AUPril Day 4: Meet Cute - Joshua x Reader
Description: What happens when you spill your coffee and run into a cute boy? We’ll find out!
Word count: 2.4k
Tags: Meet cute, Fluff, I can’t think of anything else!
The first time you see him, it’s because everything goes wrong. Not dramatically, not in some life altering, earth shattering type of way… just enough. You’re running late (because of course you are). Your alarm didn’t go off, your outfit just felt wrong, your hair refused to cooperate, and now you’re standing in line at the crowded coffee shop. You were silently begging the universe for just one win today.
“Iced vanilla latte!” The barista called your slightly butchered name with the enthusiasm of someone who would rather be anywhere but here. You step forward, offering a quick but sincere “thank you” as you grab the cup. It’s cold against your fingers, just how you like it, condensation already forming against the side of the cup. You adjust your grip, balancing your phone in one hand, your bag slowly slipping off your shoulder (not that you notice, or frankly care). You took a deep breath, time to finally start your day. You could do this!! Just walk into the world and go home to start on the work you’d been procrastinating for days. Simple…
Until someone steps around the corner at the same time as you. You feel a hand on your back, steadying you, yourself suddenly inhaling from surprise and then… the cold of your drink spilled all over you, the other person and the floor. You look down to see the cup that betrayed you, still in your hand but topless now, the coffee all over your shirt and pants, dropping down your leg, splashing on the floor in a way you were all too aware of. For a moment, the world stops. Your heart drops, and you wish you could just hide in a hole for all of eternity.
“Damn it, I’m so sorry, are you ok?” The voice pulls you out of your trance for you to focus on that for a moment… It was soft and clear. Warm and gentle, even in this panic. You felt like it would be ok, just for a moment, before you look up just a little to notice the brown spot on the white shirt in front of you.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!” You reach down to try to grab some napkins to help him wipe it off, but his hand grabs onto your wrist before you could.
“No, it’s totally my fault” he was trying to grab the napkins as the two of you profusely apologized at the same time, then looked up at the same time. Once you do… you suddenly freeze. You entirely forgot what you were about to say. Dark hair, slightly tousled like he ran his fingers through it one too many times. Soft eyes, wide with concern. Lips parted mid apology. There’s something about him that feels… calm, even in the middle of this mess… which was ironic, since you were the mess in the moment.
You were silent for a moment, until you heard his voice again. “Wait here, let me help,” Before you had a chance to protest he was already grabbing napkins from a nearby table. His hands are quick, dabbing away at your shirt with a few sheets before handing you a stack and kneeling down in front of you to clean up the mess on the floor. “Seriously, I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I wasn’t watching where I was going,” he repeats again, wiping at the floor. You were stunned for a moment, before slowly kneeling down next to him.
“You really don’t have to help…” Your voice was quiet, almost nervous. He looked up at you, offering a slight, reassuring smile.
“I’m partly at fault, so I kind of do.” You couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, causing his smile to widen, “plus, what kind of man would I be if I made a woman clean up my mistake”. Your face couldn’t help but turn slightly red.
“Disaster is… one way to put it”
“Tragic coffee incident felt a little too dramatic for a random Tuesday” he laughs a bit, continuing to clean. You start to help him, trying not to let yourself tear up from the embarrassment.
“This was my one good thing today… and I ruined it in like… three seconds.” You were just thinking out loud, complaining, until you felt a small hand on your shoulder, causing you to look up. His smile was soft, trying to be as kind as possible.
“Hey, it’s just coffee.” You felt his thumb rub against you in a soothing way. You let out a small quiet laugh.
“Easy for you to say… you don’t even want to know the day I’ve had,” you huff a bit, not wanting to randomly dump all your issues on a stranger.
“That’s… fair…” he admits, taking a second for what seemed to be plotting a plan, before a small smile tugged at his lips, “but I can fix part of it, at least!” You tilt your head slightly as he stands up, tossing the used napkins.
“What do you mean…” your voice was full of a slight worry.
“Wait here, just for a second!” Before you have a chance to say anything else, you watch him go back to the counter. You watch him… in a way you shouldn’t. But you do. There’s something about the way he moves—unhurried, steady—that makes your chest feel just a little less tight.
Several minutes pass before he comes back, holding a new drink.
“I believe I heard… ice vanilla latte?” He was a little hesitant, handing it to you, praying he got it correct. Your eyes widen slightly as you hesitate to take it yourself.
“You didn’t…” your voice was soft.
“I did.” He interrupts, voice just as soft as he pressed it into your hands before you had a chance to refuse it, hands touching for just a moment “Please, let me do this at least.”
You stare at the drink for a moment, then back up at him. “You really didn’t have to…”
“I wanted to.” He said simply, no more hesitation in his voice. No awkwardness you sensed earlier when you first met, just pure sincerity, something that makes it harder to argue to his logic. You pause for another moment before looking up at him again.
“Thank you…” Your voice is soft, trying not to tear up at the kind gesture in midst of your hard day. He simply smiles. The kind of smile that doesn’t demand anything from you, it just exists, warm and easy.
“I’m Joshua, by the way,” He suddenly adds, almost like it was an afterthought. You smile a bit… a gentle name for a gentle soul.
“I’m (Y/N),” with your free hand you hold it out to him. He takes it, gently taking it. And for a moment, everything stops. He repeats your name out, like it matters. Like the name could suddenly cure all his hardships. Almost like he was hopeful he’s get to say it again.
“It’s nice to meet you” He still didn’t let go of your hand. You couldn’t help yourself, but you let out a small laugh, glancing between your two shirts.
