Sunlight trickles in the kitchen as he watches the birds outside nibble on the feeder hung in the tree, the tea in his hands warning his entire body as it comes to from the slumber.
Hayato has always been far more of a morning person than not, relishing in the warm beams coming from the sun that shimmer with the new break of day. He closes his eyes and takes a calming breath through his nose, smiling softly to no one in particular- until he hears your bare feet padding into the kitchen of your small home.
“Morning.”
“Hnnnnmmmgggg…”
You? Not so much.
Hayato chuckles as he spins on his heels to face you shambling into the kitchen, cheeks puffy from the pillow and eyes heavy from the wake-up. You’re grumpy, you’re always a little grumpy when you wake up, and he extends an arm open for you to burrow into his chest, which you quickly do. “Sleep well?”
“No,” you lie. “Don’t smile so bright, the suns already blinding enough.”
“Im sorry,” he hums, taking another sip of his tea, his thumb gently stroking up and down your bicep. “But flattered to know you enjoy my smile.”
“Eugh,” you grumble. “I’m not flirting with you. It’s too early.”
“I’m always grateful for any compliment you send my way- even if it is shrouded in morning grumpiness.”
“Eugh,” you repeat. “Don’t ever say that again.”
“I say it to you almost every morning, and every morning, you tell me not to say it; you ever going to ring true on your threat?” He asks, smiling down at you as you glare up at him.
“I’m gonna bite you,” you hiss. “But not in the cute way- in the ‘ow it hurts please stop’ way.”
“Is that right?” Hayato asks, brows raised expectantly and cheeky smile still plastered on his cheeks. “My feral little creature.”
“‘Creature’ is crazy, hayato.”
“So are you,” he assures, pressing a kiss to your temple.
you never expected to like tea, or fall for the barista with a charming smile. but life has its way of surprising you, and your summer job just might be the best thing to happen to you.
→ barista! suo x waitress! reader. fluff fluff fluff! hand holding. suo is touchy and flirty. unedited. just suo being his usual charming self <3 reader is implied to be working before they enter university/college, but no age is mentioned. this is my first suo fic aaah i enjoyed writing him sm!! 2.6k wc
→ part of the help wanted collab hosted by @interstellar-inn !! divider from @cafekitsune thank you remi <3
You remembered your first day working at the quaint little café like it was yesterday.
It’d been your first day as a waitress, your first job since you’d graduated high school, too. Now that you were a summer break away from entering university, what better way to spend it than save up? So you’d sent in your application on the neighborhood café, popular amongst people your age, and began your first day at work.
The summer sun was high in the sky, its heat causing you to sweat under your clothes. The cicadas sang around you, a beautiful chorus from the trees, and their buzzing a welcomed soundtrack for the summer. The streets were lined with cherry blossom trees, their leaves a vibrant green, providing patches of dappled shade along the sidewalks. From where you stood, you could see the distant mountains, their massive silhouettes softened by the heat haze as they stood tall against the clear, azure sky.
Reaching the café, you pushed open the door, the bell above jingling softly. The café was known for its cozy atmosphere and exceptional tea selection, the place already bustling with customers. Your eyes darted around, taking in the sight of people sipping on steaming cups and enjoying pastries. Your heart raced as you approached the counter, a few of your co-workers already occupied and moving about.
“Hi,” you smiled, “I’m the new hire.”
A tall figure turned around, and your breath hitched. You’d seen him in the café countless times before, and begrudgingly admitted that he was the reason your friends loved visiting here so much. His name was Suo, the café’s infamous barista. He was pretty in the sense that you’d stop and give a double look when you first saw him, his voice smooth and his words effortlessly charming. But standing before him now? He was just so much prettier. His red hair caught the light, the auburn of it brighter and like burning fire.
“Ah, I’d heard you were coming today. Welcome,” he says warmly, “Follow me. Let’s get you started.”
Safe to say, your first day had been terrible. Throughout the morning, you fumbled with trays and mixed up orders, your clumsiness earning a few scowls from the customers. You apologized profusely each time, your cheeks burning with embarrassment. But Suo was always there, stepping in to smooth things over with a gentle smile and a reassuring smile. It worked like a charm, too. The moment he’d apologized for you, the customers leant back – smiling and reassuring him that it was not a bother at all.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said after one particularly harsh customer left. “Everyone makes mistakes when they’re starting out.”
“Did you?”
His eye lit up with mischief. “Maybe.”
Suo’s kindness only made your crush on him grow. You admired how he handled every situation with such grace and ease, his smooth voice calming even the most irritable patrons. You found yourself watching him whenever you could, entranced by the way he moved, the way his smile lit up the room.
One afternoon, the café had been unusually quiet. The summer head had driven most customers indoors, leaving you and Suo with some rare free time. He approached you then, a twinkle in his eye. “How about I teach you a bit about tea?” he suggested, “It’ll help with your knowledge, and it’s always fun to learn something new.”
