Stronger than Espresso (Liam Payne x Lin Manuel Miranda Oneshot)

Stronger than Espresso

A/N: I do not own Liam Payne or Lin Manuel Miranda. Please don't repost this without my permission and enjoy the story 🥴

The first thing Liam noticed when he took his seat at the local coffee shop 'Espresso Grinding' was the new employee. Deep brown hair and eyes like a shot of espresso, he noticed the way the man bit his lip in concentration, and the profound hunger visible in his eyes. A lust, a desire for knowledge in any possible shape or form. Whether it be how to make one of the twelve drinks on the menu, or simply the names of the regular customers.

The second thing Liam noticed  was the way he moved around the coffee shop. Sashaying between the counters and weaving his way between different steel machines, he seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing- despite being a new employee. It clearly had not been his first job in the business of coffee making, and he had a feeling it would not be his last.

The third thing Liam noticed was just how handsome he was; his dark hair was slicked back on his head, his brown tired eyes burning with determination to learn everything. His style was intriguing, if not eccentric as well; white t-shirt tucked into jeans, the strap of what appeared to be a tank top of some sort patterned with a cartoon girl with blue pigtails peaking from underneath his shirt, a green apron over his clothes. Unintentionally staring with a gaze that could only be described as burning, the new employee turned towards him and their eyes met. Liam turned quickly, not before catching a glimpse of his name-tag.

"Lin," he thought. "A unique name for a unique guy, I suppose.." he chuckled under his breath. Now was the time to focus. His record company was practically breathing down his neck, requiring for him to breathe life into a new piece of music in an unfathomably short amount of time; one that he had not yet even written. Taking a deep breath in and another out, Liam turned back to his music. For once, though, he was finding himself struggling for inspiration. He knew how he wanted the melody to sound, and yet the lyrics were escaping him.

The first thing Lin had noticed when he met the piercing gaze of who he originally thought was another regular customer was the customer himself. Piercing dark eyes that felt like they could entrap you for good and close-cropped hair that suited his strong jawline. The arms under his dark t-shirt covered in beautiful ink, each design with a different story and meaning. Lin had always liked to try and figure out the meaning behind different tattoos people had; those with bass and treble clefs on their necks he would later see performing at local restaurants. A message in Latin meaning 'never quit fighting' on a veteran. QR codes that turned out to lead to audio recordings from dead relatives, often saying 'i love you' or something of a similar sentiment. It was like a game to him, he had enjoyed playing since childhood.

The second thing he noticed was just how intense the man was. Eyes studying him like he was simply a rabbit, and the man a fox peering over him. Lin found himself flooding with relief as the man turned his focus back to the laptop in front of him, and yet, could sense brief disappointment inside of him as well. Continuing to study the man, he could see a familiar look in his eyes as he studied the laptop in front of him; a look Lin knew all too well. A glare exposing ambitiousness and a raw desire to take his abilities to their very limits; Lin saw that look every time he looked in a mirror. Taking a deep breath to focus himself, Lin turned back to his job; his co-worker Daveed handing him a freshly crafted caramel macchiatto.

"Iced caramel macchiato for Liam!" the very man who had consumed his recent thoughts called out, breaking Liam's musical trance. Liam stood up, pulling his wallet from his pocket and taking out the six exact dollars needed for the drink.

Lin could feel both excitement and fear taking over him as the tall man walked towards him. Hoping he did not look too nervous, he held the drink out to the man and cleared his throat. "That's gonna be $5.00 exactly sir." Liam said nothing, continuing to look at him as he pulled the money from his pocket.

"Keep the extra," Liam murmured. Lin could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks as he heard the customers husky voice, tinged with a British accent. Realizing Lin was not going to say anything, Liam decided to speak first. "So, you new here?"

"Well, yes, I was hired last Thursday- I ended up catching a nasty cold though, so I could not start until today. You see I-" Liam stared at the rambling mess in front of him, a smirk playing onto his lips.

"I'm Liam." he murmured, cutting Lin off effectively. "I'm a regular, so you will be seeing me quite a lot here. Might as well introduce myself." Liam held his hand out to shake, which Lin rapidly returned.

"Call me Lin," the barista mumbled, hoping the tips of his ears weren't turning as bright a shade of red as they typically would in a scenario like this.

"Wow- your grip is quite strong," Lin mumbled under his breath, half hoping the man across the from him wouldn't have heard. Liam chuckled sheepishly.

"Ah, my bad- lets be honest though, I'm probably stronger than the espresso sold here- no offence, of course." Lin tried to hide the sheepish smile threatening to peak out in case this happened to be a test from his new boss- a scary guy named Simon. Despite their drinks being known for their rich flavors, the espresso used in them was pretty watered down and often led to no effect- which led to more complaints. Their ratio of water to grounds used too much water- not that he would tell his boss this, of course. While the complaints were annoying, he was hoping to save up enough to open up his own coffeehouse- and the less competition he had, the better. Liam's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I have to go back to working on my music now; the chat was quite nice, though. I hope we can speak again soon." Liam finished with a smirk. Giving Lin no time to process this and respond, he turned on his heel and walked back to his corner table. Liam had found himself struck with a sudden inspiration.

An hour later, Lin noticed Liam had already left. He had found himself so engrossed in his work he had not checked on the man in a while. Feeling the familiar ting of disappointment in his chest, he walked to the table to clear off the now emptied cup and crumpled napkin tucked under it. Absentmindedly throwing the plastic cup away, he was about to do the same to the napkin when a flash of black ink caught his eye- ink that almost reminded him of the British man from before's arms. On the side of the napkin he was holding, he could see two simple words written: 'For Lin' . Feeling puzzled, he turned over the napkin eagerly hoping their would be something- anything that could clue him in on what the man was thinking when he wrote his name.

Surely enough, a phone number was written on the other side. Lin could feel the grin spreading on his face; maybe this job would be well worth it.

A/N: I'm so sorry to every single one of you who read this- at the same time though you knew what you were getting into so blame yourself ❤️