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alleiwentcrazy · 1 year

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Now with a part two!

There’s a guy that comes to the cafe Eddie’s working at. Every other day, he comes to the counter, smiles at Eddie and gives him a post-it with “hi, an americano with two sugars please :)” written on it. He has a different color of post-it assigned for every day. Eddie smiles back and makes the americano, trying to keep his heart from jumping out of his chest.

Needless to say, the guy is insanely cute. He has swoopy chestnut hair, droopy, almost puppy-like eyes, and two moles on his neck that make him look like he’s been bitten by a vampire. Eddie’s not sure if he finds it more adorable or sexy; either way, he’s definitely developed a crush. And now, after months of trying to gather up his courage to say hi, after months of pining and staring from afar... He’s still nowhere near ready to talk to him. And Chrissy’s not letting him live it down.

“You’re insufferable,” she whispers to him frantically when the guy comes through the door on the first Monday of December. “Do something more than smile dumbly or I’ll fire you.”

“You can’t fire me,” Eddie hisses back as he tries to dust pastry crumbs off of his shirt.

“I’m the manager. I can do whatever I want,” she chirps back and goes on to cleaning the machines that don’t need to be cleaned, because Eddie did that twenty minutes ago.

The guy comes to the counter. There are snowflakes in his hair, big and soft. Eddie thinks that they compliment his eyes—then he realizes that it’s a weird thing to notice about a stranger.

The stranger smiles. Eddie smiles back. Today’s post-it is light purple.

Eddie makes the americano. It’s muscle memory at this point, he’s not even thinking about what he’s doing until he has to force a lid onto the cup and serve it to his customer. Hell, whatever. He grabs a sharpie and bends down to drabble something on the cup, trying not to spill the coffee. He manages to draw an ugly looking snake that was supposed to be a dragon, cringes, writes “Have a nice day!” underneath it and prays that it isn’t too weird.

Of course it is. But, miraculously, the guy looks at it, huffs a tiny laugh and smiles right at Eddie and – yeah, whatever, curse him – the whole room lights up. Yes, it’s sappy. Sue him. He could be sappy for this guy—if the guy wanted it.

He takes his coffee and leaves, but before he crosses the threshold, he turns back and waves at Eddie, using only three fingers. It’s a small wave, but a wave nonetheless, so Eddie sends him his best grin and waves back.

When he’s finally out, Eddie bends over the counter and groans. Chrissy pats him between the shoulderblades, mocking sympathy. “You’re on probation,” she whispers. Eddie groans once again. This is hell.

***

He has to call in sick on Wednesday. Now that he’s thinking about it, he kind of knew that the mayo smelled funny and it wasn’t good anymore. But he’s a broke college student and he had a choice: stale bread with mayo and a slice of tomato, or just stale bread with a slice of tomato. These weren’t even real choices. It was suffering or suffering.

Apparently, he’d chosen double suffering, and he had a whole night of hurling to prove it. Good thing he doesn’t have to send Chrissy any photos of what he had to deal with – when he calls, she cuts him off with “Just take my afternoon shift tomorrow and we’re even. You’ll miss out on your cutie, it’s a punishment in and of itself,” and goes on with her day.

Eddie’s so grateful for Chrissy. He wouldn’t get anywhere without her.

***

Eddie doesn’t expect his guy to come on Thursday, it isn’t his regular schedule, so he’s in for a surprise when his morning shift ends and turns into Chrissy’s afternoon shift, and then, some time later, his guy comes in—and he’s not alone.

He’s with a girl. With a pretty, pretty girl, who has beautifully curly brown hair, inquisitive eyes and kind but determined expression on her face. There’s something quite unique about her; Eddie thinks, briefly, that she looks like she’s from another era. Like if they were living in the 80s, she would have a perm, wear bold lipstick and have a whole wall of degrees and certificates in her office. She seems to be destined for great things. She’s a badass.

Eddie’s nothing like her. He tries to swallow down the jealousy as they near the counter. His – his? – guy looks surprised, but smiles either way, his eyes lighting up in a matter of seconds.

“Hi,” the girl says. Her own smile is so nice and warm Eddie can’t stay mopey for too long. “I’ll have a latte with two shots of espresso, and…”

She turns to the guy beside her, but Eddie doesn’t have to know the answer. “An americano with two sugars. On it.”

Their eyes lock for a second. The guy seems a bit shy, but he’s still smiling. Eddie counts that as a win. But he’s still quick with their coffees. He can sense the staring contest they’re having even while he has his back turned to them. He kinda wants them gone, but they didn’t ask for to go, so he just tries to stay calm. Focused. Sharp.

