Archive of Our Own ^beta

He notices the other man before he even enters the Mighty Mug. He sees him get out of a luxury sedan through the clear glass doors of the coffee shop, and swallows down his immediate attraction. The man has a sharp grey coat on and Kaz has a thing for coats. Especially trenchcoats. He watches the man stride across the parking lot and make his way into the shop. He tries not to stare. He definitely fails. He watches the man take a look at the board above Kaz’s head and takes a minute to appreciate him. He has a suit on. Grey and deliciously tailored to his frame. Kaz is a weak, weak man.

The man walks up to where Kaz is waiting, slapping a black card on the counter and sliding it across to him.

"Americano. If you think you can handle that." He says, eyes on his phone as if Kaz isn't even worth the effort to look at.

He feels his jaw tick, tongue brushing up against the stud keeping one of his snake bites in place, a sure sign of how irritated he is, but takes the card anyway.

Okay so he's a jerk.

He loads the order in, not sure if he’s happy that Jordan isn’t working this shift with him or grateful that she isn’t here to destroy the man. He slides the card back to the man, jerking a thumb over to the other counter. “You can get your drink over there when it’s done." The guy barely acknowledges him, too absorbed with something on his phone, walking in the direction he’d been instructed to.

Kaz sighs. He doesn't know what he had been expecting. This isn’t one of his cheesy romcoms and he’s not going to find the love of his life at his place of work. He puts the incident out of his mind and goes through the rest of his shift and tries to get him out of his head.

He fails. 

“And that’s why I always say eat the rich." Jordan says later in the week when they’re both on the same shift again. She hops onto the counter beside him, dusting chalk from her hands from where she had been writing the daily specials on the blackboard.

“Should I be offended by that?” Oliver asks from his position filling the espresso machines for the day.

“Yes.” Jordan declares grinning at his pout. “Your dad is a neurosurgeon dude, and your mom, I don’t know what she does, but I know she makes insane coin.”

He huffs, and gets back to his duties.

Kaz grins. “Don’t worry, Ollie, I’ll protect you from the angry townspeople.”

He laughs when Oliver just flips him off.

“At the very least, I’d let her eat Gus first.” Jordan gags at that, flicking him with a dish towel.

"He’d probably give me a disease.”

Kaz shrugs but doesn’t disagree.

Jordan gets a wicked gleam on her face as she stares at him, jumping off the counter when she hears the oven timer go off, going to get the fresh baked goods out of the oven.

“You’re hoping money bags comes back in aren’t you?” she says loftily, sliding a tray of danishes onto the cooling rack. 

He gapes at her, not sure what exactly in his expression had given her that impression.

“No I’m not.” He says, folding his arms.

She just looks at him, eyes twinkling mischievously, not saying anything

“I’m not.” His voice goes up an octave and Jordan beams.

Fuck him for having this stupid prepubescent tell.

“Even if I did, which I don't, there’s no way he comes back to Mighty Mug.”

He comes back. 

The first time he comes back is during a rush, so Kaz doesn’t even notice him until he’s sliding that card across the counter.

He looks up at the guy, and fuck if he isn’t still just as handsome as the first time.

He swipes his card and hands it back, their fingers briefly brushing, and its intense for how short lived it is.

It doesn’t mean anything.

Even when it keeps happening.

 He learns his name purely by accident.

It’s quiet when he comes in that day, the rain keeping customers in their own homes, but not his, uh, the guy.

He comes in with an umbrella and another trench coat, darker than the first, but just as tailored to fit, just as mouthwatering. He’s on the phone again, only this time he’s on a call and not just texting.

His brow is furrowed, and he looks frustrated, which shouldn't be as attractive to Kaz as it is.

He makes his way to the counter again and Kaz already has his order put in, he orders the same thing every time, but then he surprises him by ordering chamomile tea.

He nods and puts it in, erasing the previous order.

It's only because the store is so empty that he ends up hearing a voice over the speaker of the guy's phone ask “Chase are you even listening to me?”

It's that interaction that makes him realize he's been awkwardly staring at the guy for a while and is kind of holding his card hostage.

He slides it back over with a sheepish smile.

“Do you want your name on the order?” He asks, breaking from their previous established routine of ordering and paying.

“No.” Chase says, tone clipped

“You know, people usually say no thank you.” The person on the phone cackles at that, clearly and unashamedly listening in.

“Yeah Chase, Tasha would be so disappointed you forgot your manners.”

“Shut it, Bree.” Chase mumbles into his phone, before addressing Kaz again and Kaz shifts awkwardly at having that intense eye contact focused squarely on him. “

No, thank you.” He walks away in a hurry, the tail of his trench coat flapping as he walks away.

