~Author's Note~

Hey guys! Hope everyone is doing well!

This idea kinda hit me out of nowhere, but all I had to do was look up some quick little Jack and Kim videos on YouTube and back in the flow I was. I also stumbled upon the fact that Leo Howard co-starred in Olivia Holt's History music video? I was shocked to say the least, and of course I watched the video and damn that one part with him in that leather jacket and her in that dress. Also might've given me another one-shot au idea (a friends-with-benefits type thing maybe?) but I'm not sure.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy and reviews would be super appreciated! :)

Rated Teen for suggestive material, language, adult humor and extreme amounts of flirting.

Notes: Coffee Shop AU with Jack, Kim and Donna. I didn't include any other characters because I didn't want to, I just wanted the focus to be on Jack and Kim, and I think they may be a tad OOC but I'm not too sure. Jack's a complete flirt in this, even more over the top than usual. Excuse my poor knowledge of coffee shops and horrible humor.

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check my pressure, patch me right up

She does not have a crush on the coffee shop barista.

She does not have a crush on the coffee shop barista.

She does not have a crush on the coffee shop barista.

She does not—"Kimmy?"—dammit.

She definitely has a crush on the coffee shop barista.

He's grinning stupidly wide as she walks back up to the counter to get her coffee, and she can't help but roll her eyes as he slides her coffee across the countertop with his usual swagger. "I told you, it's Kim—you know, Kim, with one syllable—not Kimmy." She catches her coffee before it falls off the counter easily, and pulls out her wallet with her free hand. "God, Kimmy sounds like something a bitchy girl on a reality show would want to be called."

He tries not to laugh but fails miserably and Kim feels her heart race.

Of course his fucking laughter would be as beautiful as him. She swears he was created into existence just to tease her. When his laughter dies down, his mouth quirks into a sly smirk as he says, "I think it sounds cute," and slides two packets of sugar towards her.

Kim searches in her wallet for a moment before handing him two dollar bills and seven dimes. Their fingers brush as the money exchanges hands and it takes all of her to will her cheeks not to turn bright red. He puts the money in the cash register in it's respective order as Kim sticks her wallet back in her pocket. She grabs her sugar at the same time the barista looks back up, and that damned grin of his is back and causing butterfly after butterfly to tingle in her stomach. Damn him.

"Thank you for your business darling," he chimes, same as always.

She knows that darling fragment is not part of what the employees of Deja Brew are required to say, and the thought does succeed in making her blush. Or maybe that's because she always ends up cracking and blushing by the time he's thanking her for spending her hard-earned money on cups of coffee.

She smiles back at him and turns to leave, but before she can he's grabbing her by the wrist and whipping her back around to face him. Her skin burns at his touch, but not in a bad way.

"Also," he breathes out in a whisper—and yes, he was made for the universe to just tease her—"I know you can nail that hundred on your writing test today. Good luck."

And just like that her wrist is cold and his touch is gone, but he does bother with tossing her another grin over his shoulder as he turns and heads towards the line of grumpy patrons waiting to be served their early morning drinks. Kim hesitates for a minute before being able to persuade her feet to move her towards the door. The bell above the door rings as she exits the homely coffee shop, and the barista can't help but watch her as she leaves.

Kim Crawford had started going to the Deja Brew coffee shop a month prior, and she tries to convince herself that the reason she ends up there every morning at eight sharp before her first college class of the day is because of the coffee but in all honestly, the coffee isn't that good.

She definitely does not continue to go there because she has a crush on Jack, the barista.

No.

She goes there for the coffee and the big gooey chocolate chip cookies that are twice the size of her hand and taste like something out of a food magazine.

Kim goes to West Shore University in California, the run of the mill college for her tiny town of Seaford, and her schedule gives her just enough time in the morning to stop at Deja Brew before her classes. It also helps that the shop is located just less than a minute off campus, and Kim thinks the only reason they're operating is because all of the college kids tend to stop there at some time or another and there's a busy intersection one road up that brings in a few stray business men every morning.

Jack Brewer has worked as a barista at the Deja Brew coffee shop for two years now, and he wouldn't want any other job. It was a different story a month ago. Mostly because he gets to see Kim every day now, and that's something he couldn't imagine his life without anymore.

He swears she takes his breath away every time she breezes through that door. Not that he wants her, or needs her because he's got a girlfriend and he's more than happy with life how it is.

No.

He doesn't like her at all.