Fortunately, he doesn’t spill anything. They get their order and sit in a corner. It doesn’t look like a date, they pull out books and notes, scribble and sign from time to time. The girl clearly knows more than just the basics of ASL, unlike Eddie. Since the guy started showing up, he’s been trying to learn more about it, but now he makes a mental note to enroll on a course. It’s time to commit – to what, exactly, he’s not sure. But he’s gonna make it happen.

Hours pass, but they stay in the same position. Eddie steals a glance every now and then, trying not to let his jealousy get to the surface again, but it’s hard. The guy is cute, the girl is smart and beautiful. He decides to call Chrissy on his way home – if he has to pine, she’ll suffer with him.

The end of his shift is nearing when he hears a giggle from the godforsaken corner. He looks up from the cups he’s been rearranging and sees that it’s his guy’s girl who’s laughing. She’s laughing at yet another girl, who’s standing outside and drawing hearts on the dirty window. She has a goofy grin on her face, one that makes her eyes and her prominent cheekbones pop even more, and it’s the same grin that the girl inside is wearing at the moment.

Now, Eddie doesn’t know a lot about love, but he definitely recognizes heart eyes when he sees them. He smiles to himself – don’t judge a book by its cover, huh?

His guy looks exasperated about being completely ignored, so he taps the glass a few times. The girl outside looks at him, shocked, like she’s only just seen him now, sticks out her tongue at him, and goes back to blowing kisses at her girlfriend. The guy looks truly wounded. Eddie snorts; the dynamic here is immaculate.

In the meantime, the not-his-guy's girl has gathered her things and prepared to leave. She kisses his cheek on her way out, but the guy stays put, bending over his papers again. Eddie thinks it’s quite interesting. Then, he makes a plan.

When he’s done with work, his guy is still there. Which is perfect. Eddie fixes his hair one last time, trying to gauge whether his outfit is metal enough (it is) for the occasion, and grabs the americano with two sugars he’s made.

It’s alright. Everything’s alright.

His wildly beating heart isn’t so sure about that.

When he gets to his guy’s table, he sets the piece of paper on it first. “Looks like you’re swamped – it’s on the house,” it says. The guy looks up, surprised, his mouth opened in a tiny oh. His eyes go wide for a moment and then he smiles. Something warm settles inside Eddie’s chest.

The guy picks up a pen and writes “Thank you!!!” on Eddie’s piece of paper, but before giving it back, he changes his mind. “I’m Steve,” he scribbles, and then gives it back with a flash of smile.

He smiles a lot. It’s an amazing sight.

“Hello, Steve. I’m Eddie. Nice to meet you,” Eddie replies. “What are you working on?” he adds after a second, because he’s feeling bold and he really doesn’t want to go yet.

The guy – Steve – sighs. He makes some room on the loveseat he’s occupying and pushes his books to the middle. Eddie takes it as a cue to sit down. Their knees bump, Eddie gets goosebumps, but he doesn’t move away. Neither does Steve.

“I’ve got an assignment on modern fantasy and its mythological origins, but I’m not as nerdy as my friends so I’m struggling a bit. Nance helped, but she’s not an expert either and my other nerdy friends went for a trip. Maybe you have any experience?”

Eddie’s eyes open wide and he bounces with excitement, nodding his head along the way. “YES,” he writes, all caps, and Steve huffs another laugh. They look at each other then, Eddie all hyped and ready, Steve—soft? There’s no other way to describe it. His gaze is gentle, almost caring. Eddie can feel his cheeks warm up.

His phone buzzes aggressively in his pocket. He checks it – it’s Chrissy. She’s got her period and she’s out of tampons.

“Shit,” he mumbles. Steve bumps their shoulders.

“What’s up?” he asks.

Eddie picks up the pen. “Tiny emergency, I’m sorry. Tomorrow?”

He knows that his hopeful stare must seem desperate, but Steve reads his reply, looks up and smiles, nodding. Eddie wants to scream victory, but he only nods back and gets up instead. When he’s about to turn and leave, he feels fingers wrap around his hand, delicate but firm. Slowly, Steve opens up his hand and writes something on it.

It’s a phone number. “In case you get sick again :)”

Eddie can’t hold back his dopey smile any longer. When he looks at Steve, the corners of his lips quirk up too. He’s lovely.

Eddie can’t wait for tomorrow.

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retiredpeach · 1 year

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#coffeshop au #hualian fanart #hualian #tgcf xie lian #xie lian fanart #tgcf hua cheng #hua cheng x xie lian #hua cheng #san lang #tgcf fanart #mxtx tgcf #tgcf san lang #tgcf #tian guan ci fu

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saradiation · 2 months

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Redraw of a barista Karkat design from last year (from here and here) ☕️🤎

#I gave him a hoodie this time I think it feels more like him :)#karkat #humanstuck #coffeshop au #karkat vantas #homestuck fanart #homestuck #my art

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plethomacademia · 1 month

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wip wed: rockstar/coffee shop/bookstore au

There is an event on the GaleHeart discord for fics about Gale and Shadowheart's first time and instead of being normal or sane and just writing a little thing, I have invented an AU that is somehow both a bookstore (Gale is one of the booksellers) and coffee shop (there's a coffee shop in the bookstore and Shadowheart works there) and a rock band (Shadowheart is in a band with Karlach, Lae'zel, and Wyll) AU all at once.

