Tennis Oneshots

8. Alex de Minaur - cute coffee shop boy

HOLY. CRAP. this thing got a 1000 reads?!?!? thank you so much y'all i couldn't do this without you! seriously i love writing this bc of your amazing comments :)

The first time he had walked into the small coffee shop you worked at, you were certain it had been by mistake. He was dressed too nicely to be in what was possibly the worst rated coffee shop in Sydney.

You were paid to work there and got free coffee. Okay, maybe that last one doesn't really count as an advantage, as the nearly empty cup on the counter next to you was all anyone needed to pass judgement on the quality. You spent your shifts mostly in silence, only the occasional person desperate enough for a cup of coffee stepping inside. It was so slow most of the time, you were usually the sole barista in the shop.

Just when you were bored out of your mind, the bell above the door chimed and drew your attention to the newcomer. He was tall, dark haired, and handsome. He was dressed in a nice suit, his hair styled neatly.

"How can I help you?" You questioned, though it wasn't supposed to come out as confused as it did. The man approached the counter, a friendly smile on his face. You had to remind yourself that you were at work and you needed to stop thinking about how cute he was.

"What would you recommend?" His eyes traced over the menu briefly before shifting back to you. You bit your lip, torn between doing what your employers wanted you to do and telling the truth. His smile had you reaching for your cup, casting a glance over your shoulder despite the fact that you were the only two in the shop. There definitely weren't any cameras, the owners were way too cheap for that.

"Honest recommendation? I'd go somewhere else." You joked, waving your cup in between the two of you before taking a sip, making him laugh.

"But what if I wanted to stay here?" He replied once his laughter died down, his easy grin still on his face. You shot him a quick questioning look, wondering why he would want to stay in a coffee shop where the barista actively suggest going somewhere else. But then again, was it really any of your business? He was just a good looking man trying to order a coffee.

"I usually get an iced coffee."

You had thought that was going to be the extent of your interactions with the cute stranger. After all, the shop rarely had any returning customers. But sure enough, two days later, he returned.

This time, he was dressed more casually, his suit replaced with jeans and a sweatshirt. You hadn't noticed him at first, since you were busy getting supplies out of the supplies room, but he was standing at the counter when you returned.

"Hi!" You winced internally at how excited you sounded. "What can I get you?" 

"Another iced coffee, but only if you get one too and we can talk."

And so, you and the cute stranger developed a habit of drinking shitty coffee and chatting when no one else was in the shop. You learned his name was Alex, and that he was a nice, fun guy to be around.

You tried not to think about why he kept coming back to the shop, but had a slight hunch that did so just to see you. But of course, nothing could stop the crush you developed on him. He always seemed genuinely interested in what you had to say. He was too sweet, and his accent never failed to melt your heart.

Currently, you were at your friend's house for a much overdue hangout. You had never been a fan of tennis - or sports, really - but that didn't stop you from watching the match she had on. She had mentioned it was a singles match against team Australia and team Canada for the atp cup, whatever that meant.

You were trying to understand what was happening, when the players walked over to their benches for a break. The camera focused in on the player for team Australia and your jaw dropped to the floor.

"No way, oh my god." You gushed, eyes glued to the picture on the screen even when your friend shot you a confused glance. "That's Alex, from work."

"Cute coffee shop boy is Alex de Minaur?" Now your friend was just as surprised as you, and all you could do was nod enthusiastically. Her expression shifted into one of amusement and she started laughing loudly, clearly at you. "I seriously cannot believe you've been having mini coffee dates with a professional tennis player and you didn't even know it."

"They aren't dates!" You protested, no matter how much you wished it could have been true. "We're just friends."

"Mhm, whatever you say." Your friend mocked, and you didn't reply. You simply rolled your eyes and hoped she wouldn't call you out on your blushing.

The next day when Alex arrived at the shop, you already had started on the drinks. He waited for you to walk around the counter before heading to the table the two of you usually sat at.

"So I, uh, figured out where you work." You started, plastering an uneasy grin on your face. You weren't sure if he actually wanted you to know he was a pro athlete, he had never brought it up once during the various times you had gotten coffee together.

"You didn't know?" There was a small smile on his face, and one of his brows were quirked upwards. He wasn't being cocky, just genuinely curious.

"I mean, I don't follow tennis, like at all, so it was kinda shocking to see the cute boy from work on the tv—" You cut yourself off when you realized what you had said. His smile grew, and you knew your blush was very obvious.

"Cute, huh?"

You dropped your head into your hands, trying to hide your face as Alex chuckled. "It could be worse." He started, and you glanced at him between your fingers. "You could have been buying really bad coffee for three weeks straight just to have an excuse to talk to the cute barista." You were still blushing at his words, but now you dropped your hands and were smiling back at him.

"I tried to warn you, the coffee here is shit." You reached out, placing a hand over his on the table. His grin grew, and you felt a surge of confidence. "But, I am glad you stayed." 

His thumb started absentmindedly rubbing over the top of your hand, and you swore you could have died happy in that moment.

"Yeah, I'm glad I stayed too."

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happy new year!! 

send me requests for players you'd like me to write for :)

qotc: who do you think is gonna do really well on the tour this year?

ans: i've got my eyes on jannik  👀