He choose to get a job over college because he needed to help out his father with medical bills and his mother wasn't in the picture, and for now, the latter sat on the back burner until further notice. He can make one mean Frappuccino, and his baking skills are far more superb than they should be for a guy, but he doesn't care about stereotypes.

Kim's gotten to know Jack extremely well in the month she's known him, and he flirts with her every chance he gets, even though he has a girlfriend. It's no big deal though, and the days when his girlfriend visits him at work all blur together anyway.

She thinks she'd be a way better girlfriend than Donna Tobin.

But she keeps that thought to herself.

Her foot is barely in the door when Jack calls out to her from his spot behind the counter, and Kim beams as she enters the café. It's quiet in the shop today; spare for a mother and her daughter having a very elaborate conversation about colored highlighters in the corner booth and an elderly couple sitting at one of the tables spread out in the middle of the room reading together.

Kim's heart warms at the sight of them happily reading together, the man a newspaper and the woman a tattered novel, while sipping silently at their mugs of coffee. Steam still wafts up from the pastel-colored green and blue mugs, and there's an uneaten cheese danish sitting on a small glass plate in-between the two on the table. An auburn cane rests against the older man's knee, and he taps his foot sluggishly as he reads. The woman sends him a glare every time his knee accidentally knocks into the underside of the table.

Jack notices Kim taking in the café as she approaches him and a lopsided grin appears on his face as he leans over the counter on his arms and greets her. Kim's eyes flicker to the muscle suddenly very present on his forearms before she collects herself and looks over to where he's gesturing at the elderly couple.

"They came in about five minutes after we opened this morning, and have been here since." Kim was surprised they'd stayed so long, Deja Brew opened around six forty-five on a good day and now it was nearing eight-ten. "They talked with me while they were waiting on their coffee—they've been together for fifty-five years. Can you believe that? He's reading the morning paper, and she's reading A Christmas Carol."

Charles Dickens, Kim thought, how fitting for the upcoming winter season.

The leaves were already beginning to fall, and the air had started to pick up a chill.

"They're adorable," Kim whispers, and she can just feel his smile.

Next, he gestures to the mother and daughter in the booth. "They've been bickering about school for a good fifteen minutes. The mother is definitely winning." As if on cue, the daughter raises her voice and smacks her small fists against the table, frowning.

"But Mommy," she yells in a matter-of-fact type of tone, "I need a neon green highlighter! All the other kids have one!" The mother shushes her and sends an apologetic smile to the two nineteen-year-olds by the counter, and Jack just shakes his head to show her no apology is necessary, and then the mother turns back to her daughter.

"You already have a pink and yellow one. I think that's more than enough, honey." She reaches over and takes her daughter's hands in hers, lowering her voice so that Kim has to strain to hear her. "I'm so sorry sweetheart but we don't have any extra money to spend. Maybe next paycheck we can get you a green and blue highlighter, okay?"

The little girl yanks her hands back so she can take a huge bite out of the miniature apple pie in front of her. "Okay."

Kim turns back to Jack to see him looking at the mother and daughter with a faraway look in his eyes, and he has to blink a few times to bring his attention back to her. His usual smugness is back in place before Kim can ask him if he's okay.

"Your usual?" Kim pauses for a moment as Jack's fingers hover over the cash register's buttons.

"Actually," she answers, "could you also add on an extra-large chocolate chip cookie?"

Jack grins, "Of course babe," he says fondly, and Kim rolls her eyes so he doesn't focus on the shade of her cheeks, "so that's one large Americano, with milk and cream and two packets of sugar on the side, along with an extra-large Chocolate Chunk Cookie." Kim nods as he finishes, and the cash register dings as it calculates the total. "That'll be four dollars and sixty-five cents."

Kim fishes out the money as Jack makes her coffee and by the time he returns there's a five dollar bill resting on the counter. "Keep the change," she states as she takes her coffee and sugar packets, and Jack hums as he takes the bill.

"Thank you for your business darling."

Kim groans, "Jack, you're too much for me this early." He chuckles and the cockiness is coming off of him in waves and she can't stand it. In the meantime, Kim walks over to the mother and daughter and hands the little girl her cookie, gaining a hug and a very grateful thank you so much in return. His response doesn't reach her until she's heading out the door.

"Love ya too, Kimmy!"

Jack helps the elderly couple out the door when they decide to leave about thirty minutes later, and pays for the mother and daughter's measly amount of food and drinks out of his own pocket just because he can.

He ignores the nagging part of his brain that tells him Kim's making him a better person.

