Hi everyone. Thanks for seeing this. I know that HongIce isn't too popular of a shipping, but regardless if you ship or not or even if you have no opinion on it, I'd really appreciate it if you took a chance with my fic. Thank you!

Wait, this is the place Lukas told me to go to?

It all started when Emil decided he was going to get a part time job for the summer. Not that he was poor, mind you, but because having to ask his older brother Lukas for money constantly was a nuisance. Constantly being nagged by Lukas to call him "big brother" didn't help either.

He flipped through the morning paper that got delivered to their apartment everyday, looking through all the ads that were wanting new workers. Duct cleaning didn't really suit his tastes, he remembered his brother talking quite harshly at the phone whenever they called, threatening to sue them for whatever reason. Starbucks was an option, but the only one close to his home had his brother's friend Matthias working there, and there was no way that he wanted to spend any more time with that guy that he had to. Convenience stores, student secretaries at various offices, it just wasn't what he was looking for.

"Any luck?" Lukas asked, taking a sip of his coffee while reading over some work.

"Nothing so far, it seems like there's nothing available." Emil said, sighing as he threw the paper down.

"Well then, if you can't find anything now, I need you to go and buy me some two rose jasmine tea boxes. It's at this place called Yao's Palace, right next to Tino and Berwald's apartment."

"Sure, but can't you do that yourself?" Emil questioned, getting up to put on some shoes.

"In the middle of exam period little brother."

"D-don't call me that!" Emil stuttered, grabbing the keys furiously.

"I know you like it little brother." Lukas said, a smirk creeping on his face.

Emil slammed the door.

The outside of the store, firstly, was like nothing Emil had ever saw. The building was bright red with gold accents and letters. The words "Yao's Palace" were on the second level of the building, a dragon made out of what he could swear was pure gold on the roof.

Two floors? Is the store THAT gigantic?

Suddenly, a girl standing outside the store wearing a white kitty costume with a red bow on top handed him a flyer.

"50% off on all horoscope drinks!" She cheerfully said with an Taiwanese accent.

Emil nodded before entering the shop, a bell tingling when he opened the door.

"This place is hu-"

"YONG SO! STOP PLAY THAT LEAGUE OF LEGENDS GAME AND GET BACK TO MAKING DRINKS RIGHT NOW!"

He turned his head to see a young Chinese woman (At least, he thought it was one.) yelling at what appeared to be a flight of stairs tucked in beside the entrance. Within a few seconds, a teenage Korean came dashing down, trying to tie his apron and attach his name tag on his shirt at the same time.

"I was in the middle of a battle though, da-ze!" He pouted, running through the shop and into the kitchen.

How can a worker play computer games like that?...

Ignoring the incident, Emil directed his attention back down to trying to find the tea sets. Scanning the front, he was surprised they weren't right there.

"Yo, table for one?"

Emil looked up to see another Asian teenager with choppy dark brown hair that came down to his jaw, big light brown eyes, and what he could swear were the largest eyebrows he'd see on anyone in his entire life.

"I-it's alright." He quietly muttered, as he was shy around strangers. This stranger though, with his bored expression and Cantonese accent, made him even more nervous than usual.

It's just the eyebrows Emil, nothing else.

"Where are your tea sets?" Emil asked, trying his best not to stare at him.

"Right next to you."

He turned to his right to see three rows of multiple tea sets stacked on top of each other, multiple Asian brands with characters he couldn't read scrolled on top.

Idiot idiot idiot idiot IDIOT.

"Oh. Thanks."

Emil quickly averted his gaze to the tea sets available, trying to find the one his brother requested.

Green tea, Pu-reh, Chrysanthum...Rose Jasmine!

He took two boxes and handed them to the cashier.

"Here."

The stranger scanned them quickly and put them in a plastic bag. "Twelve dollars."

Emil reached into his pocket for his wallet, then starting to fumble around when he realized there was nothing in his jeans pocket.

Shit, I forget money.

He was staring at him weirdly, waiting for him to give the cash. Emil was thisclose to just putting the boxes back and dashing out of the store, never to return, but he knew that he wasn't going to be allowed in the apartment until the tea was brought back home.

"Uh, I kind of forget um, my wallet. Can I run back really quick and get it? Um, I don't live too far from here and all so yeah."

To his surprise, the teen shook his head.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

That took Emil by surprise even more.

"Y-you sure?"

"Totally."

He handed Emil his bag.

"Thanks." He muttered, looking down at the ground to hide the warmth coming from his face.

The stranger nodded before propping his elbow on the cashier desk. "The name's Leon."

"Emil." He quietly said.

"Nice." Leon answered.

They stared at each other for a few moments when Emil noticed a poster right next to Leon.

WE'RE HIRING NOW! SPEAK TO AN WORKER FOR DETAILS.

"You're hiring?!" Emil blurted out.

"Yep. You interested?"

Emil nodded.

"Come back here tomorrow night, and I'll talk to my boss about it." Leon said, a thin smile growing on his lips.

"Sure then. And, I'll pay you back tomorrow." Emil offered, not wanting Leon to think he was cheap.

Wait, why do I care about how this stranger thinks about me?

"Cool."

Another silence followed.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow." Leon said, blowing the fringe out of his eyes.

"Yeah."

Emil turned to exit the store when Leon called his name.

"Emil, right?"

"Oh, yes."

"I like your muscles." Leon blurted out; as if it was nothing in the world to say something out loud like that, much less to some guy you just met.

"I-I don't have any muscles!" Emil stated, his face red before opening the door and leaving the shop.

Leon was smiling when he said that.

He kept walking, bag in hand. His steps becoming quicker, his heartbeat strangely faster. He ran a finger over the shape of his lips before looking down at the ground, his face on fire.

And I was too.

Oh, Iceland's such a cutie. Thanks for reading! Reviews, Follows, Favourites are all greatly appreciated and welcomed. :]