Anyway! Two snippets. One is Gale showing some rizz and the other is when he first meets Lae'zel. In this universe, Lae'zel and Shadowheart are already dating but it's an open relationship and Shadowheart already has told Lae'zel about wanting to date Gale. Gale is the one who was not sure if Lae'zel truly was ok with it. And this is how he finds out that she is!

She spots him the moment that he reaches to adjust his hair, of course. Her green eyes flick over the top of the book that she is holding with one hand while she leans against the counter on the elbow of the other. Gale notes the couple on the cover of the trade paperback: a woman wearing a bodice that has been loosened and a tall man with long hair and a very open shirt. They’ve sold dozens of copies of the same book in the past week. She is standing by the time he reaches the coffee stand, her open book page down on the counter to hold her place. “You only get one free a day, you know,” she says once he has arrived. “Yes, well, I paid for the last one, so I am aware.” He puts his hands in his pockets, not sure what else to do with them. “What can I say? You are quite talented at what you do.” Jenn gives him a once over and whatever she sees makes the corner of her mouth tick up. “Maybe a decaf this time. We wouldn’t want your heart to burst, Gale.” He swallows. “Yes. Decaf sounds lovely.”

and

Gale is still leaning on the counter when he hears the sounds of at least two pairs of heavy boots behind him. Jenn looks over his shoulder and the glance she gives him is the only warning he gets before a hand claps onto his back. He clenches his jaw to keep from yelping. “Gale of the Bookshop!” he hears. The owner of the voice stands beside him, taking up the remaining space at the counter. Gale moves over a little to give the woman room, using the moment to give her a quick inspected. She has a pleasant face, brown skin with sharp features and a scattering of freckles, all framed by shoulder length brown hair. She is wearing an outfit that suggests she just came from some kind of athletic event or perhaps the gym, a black sports bra visible underneath a white tank top with large dropped armholes. He notices how her muscles bunch as she leans against the counter beside him. She smiles at him and he cannot help but return the gesture. “So, have you fucked my girlfriend yet, Gale of the Bookshop?” she says. Gale feels his cheeks heat as Jenn puts a hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh. As he had expected, this was the woman that Jenn had only referred to as Lae. Her girlfriend, she had told him. One that was apparently ok with the idea of Gale taking Jenn out on a date, something that he had had a hard time believing until this very moment. He glances behind him to see the other person that he heard approach. He is met by glittering brown eyes belonging to a tall Black man. He is just as fit as Lae is, but with much longer hair styled into thick dreadlocks. Another one of Jenn’s bandmates, he presumes, although Gale does not know his name. The man looks over him toward the counter. “Man, Jenn, you know I would fuck you if you just asked,” the man says. He glances back at Gale long enough to wink at him. Gale turns to look back at Jenn, who is shaking her head. “Bullshit,” Jenn says. Now she, too, is looking at Gale. “Wyll wants to be a player but he’s the biggest softie that I know.” She smiles at him. “Present company excluded, perhaps.”

#wip #shadowheart #lae'zel #wyll ravengard #gale #galezelheart #bg3 #coffeshop au #rockband au #bookshop au #modern au #why am i like this

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hogwartspleiad · 3 months

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Stardust AU: James: *works as a marketing analyst, fucked his routine up completely so he could see Regulus; goes to a coffee shop by himself, flexes his metaphorical muscles, always introduces himself by different names*

Remus: *works as a teacher, never has time to get to the coffee shop himself, which is why students and colleagues are always sneaking drinks for him. Just a million different people and they all go by the same (his) name*

Sirius: *counts the cups taken in Remus's name by DIFFERENT people*

Sirius: WHO THE FUCK IS REMUS LUPIN?????

Remus, for once going to the coffee shop himself and finding this circus: ???

#stardust au #coffeshop au #the marauders #starrauders #james potter #sirius black #remus lupin #jegulus #wolfstar

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radicalellska · 10 days

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happy cringe day

#ben 10 #psyphon #vilgax #sixsix #six six #kraab #ben 10 psyphon #ben 10 vilgax #ben 10 sixsix #ben 10 six six #ben 10 kraab #coffeshop au

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mifink · 1 month

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i need a coffe shop mike/oliver fanfiction please feed me something

#oliver banks #mike crew #michael crew #the magnus archives #tma #fanfiction #coffeshop au

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haystarlight · 8 months

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• Title: Something warm on your plate, clothes on your back

• Author: haystarlight

• Fandom: Adventure Time (Cartoon)

• Pairing: Princess Bubblegum/Marceline Abadeer

The first time Bonnibel saw her, she was standing on the corner of the sidewalk playing her bass guitar.

