A/N: I read someone's suggestion for a headcannon on tumblr the other day that involved a frazzled business man Sasuke going to visit his favorite barista and it gave me this idea! I don't normally write AUs but I really enjoyed coming up with this one. I hope you enjoy reading it as well!

Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop

He came in every morning and she was always prepared. Before he even reached the counter to order, she would have his coffee ready, sitting in front of the register ready for him to pick up. Occasionally, she would pick out a fresh baked scone or muffin for him, something she thought he might like, and he would be sure to give her his thoughts on the treat the next morning.

Her name tag read 'Sakura' and although they had never formally introduced themselves, somewhere along the line he had mentioned his name was Sasuke. With this knowledge, she would write his name on his paper cup for him, and some days it would be accompanied with a smiley face or a symbol for whatever holiday it may have been – a pumpkin for Halloween, a Santa hat for Christmas, and once even a heart for Valentine's Day.

He was almost always in a rush when he came into the small café at exactly 7:12 each morning. The office kept him busy, and his boss was constantly dumping new projects with close due dates on his desk. Late nights and early mornings had become Sasuke's routine, but he always made time to get coffee.

When he walked into the shop on Monday morning, she was standing at the register, and she peeked behind the shoulder of the customer she was taking an order from to give him a smile. There were a few people sitting at the shiny black tables scattered throughout the café, eating simple breakfasts of scrambled eggs and toast. It was a small place, with only eight tables for customers to choose from, but it was cozy and Sasuke enjoyed the sleek, modern atmosphere.

The customer before him took the number that Sakura handed him and went to wait for his order at a table. Sasuke stepped up to the counter and gave her a nod.

"Good morning," she greeted cheerfully despite the early hour. Her unusual pink hair was pulled back into a ponytail that morning, leaving only her bangs to frame her heart-shaped face. The staff at the café all wore black, and Sasuke always thought the tight-fitting black t-shirts she wore suited her well.

"Morning," he responded pleasantly. He reached up to adjust the silky black tie around his neck as she set a large paper cup in front of him.

"This is a new blend we got in last night," she said. "It's from Tanzania. It's pretty bold, but it's low in acidity. Try it. If you don't like it, I can get your usual."

"Thank you," he said and raised the cup to his lips. She had prepared this for him a while ago, as it was the perfect temperature to drink. He took a sip and let the dark liquid coat his tongue. She was right, the flavor was bold, robust, with a wonderful citrusy after-taste that lingered in his mouth. The acidity was non-existent in the blend, and when he swallowed it felt as though he had just swallowed warm water. Her eyes searched his face for a reaction and he smirked. "It's wonderful."

"You like it?" she said with a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. A few customers weren't too happy with the boldness. But since you like it, we'll keep it." She smiled again and Sasuke's eyes were drawn to her glossed lips.

He had been coming to the café every weekday morning for the past year, and he felt she had developed this smile just for him. They had flirted during his morning visits, so subtly that one really had to read between the lines to even see it. They occasionally brushed fingers as she handed him his coffee and he would stay and chat with her if he had a rare few extra minutes in the morning.

Sasuke realized he had been staring at her lips a little too long, and he quickly looked down, digging into his pocket for his wallet and cursing himself for not having the courage to ask her what time she got off work, or if she was available on weekends. It was too cliché for him. Too many of his officemates bragged about hitting on their baristas, and Sasuke was not that type. Finally, he managed to pull his wallet out from the clenches of his pocket.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Sakura said, waving it away. "This one's on me today."

This was a first, and she smiled cutely at Sasuke's surprised expression. "Thank you," he said and glanced at his watch with a frown. "I better go; I have a meeting and a project to turn in."

She nodded but paused, remembering something. "Oh, wait. I almost forgot." She reached beneath the counter and held up a brown paper bag, stamped with the café's logo of falling leaves. "Pumpkin scones with a maple glaze," she explained. "The owner is trying a new recipe. Give one to your boss, maybe they'll be so good he'll give you less work." She smirked playfully and he took the bag with a smirk of his own.

"Thank you, Sakura. You didn't have to do that."

She glanced down at the screen on her register, a mild blush touching her cheeks. "Well, I thought you would be a good person to test them out. There are extras. You can pass them around the office."

"I will," he said, taking in the cinnamon aroma coming from the bag. He was not a fan of sweet things, and she knew that, so she always made sure to only give him baked goods that edged on the savory side. He glanced at his watch again and looked up at her. "I'll let you know how they are tomorrow."

"Thanks," she said with a sweet smile. "Have a good day."

"You too." He tipped his coffee cup in a sort of salute to her and walked outside, the chilly fall wind mussing his hair.

He slid into his car and set the bag of scones in the passenger's seat. On a whim, he glanced at his coffee cup. That day, Sakura had written his name in a delicate cursive script just beneath the lid with a smiley face added next to it. He smirked at this and wondered if she wrote this way on other customer's cups. He moved to place the coffee in the cup holder, but as he did something caught his attention. The cardboard coffee sleeve, guarding against the hot paper cup, slipped down at the movement, revealing the top of a sentence hidden beneath it. Curiously, he pulled the sleeve from the cup to see the message.

Let's drink coffee together someday, okay?

-Sakura

Beneath her signature was a phone number. Sasuke stared at it, dumbfounded. She had done what he had not been able to do in a year. He considered going back into the café and giving her an answer then and now, but he was already late for work. He decided he would spend the day figuring out how to lighten his work load. After all, if he was going to be dating, he would need to have some free time.

Suddenly looking forward to the day ahead, he started his car and pulled out of the strip mall parking lot, where the café was located. He would call her when he got home from work that day. After all, he had to tell her what he thought about the scones.