She's running late today.

The clock inside Deja Brew strikes eight-thirty just as Kim runs through the door, wisps of blonde hair falling out of her messy bun and into her face. She shoves them out of her vision as she struggles with grabbing a five dollar bill out of her pocket, and she doesn't even notice the line of people until she's head-butting one of them.

"Shit, sorry, sorry, I'm so sorry," Kim apologizes profusely, and the woman just turns and gives her a scowl in return. Kim peers around her and sees the massive amount of people waiting for their morning drinks, and her heart sinks. Her class starts in less than five minutes, and she doesn't have enough time to wait for her turn. She's going to have to skip out her coffee and Jack today.

With a heavy sigh, Kim turns towards the door, but before she can Jack's calling her name and grabbing her by the shoulder. "Running late today, Kimmy?" He says as he hands over her usual order, and Kim's mouth falls agape. He did this for her?

Jack notices her shock, and slings an arm around her shoulders to walk her back towards the door. "Yes Kimmy, I totally did just do this for you. I'm awesome, I know, and you're late so get going!" The heat from his arm around her warms her frigid body from the harsh winter air she had just battled outside and she relishes in that fact; Jack must notice too because he gives her a tight squeeze before letting go of her and ushering her out the door.

"Thank you so much Jack," Kim gets out as Jack laughs and waves her away.

"Anytime, darling. Have an amazing day!"

Her day turns out more amazing than she thought it would.

Winter's rolling in. Walking outside is like walking through a literal Winter Wonderland, and Kim's seriously starting to prefer the heat of summer over the frosty edge of winter as the days drag on. Today's no different . . . if you don't count the snowflakes falling from the sky.

Kim succeeds in catching three on her tongue on her way over to Deja Brew, and as soon as she makes it through the doors a staggering wave of heat slams into her. She breathes out a sigh of relief as she strolls up to the counter, but stops short at the sight of Donna Tobin in front of her.

She's wearing the most provocative thing possible that you could wear during a snowstorm, and Kim inwardly calls her a whole load of names she wouldn't want to say in front of her own parents. Her entire upper half is taking up basically the whole counter and Kim almost wants to say yes those pants do make your ass look big because they really do.

She's twirling a strand of her perfectly curled hair with one perfectly manicured finger, while her other hand is busy tracing the veins of Jack's left arm. She's whispering something to him that Kim can't quite catch, thankfully, and the longer she stands there toying with her boyfriend, the more Kim just wants to slap her.

Just her being annoys Kim like nothing else.

Kim waits patiently for Jack to notice her and when he finally does his face lights up and he pulls back from Donna like she's fire and he's just gotten burned.

"Babe!" He says affectionately, and Donna whips around so fast Kim's astonished her head stays attached to her body. Her rosy red lips tug downwards into a scathing glower, but Kim doesn't shrink under her strong gaze. Instead, she stands up straighter and looks at Jack confidently, causing Donna's glare to intensify and Jack to have to stifle a laugh. He's looking at Kim with an expression she can't read, but brushes it off and pushes by Donna so she can order her morning drink.

"One extra-large hot chocolate with extra chocolate, please."

"Coming right up, babe."

Donna's mouth drops open comically, and Kim avoids looking directly at Jack because if she looks at him she knows she's going to laugh.

"Who—Who the hell are you?" Donna sputters, and her voice is high-pitched and just so infuriating. It's like the nails-on-a-chalkboard voice of all voices and Kim hates it, hates her, because how can somebody like her get someone like Jack? It's not fair, and her big ass—

"This is Kim." Jack cuts in from his spot by the hot chocolate machine, and Kim can see him hiding a smirk, "She's a regular." Donna's eyes flare, and Kim is reminded of a volcano about to erupt. Oddly enough, Donna looks just like one.

"Do you have a problem with me, hon?" Kim inquires in a super sweet tone, and Jack does laugh this time but shuts up extremely quick when Donna sends him a lethal look.

"No . . . no I don't. Just a problem with my boyfriend at the moment."

After Kim receives and pays for her hot chocolate, Jack pushes Donna over the edge. "Thank you for your business, darling." Donna's eyes widen to the size of saucers, and her hands clench at her sides so hard that her knuckles turn white.

"Goodbye Jack," Kim says as she takes her leave, and she swears she can hear Donna's yell from all the way down the street.

She smiles and takes a sip of her drink.

"We're still dating."

"Why?"

Jack shrugs as he wipes down the counter with a rag. "Because."