Kaz still manages to hear the voice on the other end of the call say “Oh Chasie, you got it baaaad.”

It’s through Oliver that he finds out that his Chase, that is to say the Chase that comes in every Monday morning and twice on Thursdays, not his Chase - is actually Chase Davenport, son of billionaire Donald Davenport, tech CEO.

Chase is of course a genius in his own right, working on some clean energy doohickey that is way above Kaz’s paygrade to understand.

The reason he finds this information out is because Oliver’s mom wants him to quit working at Mighty Mug and drop out of med school so she can also parade around her own brilliant son like the way Donald Davenport is apparently doing.

“It’s ridiculous, dude. I don't even know what my mom does, except make enough money to have some really scary bodyguards follow me around on campus. It’s actually ridiculous. Me and Chase Davenport aren’t even in the same field. I just wish for once she would respect what I want, you know?” He throws an arm over his eyes and slumps back across the arm of the couch, long legs hitting the popcorn bowl in Kaz’s lap and sending it flying.

Kaz whacks at Oliver’s ankle but allows him to wallow a little as he gets the bowl back on the table and starts cleaning up the popcorn.

“Wish I could relate dude, my mom probably thinks I'm in prison with Kris at this point.”

Oliver huffs before falling back into his misery. Kaz allows it to him before his brain finally starts processing the name Oliver had said and matching it with the name he’d seen on the card he held every Monday (and twice on Thursdays).

“Dude, you’ve made your biggest archenemy coffee like a million times this month.” Oliver sits up and looks at him for a second before it clicks.

“How much do you think Horace would dock of my pay if I spat in his coffee?”

Kaz just rolls his eyes, knowing Oliver is too much of a hypochondriac that even his own saliva is repulsive to him.

“Dude, he’s trying to bang your mom. I think he might give you a raise.”

Oliver just tosses a pillow at his head.

He doesn’t spend the rest of the night after Oliver goes to bed cyber-stalking Chase on everything. He definitely doesn’t think he is really cute in the interviews he gives about his mission for clean energy and the new direction he plans to take Davenport Industries into with his brother Leo. He doesn’t save the video into his camera roll to watch without an internet connection.

(He does.)

_ Kaz had just folded his apron up to be put in the storage for the next shift when there’s a knock on the door behind him. He turns, about to send an annoying customer away, seriously do these people not know how to read a closed sign or what, when he notices its Chase and he finds his annoyance vanishing.

He goes over to the door and opens it. “Please don’t tell me you’re closed.” Chase asks desperately before he even gets to start talking

“Uhh…” He looks at Jordan who had just finished balancing the books for the night, who is glaring at him, and then at Chase’s sad little face.

He figures if Jordan’s going to kill him, he might as well make his last night on Earth count for something.

“We still have a few minutes.”

He ignores Jordan’s heated gaze boring into his spine and leads Chase to the bar.

“It’s a little late for caffeine, can’t get you your usual.” Chase slumps a little but nods.

“Probably not the best idea any way. Haven’t slept in a few days.”

Kaz takes a look at him for the first time, and has to agree. He looks disheveled, dark bruising under his eyes and his hair is not he perfect spike it usually is in.

“Tough break man.” He gets behind the counter, getting a cup down and flicking on a machine, wincing as Chase sees the light flick on.

“Fuck, you guys are closed.” Kaz shakes his head, reaching over the space to grab Chase’s arm before he tries to get up.

“We close early on slow nights man. Promise.”

His thumb grazes Chase’s wrist bone but he pulls away when he realizes what he’s doing. He makes him his favourite drink, something technically not on the menu, and slides the mug over to Chase.

“Besides, you looked kinda pitiful, man. I think I would get like bad karma for turning you away.”

Chase snorts. “You should have turned me away any way. I haven’t been the best customer to you.”

Kaz snorts but doesn’t comment. “You don’t even crack my top of worst customers dude.”

Chase laughs and takes a sip of the drink, going back for another immediately after. "Holy shit this is amazing.”

Kaz blushes just a little. “Thanks.” He finds himself stranded with nothing more to say, fiddling with a loose strand on his t-shirt. “So, uhm, what brings you here so late?” He doesn’t bite his tongue to stop himself from saying that it’s not one of Chase’s usual days but its a near thing.

“This merger was supposed to be simple. We weren’t supposed to be in Logan this long. The CEO of Terabyte Tech is being difficult. Keeps derailing discussions to boast about her son in med school.”

Kaz snorts a little. Oliver will get a kick out of that. “That sucks.”

“You’re telling me. I just want to go back home and work on what I actually care about, but I’m stuck here.”