Your heart skipped a beat. “I’d love that,” you said, trying to keep your voice steady. And there’s this silly voice at the back of your mind hoping – praying – that Suo was just making excuses to hang out with you.
He leads you to a small table at the back of the café, where a variety of tea leaves were laid out. He began to explain the differences between green tea, black tea, oolong, and white tea, his voice like a soothing melody. You hung on his every word, captivated by his passion and expertise. “Tea is an art,” he begins, his lithe fingers delicately handling the leaves. “Each type has its own unique characteristics and requires different brewing methods. It’s all about finding the perfect balance.”
You couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the way he spoke, his love for tea evident in every word. You watched him closely, noticing the way his eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, the gentle way he handled the tea leaves. Biting the insides of your cheek to fight back a smile, your gaze travelled to his eyepatch.
“Do you mind if I ask… about your eyepatch?”
Suo smiles, his expression softening. “It’s a long story, but I don’t mind sharing it with you sometime. For now, let’s focus on the tea.”
You nodded, feeling warmth spread through your chest. You appreciated how he didn’t shy away from your questions, and it only deepened your fascination with him. He’d always been such a mysterious enigma. He knew everything about everyone, and joked enough with everybody to put them at ease with him. But it’s only now you realized that you knew very little about him at all – an issue you were determined to change.
As you continued with your tea lessons, Suo made you laugh with anecdotes and trivia, his smooth voice wrapping around you like a comforting embrace.
Days turned into weeks, and your confidence grew under Suo’s gentle guidance. You still had your clumsy moments, of course, but Suo was always there to lend a hand – his calm presence a constant source of reassurance. And the more time you spent together, the more your feelings for him grew.
One particularly hot summer day, the café was slow, and your coworkers happily shooed Suo away to take his break. Surprisingly, he’d asked you to join him, leading you out into the small garden behind the café. You sat on a bench under the shade of a large tree, the gentle breeze rustling the leaves. Suo handed you a cup of iced tea, his smile as warm as the sun.
“You’re doing really well,” he said. “I can see how hard you’re trying, and it’s paying off.”
You grow flustered, and look down at your tea – the one he’d made just for you. “Thank you, Suo, but really, I couldn’t have done it without your help.”
Suo’s chuckles are soft, tender. “You’re too modest, you know that? You’ve got a natural charm that customers appreciate, and you’re always eager to learn. Those are pretty great qualities if you ask me.”
You sat in comfortable silence for a while, sipping tea and enjoying the tranquility of the garden. You stole glances at him every now and then, your heart swelling with affection. Suddenly, you wanted to tell him how you felt, but fear held you back. What if he didn’t feel the same way? What if it made things awkward between you? You couldn’t risk that. You still had a few weeks in this summer job, and you couldn’t quit now. Suo was most definitely not leaving anytime soon, either. Everyone knew this café was practically nothing without him.
Just then, Suo turned to you, his expression thoughtful and lacking his usual carefree smile. “Hey, can I tell you something?”
“Of course,” you say, though your voice was barely above a whisper.
Suo hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. “I… I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you these past few weeks. You’re kind, hardworking, and you have a wonderful spirit. Before I knew it, I found myself looking forward to our next shifts together.”
Your breath caught in your throat. Was he saying what you thought he was saying? You looked into his eyes, trying to gauge for the answers.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is…” Suo continued, his voice steady but soft, “I’d like to keep doing this – getting to know you better. If that’s okay with you, at least.”
Your heart soared. “I’d love that, Suo,” you admit, unable to stop yourself from breaking out into a full wide-mouthed grin.
Suo’s smile widened, his eyes lighting up. “I’m glad to hear that,” he said, his voice filled with warmth. “I was kinda worried you wouldn’t feel the same way.”
You laughed, the sound light and full of joy. “Are you kidding me? You’ve been so kind and patient. I’ve always admired you from the start so hearing you say that… well, you sure do know how to make a girl happy…” you trailed off, hiding your smile from behind your glass.
With his own bashful smile, Suo tentatively extended his hand, his movements slow and deliberate. He hesitated, his longer fingers hovering inches away from hers. You could feel the warmth radiating from his skin, and your pulse quickened. You could tell he didn’t want to rush you, didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, so he’d paused, giving you the opportunity to pull away if you wished.
You didn’t.
You glanced down at his hand, your heart fluttering with anticipation. You didn’t move, didn’t pull away. You let your hand remain where it was, hoping it’d be enough to give him the permission he’d been asking for.
Suo’s fingers brushed against yours – a light, tentative touch that sent a shiver up your spine. Slowly, gently, he closed the distance, his hand enveloping yours in a warm, reassuring grip. A bout of giddiness crashes over you, a bubbling happiness that made your skin feel warm and your heart race a mile a minute.
Neither of you spoke, but none needed to be said. Suo’s thumb gently stroked the back of your hand, a small comforting gesture that told a million words. You sat there, hand in hand, the summer sun warming you from the neck down.
