Arrows and Bullets | McHanzo Oneshots

Study Break

It's a proven fact that bookstores and coffee shops go well together. The smell of grounded coffee beans and new books was enough to soothe even the most troubled souls.

Specifically, Hanzo Shimada's soul.

He was going through an extremely stressful time in his life. His brother was being a rebellious twat, and his GPA was starting to slip. It didn't help that his finals were coming up, either.

The Asian had decided that he should start studying about two hours ago. Those two hours had been spent at the local bookstore, just trying to find books on his subjects. A tired glance at his watch told him it was almost three hours instead three hours now. With an exhausted sigh, he stumbled towards the built-in coffee shop. The caffeine inside it was calling to him, promising him that jolt of energy that would get him back on track. He made his way up to the counter, his order already in mind.

The barista who came to his aid made him forget it, though.

The man had wild, fluffy brown hair that swooped down in front of his black rimmed glasses. Although he was clearly younger than Hanzo, those glasses made the man look much more mature that him. The ravenet was starting to feel self-conscious of his blue framed reading glasses.

The barista flashed him a smile, his eyes matching the mocha he was making. "Welcome t' A Thousand Words Coffeehouse, what can I get ya?"

The Shimada's voice had evaporated. He opened his mouth to order, but the words wouldn't come out. While he was trying to find the courage to speak, the brunet peered at a receipt on the counter. "Mocha for Lena?"

"Right here!" an English accent was heard across the room. A moment later, the woman was up front, grabbing her drink. "Thanks, Jesse."

"Anytime, doll," Jesse purred, making his way over to Hanzo. That warm smile was still on his face, and the college student could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks.

"Sorry 'bout that." The southerner leaned against the counter, his brown hair swaying. "Y'ready to order?"

His voice came back to him, and the words tumbled out like waves. "Can I get a vanilla cappuccino and possibly your help finding a book?"

The cowboy blinked, surprise and amusement on his face. His mouth was twitching into a smirk. "Well damn. Didn't expect a cutie like you t' be so forward."

His face was bright red. "I didn't mean it like that! It's just - I've been in here three hours now and I can't find the right book to study from."

The barista hummed in acknowledgement, already at the register. "I'm jus' messin' with you, sugar. Well, not about the cute part." Before the Asian could get flustered, he asked, "Name?"

"Hanzo."

Jesse perked up, looking intrigued. "Hanzo? That's a new one..."

Rolling his eyes, the ravenet handed him the money. "Yeah, yeah... You're not that bad looking yourself."

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

Hanzo couldn't help but mentally compare him a puppy. "Really," he said with a smile.

The brunet grinned and went to work on his drink. "I go on break in ten. I can help ya look then. What subject is it?"

"Experimental Psychology."

He let out a low whistle. "I don't know much about it, but I can try."

The Shimada gave him a playful look. "Really? I thought all nerds knew a bit about psychology."

Jesse chuckled quietly. "I may look like a nerd..." he murmured, slipping of his glasses. He glanced up at Hanzo and smirked. "But I'm far from it, darlin'."

If he hadn't known any better, the student might have swooned.

And, sadly, he didn't know any better.