Kaz tries not to take offence to that. “Uhm yeah. I guess. Loga, is kinda a one-horse town, not like Mission Creek.”

And shit, he’s not supposed to know that. “I mean I’m guessing,” he tries to save it lamely.

He hears Jordan laughing in the back room and flushes deep red.

“Uh sorry. I’m not like stalking you.”

Chase waves it away. “I mean it’s not like I’m a public figure or anything.”

Kaz grabs at the olive branch he’s been given with both hands.

“Yeah man.” Jordan cackles again and Kaz wishes the ground would swallow him whole.

Things change after that, because of course they do. Chase smiles at him for one, a few days after that encounter looking a lot better than the last time he saw him. He also looks unfairly hot in his suit, navy, three piece, with a black tie. He looks divine and Kaz tries not to fall in love.

They talk a lot more now, when there’s no rush, and he finds Chase incredibly charming. He likes listening to Chase, loves watching him work himself into a fine lather about something or other, the way he gets so heated he loosens his tie and rolls his sleeves back.

Kaz doesn’t think he’s been as passionate about anything as Chase is about his clean energy transponder.

Chase tries to explain what it entails but its like trying to catch smoke with how much of it Kaz actually understands. But even when he doesn't understand, Chase never makes him feel stupid.

That’s something not even Oliver has managed.

It has to end eventually. The merger eventually has to close and Chase can get back to his real life with the rich and impressive people he actually enjoys spending time with, not with Kaaz who has been using him as a guinea pig for new drink ideas he has before he shows them to Horace. He can’t imagine he brings anything of value to Chase’s life.

Which is why he never offers him his number, never asks how the merger is going, how long Chase will be staying, because that would feet too much like setting himself up for heartbreak, and Kaz has been hurt enough.

He throws away a cup with his number written on it every time Chase leaves.

The day he had been dreading finally arrives. The funny thing is, Chase isn’t even the one who breaks it to him.

It’s Oliver.

“Mom finally agreed to some deal with Davenport Industries. I don't know what they agreed on, but it does mean both of them get a lot more money, and I get another few months of independence before the next time mom thinks me becoming a doctor isn’t the life she wants for me.” He explains while clocking in, looking considerably happier than he had for the last few months.

Kaz tries to be happy for Oliver even when it feels like someone had just gotten under his rib cage and yanked his heart out.

Which is stupid because he had been so careful.

So fucking careful.

“That’s great man. Now you’re back to just your dad nagging you about going into his specialty.”

Oliver groans and rests his head on the counter. “Ugh, can’t i borrow your parents?”

Kaz just laughs.

He’s always been a good deflector.

Chase shows up one more time the night before he has to leave. This time Kaz has actually managed to close up the store, pocketing the keys.

He’s leaned up against the wall of the cafe, lighting a cigarette, inhaling slow and breathing the smoke up into the sky.

“Smoking kills, you know,” Kaz lets out an unmanly yelp, dropping his cigarette in the process, looking morosely down at it.

“Aw man, that was my last one.”

Chase looks apologetic for half a second “I’d say I’m sorry, but I think i just prolonged your life by like one cigarette.”

Kaz just glares at him. “Well, if you came for anything else other than that, I’m afraid you’re out of luck this time.” He gestures to the darkened cafe, chairs all stacked up and machines all turned off.

“We’re actually closed this time.”

Chase swallows visibly, shifting from foot to foot.

He’s dressed down tonight, in a purple flannel and some jeans. He still looks unfairly good.

He watches as Chase runs a hand through his hair nervously, biting his lip. He’s never seen Chase so unsure about something before.

“You okay, man?” Chase looks at him for a second, before seeming to make up his mind, leaning down just a little and pressing their lips together.

Kaz’s brain takes a second to process but when it does, he reciprocates, hand going to Chase's neck for a better hold. Eventually they have to part, but Kaz doesn’t let Chase go too far, staring wide eyed at him,

“Not that I’m complaining but where the hell did that come from?”

Chase looks at him. “I couldn’t leave without doing that.” He steps back and Kaz lets him, watching as he paces,

“You were the best part of being stuck in Logan, Kaz. I fall easily, and often and it’s well documented and my siblings give me so much shit for it, but it’s never felt like this. I’ve never felt like this before. And I know it’s stupid because we live so far from each other, but I knew I’d hate myself more if I didn't shoot my shot than if I did. I’ve been burned before but something about you makes me not care. Something about you makes me think the risk is worth it.”

He touches Kaz’s cheek, “And if that kiss was anything to go by, you feel the same.”

Kaz can’t think of a lie, a way to protect his heart. All he can do is lean in again.