Bonnibel was on her way to work and running late and yet she couldn’t help but stop herself to listen to the music. It was a beautiful sound; a little punk rock but also a little melancholic and a little sad. And actually, incredibly familiar.

“Do I know you from somewhere?”

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random-mailbox · 1 year

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Random-Mailbox's Favorite Sailor Moon Fics - Week 20 - Coffeeshop AU

This week’s post is all about the Coffee Shop AU tropes and is for the very patient @moon-daisuki. Sorry for taking so long to fulfill your request 😘

As always, my apologies in advance for spoiling some of these for you (Fic Titles are linked to either FFN or AO3 entries).

If you gave me a chance I would take it (It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it) - @idesofnovember

Usagi stops by a coffee shop on her way to the Elections HQ to grab herself a chai-tea latte (my personal drink of choice when I am out too), starting to flirt with the dark-haired barista who keeps making her drinks over the course of the campaign.

Down the Rabbit Hole - @idesofnovember

We actually have a second Coffee Shop related story from @idesofnovember. In this one, Usagi takes a job as the white rabbit in an “Alice in Wonderland” themed café, something she tries to keep quiet. Naturally, Mamoru decides to come and study there instead of the arcade - because why wouldn’t you bug someone you know, who also has to wear a silly costume for work.

Checkmate - @queenrisa14

Usagi moves a chess piece on a board at her usual coffee shop and someone else does a move on it overnight to start a game. This multichapter follows the search for the other player, as notes come into play and memories get unlocked.

Care for a Sandwich? - @cassraven

Super cute one-shot about Motoki convincing Mamoru to try out a sandwich place that is being run by his new girlfriend Makoto, with one very bright and upbeat waitress helping them.

In Your Orbit - UsaMamo Shorts - Chapter 3: Latte Art - @daikon1

In this one-shot Usagi and Mamoru have an in-depth discussion regarding the value of Tuxedo Mask to the Senshi over latte art that Mako made special for Usagi.

The Blonde Barista Series - Girl_in_Japan

This series of interconnected parts of a story where Mamoru accidentally gets Usagi’s phone number she wrote down for Motoki on a coffee cup (with a bunny drawing that Mamoru assumed was a cat!), gets yelled at by her for being insufferable and then eventually reaches a truce.

The Barista - @sinjazz

Mako keeps coming back to the same coffee shop because she is absolutely taken with the barista, to the point where she can’t seem to form any sentences. So instead, every time she comes in, he tries to guess her name. Until one day, Senshi assistance is needed to ward off a daimon bent on destroying her favorite drink establishment.

Opening This Fall - @irritablevowel

This little story is about Mako opening her own bakery (with terrible coffee) and meeting Nephrite (Taro in this story) who rents the warehouse next door to start a coffee roasting business.

Pink Moon Tiara-Flavored Kisses - Sweetsugariness

In this one-shot, Usagi takes Mamoru to a Senshi themed café to unwind on a date during the Death Busters arc.

From across the street - Cluckster

A little short of Kunzite trying to face his past and forgive himself

That's it for this week! Next Monday we will cover the "Huddle for Warmth" trope that I am using as a bit of a general direction for anything cold and snowy.

Here are the links to the previous Tumblr posts in these series to explore more amazing works based on different themes - make sure to check them out if you haven't had a chance! (Click on title name to go to the post) - I will keep updating the list every week as new posts come up:

Week 1 - Groundhog Day

Week 2 - Established Relationships

Week 3 - Sex Positivity

Week 4 - Unfinished Stories

Week 5 - Darker Stories

Week 6 - Potions 🧪

Week 7 - Reveals

Week 8 - 👻Halloween🎃

Week 9 - Wrong Perceptions

Week 10 - Non-Senshi AU

Week 11 - In-Progress Fics

Week 12 - Mutual Pining

Week 13 - Enemies to Lovers

Week 14 - Slow Burn

Week 15 - Christmas Part 1 - Ugly Christmas Sweaters and Santa!

Week 16 - Christmas Part 2

Week 17 - New Years

Week 18 - High School AU

Week 19 - Slice of Life

#sailor moon #fic rec #fic list #usagi x mamoru #makoto x nephrite #minako x kunzite #makoto x oc #coffeshop au

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sir-olofii · 12 days

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Karl having a sensory overload at work. Based on real events at my previous work place and someone else's TikTok as a pose reference

#oc artwork #oc art #karl #queer punk #modern au #autistic community #autistic #autistic artist #ink #sketch #artists on tumblr #punk #queer punx #traditonal art #trans creator #barista #coffeshop au #sensory issues

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thejeguluslibrarian · 25 days

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Hi!