"Because why?" Kim counters, looking determinedly at him.

He switches gears and turns around to start her coffee and Kim ties not to look at the muscles of his back as he makes her drink. (She fails.) It's the next day, and Kim had asked Jack how the day before had panned out. She wasn't expecting him to say he was still not single.

"Because she's been my girlfriend for two years. We had fun in the beginning, and we really did care for each other, but now it's different." He pauses, and Kim can see his shoulders shake from a heavy exhale. "I think I'm still hoping that if I press her buttons enough she'll go back to how she used to be. She was tolerable back then, and a sweetheart. Now . . . now not so much."

Kim stays silent as he finishes her drink, and when he turns around there's a somber look in his eyes. "I'm too afraid to leave her, you know. I don't like being alone too much. She fills the void. She makes me happy." Kim picks up on the change in his voice when he says that last part, but she doesn't comment on it.

"You're too sweet for a girl like her."

She holds out her money and he takes it, a twinkle in his eye. "She was too sweet for a guy like me once upon a time. The scales gotta even out sometime." Kim doesn't answer, and Jack hands Kim her drink. "Thank you for your business darling. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

That downcast look in his eyes haunts her for the rest of the day.

"Dance with me."

Kim looks up from her wallet, startled and confused. "What?"

"Dance with me." He repeats, smiling.

There's soft music playing from the café's speakers today, but it's so low she can barely hear it. "Jack, I'm not going to dance with you. I have class and there's no time—"

Jack doesn't let her finish and vanishes into the backroom without another word. Kim busies herself with putting her wallet back into her pocket, and by the time she's looking up again, Jack's back in front of her and the music is louder and thrumming through the shop. Kim backs up and shakes her head, holding up her hands.

It's some pop song playing, something she's heard in passing on the radio, and it's got a beat and some oomph to it but this is not the time nor place to dance. She's not spontaneous. "Jack, I'm serious," she says, but her voice doesn't come out as tough as she had wanted it to.

Jack leaps up and slides across the counter, landing on his feet flawlessly in front of her and grabbing her hands. Then he pulls her with him as he starts dancing wildly around the place, and Kim has no choice but to follow. He jumps on tables and does pretend guitar solos on chairs, and Kim's giggling and dancing along in no time.

She twirls and flips and his laughter mixes in with the music after a while, and his apron flutters around him like a cape as he moves. By the end of the song he makes his way back to her and pulls her into a hug, lifting her up and spinning her around.

The radio spokesperson's voice crackles through the overhead speaker as Jack releases Kim and puts her down, but keeps a grip on her hips as he looks at her. "That was Counting Stars by One Republic and this is 102.7, California's top radio station. Now here's something slower for all of you listeners out there who'd rather listen to something mellow this early in the morning. Enjoy."

Kim gasps as I'm Yours by Jason Mraz starts playing over the speakers, "I love this song!" She whispers as Jack smiles and moves his hands up to hold her own. They start swaying together as they slow dance to the melody, and Kim feels like her heart is going to burst from the joy she feels in this moment.

She also notices how tall he is up close; he's at least a head taller than her, and he's big too—sturdy and broad in all the right places. His brown hair is cut to his shoulders and glamorous as always, he uses the best hairspray out there he'd told her one day, and his cologne smells like summer and his eyes are kind and he's looking at Kim like she's the most important thing in his world.

His apron is crooked over his black v-neck, and there's already a large coffee stain on his jeans. He's got a necklace on that's hugging his neck and a few bracelets on his left wrist. He's so goddamn handsome, and Kim just wants him. Kim's not one to chase after guys or anything of the sort, but Jack's something special, she'll admit that.

From his attitude to his looks, he's the whole package and then some.

Kim's brought back to the present by Jack suddenly spinning her, but he does it gently, carefully and she laughs as he brings her back towards him. Their faces are close, close enough that they could kiss, and then they stop swaying. They stare at each other for a long moment before they're shaken out of their moment by the next part of the song.

Jack can't help but just look at her for a moment.

Her bright blonde hair flows down her back elegantly, and it's so long and all Jack wants to do is run his fingers through it. She's got the brightest smile he's ever seen and she's shorter than him, but that's quite alright. On her right hand she has two small bands and on her left, she has her class ring and a cute bangle.

