Arrows and Bullets | McHanzo Oneshots

Caffeine And Scribbles

Barista AU

•~•

Hanzo can't survive a day without a cup of coffee. He can, however, go without the insults written on them in black sharpie.

Every morning at four a.m, he's one of the first people to walk into the local college coffee shop. Since he's still pretty groggy, he tends to snap at people and say things without thinking. And that is exactly how he ended up becoming enemies with one of the baristas, Jesse McCree.

Now, Jesse is a rather friendly guy. He's very bubbly, and he usually handles insults well. But considering one of the first things he said to the Shimada was, "Aren't you a tall glass of water on a hot summer's day?" and he replied with, "Flattering, coming from someone who's so thirsty he's probably never had a glass of water since he was twelve," it kind of ticked him off.

And now, the two held an unspoken grudge against each other. Hanzo because he was too tired to think straight, and McCree because the Asian was devilishly good-looking and a pain to flirt with. Not to mention most of their arguments consisted of witty comebacks and shut-down compliments.

Eventually, it got to the point where the cowboy started writing half-hearted insults on the cups. The first time around, it just pissed the ravenet off more. But eventually, it became a reoccurring thing, writing snarky comments on cups and seeing the other smirk or get irritated by it. It was the highlight of his day, although he'd never tell a soul that.

After a while, the barista decided to change his insults into backhanded compliments. The look on the college student's face as he read the message over and over again was so amusing to him. There were times where Hanzo read too much into the compliments and it'd send both of them reeling. One of those days stood out like no other, mainly because of the subtle desperateness in the situation.

It started out like any other day, with Jesse taking orders from half-asleep custumers. Out of habit, he'd always glance up when the bell above the door chimed. He wasn't surprised that one time went it rang and he looked up, he caught slight of a messy black man bun, belonging to an irritated Asian. He couldn't help but smirk when they locked eyes.

When he made it up to the counter, McCree found himself leaning on the counter. "Mornin', coffee bean. Lookin' tired as always."

He grumbled at the statement and cut his eyes at the brunet. "Hello, Jesse. I see you're too cheery for your own good. Did you finally get some dick?"

"'Course not. In fact, you're the first dick I've ran into all day."

He lets out a growl and looks away. "Whatever. I'll have the usual."

"A Venti Chai Tea Latte?"

"Correct."

"At yer service," the southerner purred, faking a curtsy. He heard Hanzo snicker as he turned around to make his drink. It didn't take long, and soon enough he was writing a message on the cup. Not putting much thought into it, he wrote, "You have beautiful eyes. The contacts you buy must be expensive!"

He tapped the sharpie cap against the counter twice, hearing it click shut. He then went back to the counter. "Venti Chai Tea Latte for Hanzo," he called out, making sure his hand covered the message.

The ravenet made his way over, a twenty dollar bill in hand. He took the latte with a quiet "Thank you" and paid. Jesse hummed in response and went back to work. Thankfully, he managed to catch the other's reaction.

Hanzo looked shocked by the message, trying to figure out what the hell it meant. It was a backhanded compliment, sure, but he desperately wanted it to mean something else. Something... Romantic. He'd been doing this for the past month or so now, reading too deeply into the insults until they were meaningless. Today was no exception to that.

While he was drinking his latte, something finally hit him. He glanced over at McCree, seeing he wasn't busy. Without thinking, he went back up to the counter.

"Jesse."

He brunet glanced over at him and blinked. "Back again, I see..." He rested a hand on his hip. "Whaddya need, darlin'?"

He bit his lip, not knowing how to ask the question. After a moment, he blurted out, "Have you been hitting on me?"

It fell quiet for a moment. A few seconds later, the barista bursted into laughter. The Shimada watched him in surprise and confusion.

Jesse wiped a tear away, trying to suppress his giggles. "Really, Han? Did ya just now notice?"

His eyes widened. "Well I-"

"I hit on you the first day," he breathed, leaning on the counter. "And you're jus' now gettin' the hint?"

He swallowed. "Well, I just assumed-"

"What? That I was fuckin' with you?" He was still laughing in between sentences. "Honey, I know a good-lookin' man when I see one." The southerner rested his chin in his hand. "And you, Hanzo, are a tall glass of water on a hot summer's day."

The sudden realization of that sentence hit him hard and for the first time since they'd met, Hanzo blushed. With a frustrated groan, he turned to walk out of the store. "Quit laughing and I might take you out on a date."

"Sorry, sorry - wait, really?" McCree glanced over at him and stopped laughing. He had a curious look on his face.

The Asian hummed in response and tossed his cup in the trash. "When does your shift end?"

It took him a moment to respond. "Ten in the mornin'... Are you really gonna take me out for a date?"

The college student looked over his shoulder at him. "Of course. You didn't think I'd just ask of you were flirting with me and leave, did you?"

Jesse couldn't help but grin. "Well then! I'll see ya at ten?"

Hanzo pushed the door open with a smirk. "See you then, cowboy..."