Firstly, thank you so much for starting this, a lot of your posts have been really helpful in finding new fics.

Secondly, I was wondering if you knew of any good AU fics (like hockey aus, coffee shop aus etc.). I’ve read Blends, which was really good, but now I can’t find any more 😭 sorry if you already had an ask like this I didn’t see, but I would be very grateful if you had any fics to share!

hello!

here are some I know of, plus some criminal AUs I think are well done (I’ve been on a crime streak lately) enjoy!

Criminal AUs

Hockey AUs

Coffee shop AUs:

Combination hockey and coffee shop au:

#submission #fic recs #james x regulus #jegulus #mauraders #regulus black #queer #criminal au #hockey au #coffeshop au #thelibrarytag

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soupedepates · 1 month

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I am having so much fun

#tagamemnon #soupe doing fanfic #writing #writeblr #greek mythology #greek gods #coffeshop au #ao3 #ao3 fanfic

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neukae · 1 month

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No Archive Warnings Apply

Kaeya/Neuvillette (Genshin Impact)

Neuvillette & Wriothesley (Genshin Impact)

Kaeya & Wriothesley (Genshin Impact)

Kaeya (Genshin Impact)

Neuvillette (Genshin Impact)

Wriothesley (Genshin Impact)

Furina (Genshin Impact)

Sigewinne (Genshin Impact)

Diluc (Genshin Impact)

Zhongli (Genshin Impact)

Other Additional Tags to Be Added

Alternate Universe - Modern Setting

Fluff

Crushes

Getting Together

Diluc and Kaeya are Siblings (Genshin Impact)

Diluc is Protective of Kaeya (Genshin Impact)

Dragon Neuvillette (Genshin Impact)

Soft Neuvillette (Genshin Impact)

Neuvillette is Bad at Feelings (Genshin Impact)

Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés

Wriothesley Adopts Sigewinne (Genshin Impact)

Summary

A contribution to NeuKae week 2023! (24th Dec - 31st Dec) Coffee shop/ Cafe AU — Neuvillette is a law student who meets Kaeya, a barista at Mond’s Brew. Like any other romance story, they discover themselves and find the meaning of love through times spent together.

#genshin fanfic #genshin kaeya #genshin impact #kaeya alberich #neukae #genshin neuvillette #neuvillette #coffeshop au #fluff

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recracktedd · 2 years

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David x Angel-(Coffee shop au!)

- - -

Another busy day in the shop, Angel stood behind the counter, their hair tied back in a low ponytail. With a smile on their face, they’d been taking orders all day. The shop smelt warm, and cozy, like a “hallmark movie” as Angel explained it to first time customers who’d wanted to make small talk. It had been more lively than usual in the shop now with fall starting up. Pumpkin spice cold brews were all anybody had been ordering all morning. Angel kept their eyes on the door, searching for familiar faces, but instead was met by a new face. Two new faces, actually. A tall, dark haired, gentleman in a leather jacket and beside him a slightly shorter, dirty blonde haired gentleman. The taller one was intimidating, radiating a dark energy that made the entire shop quiet down a little. The shorter one seemed more bubbly and playful. “Polar opposites” Angel thought to themselves as the got back to taking orders. Before they knew it, the two new faces were standing in front of them.

“Hi, My name’s Angel! Welcome to Moka Pot, what can I get for you today?” They asked, that same warm smile on their face. The two gentlemen stood in silence, probably looking at the menu, before the taller one responded, “Just get me a medium dark roast with two shots of espresso, please.” followed by the shorter ones “I wanna try the pumpkin spice latte, small, please!” Angel noted the two orders down before giving them their total. “That’ll be 12.45!, Can I get a name for this order?”

“David.”

“Perfect, If you don’t mind waiting in our pick-up area, they’ll call when it’s ready!”

“Thank you.”

Angel watched at the two walked away, continuing to take orders as the line grew.

- -

“David, I saw the way that cashier was looking at you, you should’ve asked for their number!” Asher teased while him and David waited. David rolled his eyes in annoyance as Asher continued. “You could’ve had the perfect pick up line too! See, it could’ve been like.. they asked you what they could get you and you could’ve been all like..” He cleared his throat, deepening his voice a little as he attempted his best impression of his Alpha. “Well, You could get me a phone number to get to know you better” He continued. David groaned as he cringed, rubbing his temples. He heard his name being called, so he walked up to pick up his and Asher’s drinks, handing the pumpkin spice to Asher. “Thanks, Buddy!” Asher chirped. David looked around for an empty booth to sit in, finding one in a far corner of the cafe. He took a seat, scooting close to the window as Asher sat across from him. Taking a long sip, David listened as Ash explained the elevator mishap he had experienced while dropping off paper work for their security business.