As the summer days passed, you spent more time hanging out with Suo.
You spent your breaks together, sharing stories and dreams (mostly on your part, since Suo liked to keep his air of mystery, promising that you’d learn everything ‘one day.’) He continued to teach you about tea, and you found yourself falling more in love with both him and the art he was so fond of. Now, whenever you returned home, you’d fix yourself a cup of tea the way Suo taught you, inhaling its scent – simply because it reminded you of him.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the skies were painted in hues of pink and orange, you and Suo stood outside the café, sans the aprons and uniform. The air around you was warm, the gentle breeze making Suo’s bangs flutter to reveal a sliver of his forehead.
Suo turned to you, a soft smile playing on his lips. “Would you like to go out with me sometime? Outside of work, I mean.”
“I’d love to.”
“Great,” his smile widens, his hand finding yours. You recently found that Suo loved to touch, even in just the smallest of manners. At work, he’d occasionally brush his shoulders against yours, or have his fingers graze your knuckles whenever he walked by. It’s always subtle, not enough to catch the attention of your co-workers, but enough to have your heart fluttering each time he did. “How about tomorrow? There’s a lovely park nearby that I think you’d enjoy.”
“I don’t know,” you pretended to think about, “Will you finally tell me more about yourself if I go out with you? Because I’m pretty sure we said we’d get to know each other. And last time I checked, you know everything about me, while I know so little about you.”
“Fair enough,” he concedes, gazing at you so tenderly. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know then.”
When he promised things like that, you were impatient. The next day simply couldn’t come by faster.
That next day, the café was buzzing with its usual afternoon crowd, the soft clinking of cups and the hum of conversations filling the air. You moved through the tables, balancing trays and refilling cups, but your mind was elsewhere. Every time you glanced toward the counter, your heart skipped a beat. Suo was stationed there, his calm, confident demeanor as steady as always, but today, there was something different – his smiles were bigger, paired with a playful spark in his eyes that was meant just for you.
Each time your eyes would meet across the room, Suo would give you a small, knowing smile.
You felt heat rise to your cheeks each time he did, unable to suppress the grin that spread across your face. He was subtle, but you noticed that every time he brushed past you, his hand would graze your arm or the small of your back, a brief touch that sent shivers down your spine. His presence was magnetic, his smiles addicting, and you were inexplicably drawn to him, your thoughts circling around your first date with him once your shift ended.
And that shift dragged on.
Later, Suo made his way over to you as you carefully balanced a tray of tea, his hand brushing yours just as you set the tray down on the table. It was such a fleeting touch, one that made your pulse quicken. He leaned slightly closer, his shoulder almost brushing yours. When you glanced up at him, he winked, a playful glint in his eye.
You bit your lip, trying to keep your excitement in check, but it was impossible not to feel giddy with the way he was flirting with you – silently, without a single word.
Every time you looked up from your work, Suo would already be watching you, his smile warm and affectionate. The anticipation between you built with each passing minute, your shared secret adding a thrill to the ordinary tasks of the day. You both moved in sync, as if dancing around the café, each little interaction a tantalizing tease of what was about to come.
Finally, after what felt like forever, the sun dipped low in the sky as the last customers trickled out. You wiped down the tables with a speed that shocked you and your co-workers, too eager to get everything done and over with. The café was closing, and soon, your date with Suo would begin.
You couldn’t remember having a day that had felt this long, the hours stretching out with each longing glance and fleeting touch.
As the final chair was stacked and the last teacup washed, Suo appeared at your side, a wide grin on his face. “That,” he says, breathless with excitement, “was the longest day of my life. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted my shift to end as I did today.”
You laughed, feeling the last of your nerves melt away under the warmth of his gaze. “I was just thinking the same thing!”
Suo reached out, taking your hand in his, his thumb gently stroking the pads of your knuckles. “Are you ready?”
“I’ve been ready all day.”
“All right,” he chuckles, though you don’t miss the way his cheeks flush red. “You don’t have to be so excited; it’s just me you’re going out with.”
“That’s exactly why I’m excited!”
You had always been a coffee person – someone who relied on the bitter, strong brew to kickstart your mornings. Tea had seemed too delicate, too nuanced for your taste, something to be enjoyed only on rare occasions. But then Suo had come into your life. He’d introduced you to a world you hadn’t ever been interested in – his world, the art of tea, the subtle differences between each variety, the rituals and traditions that made every cup an experience in itself.
As you walked side by side, you couldn’t stop yourself from marveling at how unexpected this summer had turned out to be.
You had taken the job at the café thinking it would be just another seasonal position, a way to pass the time and earn a bit of money.
You never imagined that it would lead to this, to him. To a summer filled with new experiences, to meeting a red-haired boy whose smile put the sun’s brightness to shame, to falling in love with Hayato Suo.