She's wearing a dark blue sweatshirt with the words 'WSU' tattooed across the front in big white letters and black sweatpants to boot. She's not dressed up at all, but Jack's never seen anyone more beautiful.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" She questions, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry. I can't help it. You're just . . . so fucking beautiful." He smiles thoughtfully at her before he brings her closer, and Kim gives in and rests her head against his chest. He wraps his arms around her lower waist while hers hang lazily around his neck and as he leans his head against hers he breathes shakily against her.

"Jack?" She mumbles uncertainly as she tries to pull back to see what's wrong, but he doesn't let her.

"My mother left my father and me when I was young. That's why I'm so afraid of being alone. I was—I was alone my whole childhood. I've been alone my whole life. My dad's a mean old son of a bitch. He's never been there for me. Now he's old and I'm helping him pay his medical bills, but I don't think he's going to get better. I hate him, but I can't lose him Kimmy."

Kim doesn't know what to say, but before she can put much thought into it Jack's talking again. They sway to the song leisurely, but peacefully, and neither notice too much when the song ends and another slow-paced one begins.

"I tried to get rid of my loneliness. I really did. I was what you could call a player from middle school to high school, and I treated girls like shit. That was until I met Donna, and my world changed. She changed me. Made me better."

Jack sniffles and Kim's grasp tightens.

"Donna made me better and feel so not alone," he says slowly; like he's thinking out his next words cautiously, "but you've changed my whole world, Kimmy." She has no control over the next words that leave her mouth but they're nothing but the truth.

"You've changed mine too."

They dance the rest of the morning away.

A few months pass.

Jack and Kim grow closer and life is going okay.

Okay is a really good place for them.

Kim busts through the café door one morning, berserk.

Jack blinks dumbly as she storms over to him, frozen with his mop in the middle of a soapy puddle, and he gulps as she points an accusing finger in his face. "How dare you, Brewer!" She snaps angrily, eyes ablaze and dripping hatred. "How dare you not tell me?"

Jack drops the mop and holds both his hands up in surrender and takes a step back. The mop handle crashes into the floor with a loud crack that causes Jack to flinch.

"What—What—W-What didn't I tell you?" And he literally stutters, terrified of Kim and afraid she's going to actually attack him. Kim takes a step forwards so that she's in his face again and Jack feels like this is the end like he's going to die right here and now, and hopefully Deja Brew can survive without him and—

"How dare you not tell me that I could have been getting a full dollar discount off my coffees because I'm a WSU student!"

Jack stares at her for a long second and then starts laughing. He can't help it. Kim lets out a roar of anger and goes after him, beating her fists against his chest while he tries to shield himself with his arms. "You asshole!" She yells, smacking him, "How dare you!"

Jack just laughs harder and Kim takes another step forwards but she's not paying attention and her foot slides because of the soap. Jack's reflexes allow him to catch her around the waist before she falls, and then he's holding her, her back flush against his chest, and his arms wrapped around her waist. His laughter has subsided but Kim's anger hasn't. Fucking asshole. But then Jack has to push her, of course he does, and it's the biggest mistake of his life.

"Wet floor babe," he declares with a cocky grin.

Kim kicks him in the groin and Jack regrets it instantly.

(From then on she gets a two dollar discount on everything.)

"I broke up with Donna."

Jack gives no warning as he says it, he just says it and Kim's ecstatic.

But she has to collect herself before answering. "Really?"

Jack nods as he slides her drink towards her and she catches it. "Really." He says before taking her meager amount of cash, "I, uh . . . wanted something better. Donna wasn't it."

Kim's lips slip into a smile on their own account.

One morning he greets her with her order already made and a kiss.

He walks around the counter, mutters "Fuck it," under his breath and kisses her.

Kim's breath is gone.

It's loving and gentle and hot and heavy all at the same time and Kim finds herself tangling her hands in his hair to pull him closer to her. He groans but responds with an even deeper kiss and soon they have to break apart for air. Jack holds her close and cradles her cheek with his hand, grinning like a madman.

"I've been waiting to do that since forever," he whispers and Kim scoffs playfully.

"Took you long enough."

He kisses her again and she swears she'll never get used to it because his kisses are amazing. His lips taste like the chocolate chip cookie he snuck a bite of before she walked in and he smells like coffee and pastries and everything is just perfect. He's perfect. This whole thing is perfect.

"Hey Kimmy," he says in a murmur, "I really like you."

Kim beams. "I really like you too."

He chuckles as he pulls her close and she closes her eyes and just takes it all in.

She just might—might—have a crush on the coffee shop barista.

And the coffee shop barista just might have a crush on her.

you're too good to be