- - -

By now, the shop had emptied out, and the lines were easier to manage without two people, giving Angel time to walk around and check on staying customers. They’d made it around the entire shop, the last table belonging to the two men from earlier. They put a smile on their face as they walked up to the table. “Hi! How is everything? Anything I can get you?” They asked. “Uhm, No, Tha-” Before David could finish, Asher cut him off. “Actually, yes! My friend here was wondering if you’d give him your number?” David coughed, choking on his coffee. His cheeks turned red as he fumbled to get napkins to wipe the coffee from his face. Angel’s eyes widened as their cheeks also turned red. Ash watched, amused by both of the reactions he’d earned. After an awkward silence, David finally broke it “I’m sorry about him! Sometimes he doesn’t know how to shu-” Angel cut him off, a smile on their face as they pulled their notepad from their apron. They wrote their number on the small paper before setting it down on the table. David sat in shock, staring at the paper as Asher joined him, his mouth agape. Angel giggled, looking at the clock “Shoot!” they mumbled, rushing to shove the notepad back in their apron. “it’s starting to pick back up again..” They mumbled before turning around to head back to the counter.

“Give me a call sometime, David!”

#redacted asmr #redacted david #redacted asher #redacted angel #redacted fanfic #coffeshop au #redacted #redacted coffee shop au #redacted asmr coffee #redacted asmr angel barista

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hogwartspleiad · 3 months

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Say My Name | Stardust!AU

also on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53021149

"What would it be today?", chuckled Sirius, comfortably grabbing a really-fucking-big coffee cup and playing with a marker in his left hand, littered with rings. James knows (it was a Very Big Secret) that they did cost Sirius, like, a thousand fights with the administrator - though he won the right to keep them in the end.

James frowns and sighs as dramatically as possible: he almost fell asleep at 3 a.m. playing with Frank in the Net, spilled his morning tea onto his favourite shirt, now having to put on a different, absolutely mongrel blue-with-white-stripes one. He almost forgot a folder with documents in a cab - he wanted to check out the papers over the weekend, - and there are most definitely two very boring and useless board meetings in his future today. So, two shots, please. Right in the head. With additional final blows, if you please.

Sirius raises his brow. James sighs. Again.

“Black”, he whispers, trying to sound as grim as possible. “Like my soul and the centre of our Universe.”

Sirius smiles with just the corner of his lips and doesn't turn like any normal person would. He tilts his head back, checking for supplies - now weirdly resembling a humanisation of his nickname.

Big Black Dog, really.

“I’m afraid we’re fresh out of the shitton of foamed milk, darling, and this is so not a kindergarten bar,” he snorts, looking normal again.

James almost shoves him. The counter stops him. That, and some basic decency mixed with zero agreement of calling each other friends or whatever. Disregard the fact that every morning, noon and night - for the last six months with 12-hours shifts, mind you, - they did moan (sarcastically) at the transience of life.

“Such a shame, peaches. You’d make an excellent babysitter,” James grins. In a beat, he adds edge house, makes the voice a little thinner and practically squeaks: “Siwy, Siwy, I swear that it was Pete who hit himsewf with a rattwe. Twice. Don’t bwame me!”

Startled, Sirius coughs, and now it’s James’ turn to raise a brow.

“Oh hell no,” the barista lifts his hands placatingly. “First of all, I’d make a terrible babysitter, and secondly - don’t you lie to me, young man!” he frowns for a moment and then relaxes, feeling sorta relieved. “FYI, I’m still waiting for your order.”

There’s a doorbell ringing somewhere behind James, and he straightens up, stopping messing about. God, he’s tired.

“Just make it a double Americano with milk. And a filthy amount of caramel syrup, else I’ll fucking die withing first 30 working minutes.”

Sirius snorts. It’s an understanding kind of a snort, though.

“And today’s name would be..?”

James tilts his head, thoughtfully drumming the finger on the table. In fact, he knows which name he’ll use to take the order for, but, in the end, the appearance of lazy thought and erudition (which was, in fact, the result of fanatical preparation) is part of his inimitable charm.

“Alsciaukat,” he proudly announces.

For some reason, Sirius chokes on a gurgling laugh, writing the name on the cup.

James grins triumphantly and moves into the waiting area, leaning against the tall counter with pots of Sansivieria built into the center, bobbing his head to the beat of The Last Shadow Puppets.

He loves this coffee shop. Sometimes, only the presence of Stardust on the ground floor of a neighboring building reconciled him with the disgusting “from nine to Fridays wine” routine of a marketing analyst. A small, incredibly cozy coffee shop with an abundance of flowers and stars inside, which were glowing softly with the onset of dusk or bad weather, was a hundred thousand times better than any other coffee shop in this city. Seriously, Starbucks was way overrated.

