Heartstopper Inktober 2K24

11 - Snacks (CoffeeShop!AU)

"Just got a call from Issac, rugby team is on it's way." Darcy panted as they skidded into the door of the cafe like a bat out of hell, their mullet almost resembling that of a rooster comb as everyone turned to look. "They won the championship - we need everyone on point."

Thankfully, unlike when he was a teenager, Charlie was prepared for this. "Got it. Elle and Tara are in the kitchen, Tao and you are serving, Imogen and Sahar on the counter, me and Isaac when he gets back on drinks."

"He's already texted me that he's coming down the street-" Darcy started, but was cut off when said person dashed though, a stack of milk crates almost toppling over out of his arms and supplies including snacks in grocery bags almost flying out as he barged through to the kitchen. "T minus 5 minutes!"

"Shit." Charlie catches an apron thrown his way from Elle as he leaps around the counter to get the coffee machines in a working state. They were only a really small cafe in a really large university, so when big things happened like the rugby championship, they were usually the first hit, followed by some of the bars in the area later on in the night.

To not be prepared would be a disaster and Charlie as /not/ up for panic attack number 26 this week. Of course, that wasn't helped when Isaac breezed in beside him with a smirk playing on his lips. "Saw your boy crush while I was running for my life, looks like he got a black eye during the match. You should offer to take care of him."

Charlie glared up at him, red cheeks as hot as the steam coming out of the machines as they started doing their jobs, trying to get cups at the ready. "I do not have a boy crush on the captain of the Leeds Uni rugby team."

"No, he doesn't!" Tao yelled from the kitchen, making them turn their heads. "He's just planning the wedding!"

"Fuck off!" Charlie groaned to the laughter coming from the kitchen and from his side as he turned back to make sure everything was ready. Sometimes he hated being the manager of this place and his friends. He swears that he's gotten more teasing then when they were in high school 4 hours back down the coast and he came out at 15, but he knows it's not like the bullying.

Gods, nothing like the bullying.

He would have traded more insults and defended himself for the rest of their shift, but the sudden thundering of footsteps and increased levels of noise caught their attention and distracted them away from the current conversion. "Right. Everyone get ready."

"Do you need five minutes to make sure you don't swoon when the rugby boy walks in all sweaty and dirty?"

"Tao, I swear, I will garrotte you with a tea towel and both Elle and the police will never find your body."

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It was madness, as expected. Parents, kids, rugby lads - Charlie wasn't sure how they had lasted this long. They were run off their feet within the first 30 minutes of attempting to serve everyone, but so far, there hasn't been too many fuck ups yet.

Of course, they would be more further into getting orders out if that fucking rugby captain would STOP LOOKING AT HIM.

Okay, so he wasn't exactly mad that the guy was looking at him. They had known each other for 3 years and despite never knowing his name, they seemed to just..click? Somehow.

No, it just sucked as he just kept getting lost in his eyes, the blue in his eyes continuing to make him burn his hands on coffees more often than not. This was clearly getting on everyone's nerves, as suddenly without warning, Tao pulls him from behind the counter and stuffs a tray into his arms before he can protest, pushing him towards the table. "You're killing us, Charlie. My stomach can only take so much more."

"But-" He can't even get the word out before he's already halfway across the room and he's lost the counter in the crowd he finds himself wading through. Christ, fine. Fine. Guess he was actually doing this.

...Well, that was the plan, until someone completely tripped him. Most likely a little kid or something. He had no idea. The tray flew, Charlie also flew and while the drinks ended up splattering the window, Charlie ended up in the lap of some unsuspecting patron.

A very familiar, very distracting lap. "Oh my god, are you alright?"

Please, just kill him now.

Charlie's face floods in shame as he looks up to see the captain he's been thirsting over (shut up), black eye and all, hovering above him while Charlie's body sits comfortably in his lap.

"Oh god, sorry. Sorry." He quickly scrambled up, trying his best not to look, but the rugby captain grabbed his hand. Okay, nope, he may die now. "No, no, you're fine. Seriously, are you okay? Looked like a bad fall."

"My friends would say that me falling for you was worse."

Jesus Christ. Charlie clapped a hand over his mouth as the captain's mouth parted, before he scrambled to get away from him and clean up his mess. He could have sworn he heard "holy shit Nick!" as he took off, but he didn't really know, even if it stuck with him. Nick. Nick.

Turns out he didn't have to stay in mystery for long, as when he gets back to the kitchen, there's a napkin waiting for him, with a phone number and a name (Nick, as heard) as well as a message.

"I fell for you too (why do you think I got a black eye?), please call me?"

(He does more that just call, but no one needs to know that.)