Boboiboy Oneshots

c o r t a r

Prompt: The intimacy of knowing just how someone likes their tea/coffee

The first time Angin heard about Tanah's preference in coffee was one lazy afternoon, around 5pm.

He was by the Kokotiam scribbling on a notebook the recipe to a cake he had wanted to try to make and only found time today. His fellow troublemakers were in a park, Daun somehow having convinced Cahaya to tag along. Angin stifled a giggle; no doubt Cahaya would come home in a pile of tired limbs. The three of them tended to be rough when hyper.

Tanah was just a few seats away from him, playing a game on his phone. Petir was manning the counter today as Air and Ochobot accompanied Tok for some ingredients. It was a slow hour as night was coming so all three of them had free time.

He looked up from Cahaya's tablet just in time to see Petir place a mug by Tanah. When Angin angled himself better to see the liquid (he couldn't help peeking, okay?) it was something dark like hot chocolate.

Tanah hummed and glanced at the liquid inside. Without even a taste-test he stated, "There's roughly an ounce of espresso missing."

Without a word, Petir took the mug and went about modifying it to his brother's liking.

"Whoa what was that?!" Angin couldn't help but explain, absolutely boggled at what took place. He gestured to his two brothers repeatedly, Petir only chuckling as he went to work. Tanah looked confused, as if just looking at a cup of coffee and stating what went wrong was super totally normal. In Angin's book, that was weird.

"What was what?"

"You didn't even taste it, Tanah. How could you know exactly what was wrong with it by just looking at it? That's not normal. At least not in my book."

The earth elemental rubbed his nape and explained, "There's a specific way I like my coffee. Ehehe... I know it's weird and people may think I'm fussy but it's how I am. I get grumpy when my coffee isn't done the way I like it."

Well that was an explanation. But it somehow wasn't enough to Angin.

"You better start accepting that," Petir said as he came back with the same mug. He adjusted his apron and looked straight at him. "Trust me, you don't wanna see Tanah when his coffee ain't right."

Tanah laughed and pulled the mug closer.

"Don't give him unnecessary fright."

He gave a long inhale of the scent, Angin watching with fascination as the expression morphed into something pleasant. Again, he didn't taste it but Tanah turned to Petir with a grateful smile and uttered, "Thank you."

"No problem."

And how did Petir somehow become involved in this whole... thing?

Did something bad happen that he wasn't aware of? What's more... Petir acted like this was such a totally normal thing. Angin was confused now more than ever. Like, he merely complied with Tanah's request and didn't complain or anything.

Sure, no one dared to be cross with Tanah but this was still on another level that Angin just had to tug the eldest aside and say in a whispered hiss, "Is that really our mama? Who becomes so specific with something simple as coffee? Petir, please tell me this is a joke."

He only raised a brow and rolled his eyes.

"It's not something I expected from someone like Tanah yes but if he wants something then the least I could do is to fulfill that. So stop acting like this is the weirdest thing you've seen. You petted a mummified fox for cryin' out loud."