Moreover, James couldn’t help but admire the special advertising move: even the barista here had a special star nickname. Could you blame him for wanting to match the aesthetics of the place? That's what he thought. It is forbidden. Strictly. So - yeah, he’s justified in all respects of the star atlas and its appendices, heh.

So, during the six months of their close acquaintance with Sirius, James managed to go through almost all the star charts with the names of rare constellations and nebulae. Last month his name could have been Mr. Orion, tomorrow - Wasat, next week - Kratz, and today- Well. A little of the courage and grace of Lynx would definitely not hurt him.

Sirius knew for sure that none of the suggested names were real, but for some reason he didn't mind their little game. It was fun; like a game of ping pong.

When James gets his deliciously hot and huge coffee cup back, he throws an emphatic look at Sirius, who just winks slyly and takes off to his new customer.

The cup proudly says: “Quetzalcoatl.”

James laughs briefly, shakes his head and, comfortably grabbing the paper folder, leaves the coffee shop, automatically holding the door for some guy entering.

Tuesday doesn't turn out any better. He stays in the office until late at night, arguing with Peter until he is hoarse about the new reports and stag-ing for another couple of hours in an almost empty building, summing up the latest figures. Because, one doesn't simply warn him in advance, and the bosses needed the presentation first thing in the morning.

Screw those planning meetings. Screw them.

When he finally turns off the monitor and looks at the digital clock on the wall, the numbers are floating. Or are they?

He blinks. Twice.

The dial stubbornly shows two in the morning.

James sighs very, very deeply and can barely contain his Indian swearing. As an edification, he could stay in Pete’s office and stretch out on his sofa - demonstratively, so that in the morning, in a languid, creaky voice, he could say “Good morning, darling, I hope you slept as sweetly as I did,” and no less demonstratively creak all his bones, but... He’s almost two meters tall. He’ll most likely die from curling up on the hard leather sofa of little round Pete.

James sighs and rubs his face with his fingers until it hurts. He needs to get home. Preferably, not falling asleep somewhere on the way to the subway. Was it really that necessary to take the car in for maintenance at such a time?..

He throws his jacket over his shoulders, locks the office on autopilot and practically falls asleep in the elevator as it rushes from the thirteenth floor down. Somehow unsticking himself from the incredibly seductive chrome-plated wall, he steps over the threshold of the building and pauses, puzzled.

Stardust, in the building across, glows softly with lit stars inside.

For some reason, James takes twenty-five long steps and gently pushes the door. It gives in.

Florence flows unusually softly inside, and James is surprised to recognize the Dog Days Are Over - way too perky for two o'clock in the morning. Although, when he sees him, the barista turns the music down and arches an eyebrow pointedly, pretending that it wasn’t him who was dancing slightly with his back to the door a minute ago.

The new barista's badge says "Regulus" in beautiful handwriting, and his fingers, studded with silver rings, are gently wrapped around the computer. James simply can't help but smile, too wide for this blasted night.

“Good evening!” he greets too cheerfully in response.

Regulus raises an eyebrow suggestively, and James feels his heart skip a beat. He’s going to be so fucked.

“Coffee?” the barista asks all too softly, and Potter, blinking three times to count, kinda experiences a small heart attack. Anyway, is it legal to kill guests outright? He, for example, would most definitely fall now and die - very suddenly and very happily - and there’s that, no more little twenty-five-years-old James Potter, and Pete will report tomorrow without him, because he, naturally, doesn’t give the keys to his computer to anyone, and in general-

Regulus asks again, and James hastily shakes his head, bringing himself back to reality.

“Coffee,” he repeats dully. “With milk and a whole lot of caramel syrup.“

Regulus chuckles quietly and James just as quietly dies inside.

“For whom?”

Oh, he's ready. He's so damn ready for this! James broadens his shoulders and uses his most charming smile.

“Orion.”

Regulus glances up at him so quickly that James literally feels two kill shots in his head he wished for earlier.

“Bad idea. Try again,” the barista says curtly, and Potter blinks in confusion. All his brilliant marketing brain can do is…

“…choko pie?”

The look of utter confusion on Regulus's face seems like the best thing that happened for this whole damn day. James perks up.

“How could Orion Choco Pie be a bad idea? C’mon, it’s the best sweet that humanity could come up with!” he leans forward and conspiratorially lowers his voice. “Or haven't you tried?”

Regulus looks at him very, very strangely, then sighs dramatically. He writes something on the cup - demonstratively, but obediently - and turns away, switching on the coffee grinder.

James is absolutely delighted.

