Summary: All Cisco wanted was a good cup of coffee and some quiet time alone. How is it that he somehow keeps coming out to his friends over coffee? And why is it that he needs to come out in the first place? Though, in the end, he figures there could be worse ways to come out.

A/N: Please forgive me. This was written after binge-watching all three seasons of The Flash. Three times. In about a month time where I've actually been busy. And yet I couldn't get this out of my mind. Just a silly friendship fic where Cisco somehow always comes out to his friend over coffee. I hope you guys can enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Coffees and Coming Outs

All Cisco had wanted was a triple shot latte with extra caramel syrup. It had been a long day and night, with The Flash, Kid Flash, and Vibe running around all over town to stop this group of five evil metahumans. They had managed, barely, with the assist of Joe and the CCPD, for which Cisco was grateful, and because it was basically just Caitlin and himself running STAR labs, it's not as if it would hurt anyone if he didn't show up at eight am on the dot for once. So, after five hours of sleep, walking into Jitters the next day for his coffee fix at twenty-seven past nine instead of brewing some himself in the Cortex at three minutes past eight really wasn't too much. Cisco knew that he wasn't asking too much.

Which is why he didn't understand the universe had taken it onto himself to punish him and make his ex-boyfriend the new barista at CC Jitters.

Cisco groaned and threw his head in his neck, ready to turn on his heels and walk out of the coffee shop – the line wasn't long like it would have been an hour earlier, but still long enough that he wouldn't have been seen by the Evil Ex – but as faith would have it, Barry just walked in and spotted Cisco, shuffling them both further in the line.

"Good morning," Barry greeted him, but upon seeing Cisco's face he added: "Or not such a good morning… Dude, are you okay?"

"Not really," Cisco muttered.

"What is it?" Barry asked worriedly. "I thought those painkillers that Caitlin made helped with the, you know," he lowered his voice a bit, "The portal jumping migraines. And usually you just sleep it off, right?"

Cisco shook his head. "That's not it, dude, chill," he said.

"Oh," Barry responded. "Then what is it?"

They shuffled another spot along in the line and now there was only one person ahead of them. Cisco sighed. So much for treating himself by sleeping in and getting coffee from Jitters. He should've just gotten up in time and made coffee at work as usual.

"The barista?" he muttered, and Barry nodded. "That's my ex."

"Oh," he responded intellectually. Cisco thought he had understood, but the tall idiot looked at the girl at the end of the bar fighting with the espresso machine instead of the guy taking the orders and suggested: "Hey, I can pick up the orders while you hang back if that's easier?"

"What?" Cisco looked at him as if he was kidding. Of course Barry wasn't kidding, the dude was just painfully oblivious and the girl totally was his type, all legs and determined look on her face, even though she was still glaring at the espresso machine, which hey, but not the point. He shook his head. "No, not her, I mean –"

But before he could explain, the person in front of them had paid and moved towards the bar, and they were up to place their order.

"Hello," his evil ex said, without looking up from the screen. "Welcome to Jitters, what can I get," he finally looked up, and trailed off the usual welcome sentence all employees had to say. "For you today…" His eyes darted between Cisco and Barry, and Cisco had to suppress the impulse to roll his eyes.

"I'd like a double shot latte, and a triple shot latte with extra caramel syrup. To go." Cisco occupied himself with looking for his wallet in his messenger bag while Barry placed his order (two Flashes) and he dropped the exact amount of money he had to pay on the counter. He fiddled with his phone, just so he didn't have to look at the Evil Ex, until Barry got his change and then they both walked to the back to wait for their drinks.

"Dude," Barry said as soon as they were out of hearing range. "What was that? And why was that guy giving you the kicked-puppy eyes?"

"Like I said," Cisco muttered, still annoyed. "My ex." The Evil Ex that had major trust-issues and had dumped him because pansexuality was a bigger fake-out than bisexuality.

"Oh," Barry responded.

"Yeah," Cisco said. He took a breath and started ranting. "Seriously, first Kendra made this place awkward for me, even though then it got better, but then Gypsy destroyed this place before disappearing to God knows what dimension, again, and now I have to deal with Kyle here? I'd rather get shot at." He stopped waving his arms around and pointed to himself, staring Barry in the eye. "And that's coming from the guy who was complaining not even twelve hours ago how he was sick of always getting shot at by metas."

