Changbin took a look at said picture and chuckled. "Well, he's not wrong."
"I can't stand this anymore," sighed Jisung. "Why can't we just ask him out properly?"
"We've already talked about this, Ji," replied Chan, offering him an apologetic smile. "It's too soon, and a polyamorous relationship isn't easy to navigate. We've known each other for years, but what about him? We need to ensure he feels safe and confident in his current relationship with us before we try to push it further, or it just won't work."
"I know, I know... I just wish I could kiss all of his freckles without it being weird!"
"It'd still be weird," deadpanned Changbin.
"It would not. It would be an adorably sweet and romantic display of affection."
"Well, why don't you go and kiss Chan's dimples, then?"
"No, that's weird!"
"What's the difference!?"
Chan heaved out a small sigh as his boyfriends started playfully bickering. They'd always been on the same wavelength, and Felix's sudden appearance in their lives hadn't changed that – if anything, it only strengthened it. The moment they realized they were falling for him, they'd gathered together to properly talk it out and figure out what exactly they wanted to do with those blooming feelings.
It was impossible to not love Felix, and none of them even doubted that, with just a little bit more time, their feelings would grow beyond a simple crush. They were falling, and falling hard, but the last thing Chan wanted was to drag Felix down with them when he simply wasn't ready for it.
More time, he told himself, getting back to work on the shop's finances. Slow is good. If we take this slow, then things will surely turn out for the better.
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"Ugh, this is taking forever!"
"Then tell them how you feel."
"What? I can't do that!" protested Felix, picking up a pillow and hugging it. "The three of them are already in a relationship. What if they haven't asked because they aren't actually interested? I mean, three is already a lot, so four—"
"Lix, sweetheart, those boys are completely gone for you," assured Hyunjin, patting his head as he walked past the couch to go sit with his boyfriend. "Take it from someone who's had your brother pinning after him for years—"
"You're the oblivious one who never realized I was taking you out on dates for a whole fricking year!" protested Minho.
"—they're head over heels for you," completed Hyunjin with a grin, plopping down on Minho's lap. "If there's one thing holding them back, it's probably exactly what you're worried about: three is already a lot."
"Then—"
"A lot for you, dumbass," sighed Minho, wrapping his arms around Hyunjin's waist. "They don't want to scare you off, Lix. They've been together for a while, they've already worked out their dynamics, what works and what doesn't... Trying to fit in someone new won't be easy, but you're the one who's going to take the brunt of it. They're just trying to take it slow so you don't get hurt."
Felix pouted a bit, lowering his eyes. "That, or they just don't see me that way. I mean, I can't blame them, they're great and I'm just, you know, me, and it's my fault for falling for them because it's one thing to fall in love with three different people, but falling in love with three different people who're already in a relationship?" He let out a dry laugh. "Fuck, my heart really did me dirty on that one. I never stood a chance, did I?"
Hyunjin's growing frown matched Minho's as they listened to Felix ramble. The freckled boy had always had some serious insecurities – mostly abandonment issues stemming from when his mother basically cut all ties with him and shipped him off to Korea to live with his father and his stepmother when he was young – and, no matter how they or his friends tried, they just never managed to make him realize just how amazing he actually was.
Though, hopefully, Felix had just found three new people who'd surely be a lot more successful with that process. Now, it was just a matter of getting them to make their move so their precious sunshine boy could finally find the happiness he deserved.
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The door jingled, and none other than Felix walked in. Jisung was surprised because the freckled boy rarely even came in after closing shop.
"Lix? What're you doing here?"
The freckled boy quirked a brow, the door closing behind him as he walked up to the counter with palpable confusion written over his face.
"Jeongin told me to come over...? He said you wanted to talk to me and that it was urgent."
"What? No, we didn't—"
The distinct sound of a lock clicking into place made them jump, and they barely had the time to make out Jeongin's shadow taking off down the street before they realized what had just happened. Growing more and more confused, Felix tried to open the door, but failed.
"He locked it. Why did he lock us in?"
"What is he doing... Changbin!!! Check if the backdoor's locked!!!"
"What?" Changbin's voice came from somewhere in the kitchen. "Why would the backdoor be locked!? It's not—" There was a moment of silence. "Why is the backdoor locked!?"
"Damn it, why is everyone yelling?" snapped Chan, walking in. "Why—oh, hi Felix. What're you doing here?"
"That's what I'd like to know," huffed the freckled boy, crossing his arms over his chest. "Jeongin texted me saying you guys wanted to talk and that it couldn't wait and, next thing I know, I'm locked in with all of you."