“Under… less than ideal circumstances” you smile a bit, causing a small chuckle from him.
“Hey, at least it’s memorable!” He smiles, helping you see the good side of things. You couldn’t help but laugh yourself.
“That’s… one way to put it.” After you say that, there’s a slight pause. Not an awkward one, but a comfortable one in a way you don’t quite understand. One you could sit in, one that makes you feel like the protagonist of a stupid romance movie. Before Joshua breaks the silence.
“Do you have somewhere to be?” He sounded hopeful for an answer. You look for the time for a moment, trying to think.
“Well… yes… but…” you think for a second, pausing for a bit longer than you’d like to.
“But?” He prompts, a gleam in his eyes. You smile a bit at him, nodding.
“I’m already late. What’s a bit more?” His smile widens a bit.
“Good!” He grabbed your hand a bit tighter, causing your heart to flutter in your chest. “I was hoping I could make it all up to you properly.” You looked confused for a moment.
“You… already bought me a coffee,” Joshua smiled a bit and nodded
“I know!” He tilted his head slightly to the side, “But I still feel like I owe you…” He drops your hand to rub the back of his neck. You smile and let your hand drift to your side, the cold against your fingers feeling more apparent suddenly.
“How do you plan to do that?” A sudden ounce of sass entered your voice as you try to tease him. He pretends to think for a moment before smiling.
“Sit with me for a bit?” For some reason, your breath suddenly hitched in your throat, your heart skipping a beat.
“That’s… your idea of making it up to me?” Your voice was soft, hesitant to come out. He blushed a bit, obviously trying to hide it.
“Well… selfishly, yeah” he nods slightly and you laugh. You don’t know why your heart is beating like this. Joshua is just a guy, a random guy you spilled your coffee on at a coffee shop. Or… you spilled coffee with? You weren’t entirely sure. But still, for some reason, you just wanted to say…
“Ok. I’ll sit with you.” It was slight, but his smile widened a bit. As he grabs your hand and leads you to a table.
The two of you end up sitting by the window. The sunlight filtered in, warm and soothing, catching in his hair and making it look almost angelic and golden at the edges. You hated how much you noticed it, but you hated it a bit more knowing that you don’t actually hate it… but you thought it was insanely handsome. Your brain was a jumble of words until his voice cleared it all up.
“So… rough morning?” He smiles, gently resting his chin against his hand, leaning in towards you. You couldn’t help but laugh.
“Is it that obvious?” Your laughs back, nodding slightly.
“A little bit,” He whispers, watching as you stirred your drink absentmindedly. You sigh a bit, just looking at the slight tornado the mixing stick created.
“It’s just been… one of those days…” Your voice was soft, and Joshua smiled like he understood. Did he understand?
“Yeah… I get that.” He signed in return, nodding slightly. You let out a small laugh.
“Do you?” He smiles a bit and looks up at you.
“I do… but I think it got a little better.” You couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, questioning. He met your gaze, and for a second, the noise of the coffee shop in the background fades away, just the two of you there. “I met you.” Your heart suddenly stopped. You thought you’d have a heart attack. Then it started up again, but this time racing like a little kid in front of their crush. You suddenly lift up your cup, covering your face with it to hide the warmth creeping up your cheeks.
“Smooth…” You laugh a bit. He laughs in return, also looking away.
“I’m going to be honest… I panicked halfway through.” You couldn’t help but laugh, looking at him. His face was a touch red, his eyes avoiding yours as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“That… makes it a bit better,” You admit, looking down at your drink again.
“Good.” You hear him respond before everything went silent again. But this time it felt different. It wasn’t the awkward pause of two people who didn’t know what to say. It was the kind that was light… easy to handle. Like something had shifted between the two of you.
“So…” This time, you’re the first to break the silence, glancing back up at him, “Do you always turn minor disasters into… whatever this is?” You laugh a bit. He looks at you, eyes soft, almost in a longing way.
“Only when it’s worth it.” His voice was almost a whisper. You knew you shouldn’t have felt that in your chest, but you do. You feel your heart flutter slightly and your face blush… and suddenly, spilling your coffee doesn’t feel like the worst thing that happened today.
Before you know it, the two of you are standing outside the coffee shop, the air somehow cooler and the world around you somehow quieter. You glance at the empty cup in your hand, then back up at Joshua. The two of you had only talked for 30 minutes, but for some reason it felt like hours.
“I guess I should get going…” you say, even if you really didn’t want to.
“Yeah…” he nods, not entirely sounding convinced himself. There’s a beat for a moment before both of you try to speak at the same time. You both laugh.
“Go ahead,” You nod, smiling a bit as you gripped the cup, hoping he’d say something similar to you. He froze for a moment, as if he was processing what he wanted to say.
“Can I see you again?” His question was direct, simple… and for some reason that made your heart race even more. You smile a bit, bringing out that same sass from earlier.
“Only if this time you promise not to knock my drink over.” He laughs slightly.
“Deal.” There was another pause before he continued, “Though, I can’t promise I won’t find a different reason to talk to you.” You laugh a bit, rolling your eyes at the joke.
“I’ll take the risk.” You smile at him, watching as he pulls his phone out.
“So… what does a guy have to do to get your number?” He hands his phone over as you laugh.
“You can have my phone number,” You smile as you take his phone, putting it in. Once you hand it back over, fingers touching just slightly… you realize something…
Some days just aren’t meant to go according to plan. Maybe some days are just meant to fall apart just enough… for something better to fall in place. And maybe… just maybe… spilling your coffee was the best mistake you could’ve made.