"Sorry," Barry said empathetically, wincing. "I'm just a bit surprised, I didn't know…"

Cisco frowned. "Dude, you heard me complain about not having a love life and the Evil Ex plenty of times, it's the only ex that I resent." Which was true. Not all break-ups had been amicable, but this was the only one that he still got angry over. "How the hell are you surprised?"

Barry shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. "I just didn't know that you were… You know… Bi?"

"Pan," Cisco corrected automatically as he frowned more. "What do you mean you didn't know? I bitch about that evil bastard all the damn time."

"Well, yeah," Barry said. "But you never said it was a guy or used pronouns or anything."

"Yes, I did."

"No, you're always just using slurs and insults." Cisco let that thought linger for a moment, considering it. That might actually be true. Huh. "Besides," Barry continued, looking to his feet. "You never said you were pan. And you're always swooning over girls." Cisco had to bite his lip to keep his grin hidden because the blush on Barry's cheeks gave away just how embarrassed he was. He chose his next words carefully and spoke slowly. "I'm sorry for assuming you were straight?"

Cisco smiled, shaking his head, and patted his friend on the back. "No worries, dude," he said, and he could see how Barry relaxed. "Now you know. And I know you're cool with it."

At least he was in general. The conversation they'd had over how much Hartley was allowed to be a jackass over what his family had done to him and where he just simply crossed the line had made that clear. Though people still changed their mind at times when it came to bi- and pan-sexuality, or when it came down to their friends.

Their drinks got called and they took the order, walking back towards the door. "Besides," Cisco added in a low whisper. "I got a built-in defibrillator in the suit and I can totally use that against you should you say something dumb." Barry's eyes popped and he nearly tripped over his own feet. Cisco looked over his shoulder, adding: "Just saying."

Cisco stopped at the counter next to the and dropped the coffee sleeve that had additional writing on it in the waste basket, grabbing a new one.

It is not that Cisco hid his sexuality. Hell, he usually made a point to use all pronouns when he talked about exes, just in passing, especially when he just met new people. Caitlin and Ronnie knew before Cisco's second week at STARlabs ended, during a coffee break when the couple had been arguing over which actor had been the better part of the first The Avengers movie. Ronnie argued for Black Widow's general ass-kicking without powers, Caitlin was partial to Dr. Banner's restraint and self-control. Cisco had raised his eyebrows and asked: "Girl, are you for real? Did you not is Chris Evans's ass in that Captain America suit? How is this even an argument?"

(The saddest part – or best part, depending how to look at it – was that this wasn't even close to the first time that Cisco outed himself while geeking out. Cisco kinda liked it, how it would just come naturally because he couldn't keep his bit mouth shut. The only way of coming out that he liked better, was making straight-jokes while half of the people in the room didn't get it and the other half couldn't stop laughing.)

Dr. Wells – the first Wells, the evil actually-Eobard-Thawne Wells – had known about his sexuality as well, even though he'd never said anything about it. Then again, Cisco had put the volunteering work he'd done for the LGBTQ+ society at college on his curriculum vitae for a reason, and if he was completely honest with himself it hadn't just been to diversify his resume. Out of the closet and never back in, he had promised himself that when he went off to college and he had kept that promise to himself.

Even Joe knew about his sexuality. Though he had never literally come out to him, he'd made plenty of jokes with him in those few months that he had been working on the meta-human task force with the CCPD. The detective had quickly learned to not start a sentence with "I need you to be straight with me," because it would be a cold day in hell before Cisco could let those joke go.

(His favorite had been when he'd responded with "I never managed that and I'm afraid I never will, but for you I'll try to get my brain out of the rainbow-colored gutter, go on," that had caused Captain Singh to snort up his coffee through his nose. Joe had run out of breath laughing so hard, all while Cisco tried to maintain the innocent puppy-eyes.)

So really, Cisco was pretty sure everyone who was important to him knew about his sexuality.

That didn't mean he was any less surprised when Julian walked into his workshop, carrying two cups of coffee, sat down in one of the chairs, turned to him and asked what the difference between bisexuality and pansexuality was and why is was important.