"Locked in?"
"That little rat locked the doors from the outside – we can't get out," answered Jisung.
"What about closing your place, Lix?" asked Changbin, also joining them.
"Oh, it's okay, Minho and Hyunjin volunteered to cover... it..." He facepalmed, groaning loudly. "Of course they're behind this. As if those two would ever volunteer to close by themselves!"
As if on cue, all four of their phones chimed, signaling the arrival of new messages. Quickly checking them out, they finally realized what this was all about.
[3Racha Official Chat]
|Innie| This is your chance, guys! Don't fuck this up or Minho will kill you, and we've already talked about the best way to get rid of bodies so I don't think he was entirely joking about that... Anyway, good luck!
[Cats Do It Better]
|Best Bro| There you go. You're not getting out until you've sorted your shit out. Just text me once you're done, with picture proof so I know it actually happened.
Felix flushed a deep red as he realized he'd basically been caught in a dumb matchmaking scheme, and basically all of his friends were behind it. While he appreciated how supportive they were, he certainly didn't enjoy being basically forced into confessing – even less so when he genuinely didn't know how the others felt about him.
On the other side of the room, Chan, Changbin, and Jisung weren't faring any better. They were now being given the perfect opportunity to confess, but how were they even supposed to go about it? Were they even ready? Did Felix even feel the same way they did?
The tension in the room became almost suffocating as no one dared to speak up, unsure of what to say. After a minute or so, however, Felix was the first to cave in. With a deep sigh, he went to sit at the counter and started drawing mindless patterns over it with his finger.
"I'm sorry, guys. This is my fault."
"What is? Us getting locked in?" asked Jisung, confused, as he went to sit beside him.
"Yeah... It's just..." Felix let out a shuddering breath, before deciding to finally go for it. "I've been whining to my brother and my friends about liking you three for a long time now, and I guess they just got sick of it and finally decided to do something about it. I'm really sorry for the trouble, I didn't think this would happen, and I swear you don't have to say anything back, I know it's stupid and we can just forget this even happened and—"
"Lixie, sweetheart, breathe," cut Changbin, grabbing his hand as he leaned over the counter, in front of Felix.
"I- I'm sorry—!"
"You like us?" whispered Jisung, awestruck. "Like, actually like us? As in, you'd like to date us and kiss and stuff?"
Felix looked down, his ears burning with shame, but then Jisung let out a loud 'WHOOP' and jumped to his feet, pulling Felix into a back hug and almost making him fall from the stool he was sitting on.
"This is amazing!" laughed Jisung, overjoyed.
"Ji, you're scaring him," sweatdroped Chan, coming to stand beside them.
"I- I don't understand," let out Felix, his voice trembling a bit as he looked up at the oldest. "What are you guys saying...?"
Chan offered him a smile, instinctively reaching out to cradle Felix's cheek, his thumb swiping over a cluster of freckles.
"We like you too, Lix," he softly replied. "A lot. We just figured it'd be better to wait before telling you – we didn't want to scare you off or something like that."
Felix let out a groan, hiding his face in his hands. "So Minho-hyung was right..."
"This is great!" beamed Jisung, wrapping his arms around Felix's waist and hooking his chin on the boy's shoulder. "Lix, Lixie, star of my universe, light of my life, the sunshine to my rainy days—"
"Oh my God, stop!!!"
"—will you go on a date with us?" completed Jisung, grinning from ear to ear as he noticed the deepening blush despite Felix trying to hide it.
Felix couldn't describe what he was feeling in that moment. Awe, relief, fondness, embarrassment... He liked them, and they liked him back, and the mix of joy and fear that resulted from it made him a bit lightheaded.
"Yeah," he whispered, finally pulling his hands away to offer them his brightest smile as of yet. "I'd- I'd love to go on a date with you."
Jisung cheered yet again, completely pulling Felix off the stool to pull him into a proper hug this time around and, at first startled, Felix then eagerly hugged him back, hiding his face in Jisung's chest. A moment later, Chan and Changbin also joined them. Felix felt warm, and safe, and happy. They smelled like freshly brewed coffee and he knew there and then that, before long, they would smell like home, too.
(Minho later on received a picture of Jisung stubbornly kissing each of Felix's freckles, the heavy blush the younger sported making them stand out even more, and the smile sticking to his lips unmistakable.
Minho pretended to gag upon seeing it, but Hyunjin knew his boyfriend better than that, and he didn't miss the slight upturn of his lips nor the fondness in his eyes as he secretly saved the picture on his phone.)