Cisco froze in the middle of his worked, straightened his back, turned around and asked: "What?"

"What exactly is the difference between pansexuality and bisexuality? I read the definitions and I don't understand why there's a distinction, but when I said so to Caitlin yesterday over drinks, she tossed her drink in my face, told me I should be more sensitive towards the people I work with, and ran out." Julian sighed and leaned back in his chair. "And I know you identify as pansexual, which is why I figured she was so ticked off by it, but I just don't understand, so I figured I'd better ask before I mess things up again." Julian's eyes widened for a second. "I mean, you do, right? Identify as pansexual? Or am I bloody mistaken again?"

Cisco put down the screwdriver he'd been holding and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I'm pan, yeah," he replied. He shook his head, hand still covering his eyes. "It's too early for this."

It was getting closer to lunchtime and he was starting to get a migraine. When did he become the go-to educator on all things that fell under the LGBTQ+ umbrella?

He heard the wheels of the chair Julian was sitting in roll closer, and all of a sudden, he could see a coffee mug being held out in front of him. He took it and downed half of it in one go. Julian rolled back to his original spot and looked at him expectantly.

"Really?" Cisco challenged. "You really wanna know? You could just go apologize to Caitlin and remember to not give her red wine. Stick to Mojitos, she never throws those in people's faces." Mojitos never lasted long enough around Caitlin to be tossed in people's faces.

"I could," Julian responded.

Cisco waited, slowly sipping the rest of his coffee – too bitter, Julian always drank his black but Cisco needed some sugar – but he didn't get a further reaction from Julian. He sighed. "I'm not gonna get rid of you, am I?"

"Nope."

"Fine. In a nutshell, bisexuality covers the attraction to men and women, while pansexuality goes beyond the binary gender norms and so also takes the genderfluid and genderqueer folks into account."

At Julian's blank stare, Cisco shook his head, set down his cup of coffee and grabbed a marker. "Hold on tight, my dear Watson," he said as he walked towards the glass. "You are in for a ride."

Fifteen minutes later, Julian walked out of his workshop, slightly overwhelmed by information, and Cisco went back to work, the glass with the diagrams and stick figures on them already long forgotten.

Team Flash adjacent was sitting in Jitters, all of them nursing their coffees. They had gone to karaoke the night before, and they'd all had drunk too much. Well. Barry, Wally, and Jesse were fine and happily chattering, but Cisco, Caitlin, Julian, and Iris were suffering from throbbing headaches. Iris and Cisco were wearing sunglasses inside, and Caitlin was hiding behind her hair.

"You guys are too loud," Iris complained, nudging her brother. She passed him her empty cup. "Go get us refills, jackasses. And get yourself decafs." Cisco nodded in agreement. The three of them were too active. Maybe he should spend some more time with Caitlin on that highly distilled ethanol. That way they could get drunk, like the rest of them, and hungover, like the rest of them.

A few more cups were passed to the two youngest speedsters, and a few minutes later Wally and Jesse returned with new cups of steaming coffee. "Three decafs," Wally read out loud from the tag dangling off the ceramic cup, placing them on the far end of the table where the three speedsters sat together, as far away from team hangover as possible. "One dark roast with creamer for you, sis. Boring drip with nothing for Julian, a double shot latte for Caitlin."

"Aaaand," Jesse said, placing the last cup in front of Cisco. "A triple shot latte with extra caramel syrup for Cisco." He frowned. Earlier he'd ordered the same as Caitlin, a double shot latte. How did his comfort drink end up in front of him?

"And, oh, will you look at that," Wally grinned. "It's a napkin with a message!" Cisco lifted his head the bare minimum and glared at Wally, momentarily forgetting that it had no effect with the sunglasses on.

"Wanna catch up?" Jesse read out loud as she bounced into her seat. "And it has a phone number on it! From the cute guy with the green eyes."

Cisco groaned and glanced at the bar, and yup, it was Kyle the Evil Ex preparing the drinks this morning. He ignored Wally's high-pitched 'You think he's cute?' and waved his hand in front of Julian.

"What?" he snapped back.

"Do you still have that lighter?" Cisco asked.

"Lighter? What lighter?"

"The one you were lighting up shots with last night," Caitlin responded before he could. "While you were claiming you live for danger. You lit your jacket on fire by accident last night."

Julian frowned. "When did that happen?" he asked as he was patting down his pockets. He found it in the left pocket, where burn marks were visible on the fabric, and handed it to Cisco.

"I think that was after Barry sang 'Highway to Hell,' but before Caitlin stole that couple's drinks," Iris said.

"I stole people their drinks?"

"Yes," Barry confirmed. "You were black-out drunk before I sang that song, though."

"Wait, was that before or after Cisco sang?" Julian wanted to know.

"Cisco sang?" Caitlin asked.

"Damn straight I did," Cisco replied. "Jesse, gimme that napkin."

Jesse handed it to him. "I wouldn't have called it straight, though," she said.

"No," Wally grinned. "That Lady Gaga impression definitely was anything but straight."

Cisco flipped his hair over his shoulder and slid his sunglasses further down his nose, glancing over them, which damn this hangover was going to kill him. "I was born this way, bitch," he said dramatically, before flicking on the zippo lighter and burning up the napkin, letting the ashes fall into the coffee cup.

"Whoa!"

Everyone had leaned backwards, away from the fire, staring at him like he was crazy. It took a few seconds, but then Caitlin asked. "Kyle the Evil Ex?" Cisco nodded, hearing his friends make noises of understanding – ignoring the confused "What? Who?" from Julian, that is – as he watched the flames lick at the napkin. He dumped the remaining piece in the cup, took a deep breath, picked up the cup and walked to the girl who was taking the orders, happy that there wasn't a line.

"Hi," Cisco said, slipping his sunglasses on his head and setting the cup on the counter. "I'd like another double shot latte, preferably without, you know, getting harassed by that asshole."

The girl's eyes lit up. "Do you wanna make an official complaint?" Cisco raised his eyebrows at that, confused. She waved her hand, explaining: "It would be the third complaint he had during his first month, and bad treatment of customers is a big no-go and that would mean I wouldn't have to deal with his bigotry anymore."

Cisco smiled. "Anything to stop the bigotry," he said, trying to turn on the charm. His hangover won in the end, though. "But first another coffee would be nice, though."

The girl nodded happily, tapping on the screen. "Double shot latte, coming right up." She looked at him, smiling. "Go ahead and take a seat, I'll come bring it myself."

Cisco smiled. "Wanna make sure I file that complaint?"

"That, plus, no one deserves to have to go through that guy's biphobic rants." She leaned over and stage-whispered to him conspiringly. "Especially when hungover."

Cisco grinned. "Imagine being pan and having dated that asshole." Normally Cisco would pay closer attention to not curse in front of people, at least that quickly, but the barista just winced before smiling. Cisco thanked her, paid for his drink, and left a generous tip.

He returned to his seat, and Caitlin and Barry were looking at him, both with a single raised eyebrow. Cisco just shrugged and tried his best puppy-eyes, before putting his sunglasses back on. Jesse and Wally continued discussing whose karaoke had been the best, rehashing how Caitlin had done a remarkable Spice Girls cover – and by remarkable they meant remarkable that no one ran out with bleeding ears. Caitlin had just buried her head in her arms, trying to forget the few things she could remember.

A few minutes later, the female barista appeared at the table. "One tall double shot latte. Enjoy."

She'd turned and walked back to the counter before Cisco could thank her, let alone register the extra whipped cream or the cocoa powder she'd put over it.

"Duuuude," Barry said slowly. "How do you have game while hungover?"

The napkin that the girl had left at the table was being passed by all his friends before it returned to him.

Just so you know, not all us baristas got their mind stuck in a shoebox. Call me. And then what he presumed was her phone number.

Cisco smiled, folded the napkin and tucked it in his pocket, thinking that maybe accidentally coming out over coffees maybe wasn't the worst way to go.

A/N: FYI, the stick figures, diagrams, and lines and stuff on the glass? That's stuff that I used at volunteering work with the LGBTQ+ organisation in the past to explain teenagers the difference between gender and sex, the Kinsey Scale, the difference between the sexual and the romantic spectra, etc. So yeah. That's a thing. And of course Cisco would explain it that way, he's a scientist, diagrams and graphs for the win! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the read!