James is so delighted that he cannot fall asleep until late in the morning again, and then has a brilliant planning meeting and an incredibly productive working day. When he gets out around midnight and Stardust softly shimmers with stars, James doesn't even think twice as he pushes the door inside.

Okay, in the end, James admits that he absolutely adores the morning Sirius, contently squinting in the sunrays and dancing near the coffee machine to Muse or Arctic Monkeys, but Regulus... If Sirius was a splash of sun, then Regulus was like the quintessence of stardust, the very heart of a quiet midnight coffee shop, and James...couldn't help himself.

“Diphda,” he smiles on Friday, leaning on the counter.

“Deneb Kaitos” is written on his cup in response.

“Okab,” he rubs his eyes tiredly on Monday night.

“Deneb el Okab,” flying handwriting on cardboard is accompanied by a small drawing of an eagle.

“Mirfak!” he blurts out, slightly out of breath, on Thursday, frantically trying to catch the other’s gaze.

On the cup he is greeted by a schematically depicted human elbow and a short note: “Algenib”.

It's like a game of ping pong, only for professionals. James feels a kind of impossible excitement and tries his best to live up to it.

Finally, he moves on to constellations, and then to the ingenious mathematical names of nebulae. And Regulus, unlike Sirius, is never, ever wrong.

“X Æ A-12,” he declares very seriously at some point, looking carefully at Regulus.

He looks from the marker to James slowly, almost reluctantly.

“You can’t pass off the name of Elon Musk’s son as the name of a new nebula,” he says evenly. James is dying from delight.

“What if Elon Musk named his son after a new nebula, and you just don’t know?” he winks at the barista.

Regulus looks at him as if James has grown a second head.

“Definitely not. Try again.”

And James has to return to the usual metaphorical game.

The only problem is that he can’t be satisfied with their usual jabs anymore. He thinks he’s going so crazy but dictates his number to Regulus as his name anyway. The barista only repeats it out loud and hands him the cup, without even thinking about keeping the number to himself. He doesn't seem to care.

The worst part is that James doesn't even notice when he makes a fatal mistake.

“Rex,” he introduces himself at some point and receives a completely unreadable look in response.

“You can’t call yourself by my name,” Regulus says coldly, adding the usual, “Try again.”

James frowns and puts his metaphorical horns down.

“Why?”

“Because.”

James chuckles.

“So be it, star stranger, I solemnly swear that I will choose another option if you tell me your real name,” Regulus arches a charming eyebrow. James explains, “I can swear it will be as lovely as your nickname.”

Something changes in the barista's gaze, and James frowns, uncomprehending. Regulus doesn't say a word when he hands him the coffee, with the immutable "Rex" written on the cup, faceless and printed.

He doesn't meet Regulus again. Stardust stops working in the evenings for a while, and James stupidly pokes at the locked door for a week. Eventually, he almost becomes convinced that he completely invented Regulus, and all this is a terrible, prolonged dream.

When the coffee shop opens again in the middle of the night after a month's hiatus, James doesn’t believe his eyes. He awkwardly takes a step, two, three, and for some reason pushes the door with trembling fingers.

A charming red-haired girl greets him from behind the counter.

“Good morning, night owl,” she smiles quietly, and James silently opens and closes his mouth, not knowing what to say. He glances at her name tag and freezes.

“Lily” is written on it.

“I… thought… everyone here has star nicknames?..” he blurts, and Lily glances incomprehensibly at her own badge, and then at James’s face. She laughs.

“What? Of course not, all the baristas here have their own, ordinary names.”

James groans quietly and hits his forehead on the counter.

“I’m such a… deer,” he confesses sadly to the stack of napkins at the cash register. “The deer-est deer in the world.”

“Sure, why not,” Lily chuckles cheerfully from somewhere above him, “To the deer-est deer in the world.”

The smile James gives the red sunspot - who, by the way, looks strangely out of place in this nightly atmosphere - is sour, but chuckles politely when she gives him a cup with carelessly drawn deer antlers.

Making up his mind, he calls out to her and awkwardly asks, chewing his lip:

“And Regulus… doesn’t work here anymore?”

Lily looks at him carefully, calculating, and then sighs:

“He is on vacation. Should be working in the mornings for a whole next week.”

And James smiles back at her, gratefully and sincerely.

A week and a half later, his mornings are difficult once again: he has little sleep and he is badly doused from a puddle by a passing truck. The clothes he has to change into are too white-collared, and he himself is disgustingly office-like and at the same time rumpled to represent at least some kind of positive impression. He sighs, wiping his somehow wet hands on his jacket, and pushes the door.

Regulus lifts his head at the ringing of the doorbell and stares unreadably into James's eyes. The latter smiles awkwardly.

Regulus sighs and takes the marker.

“To whom?” he asks coldly and indifferently.

James takes a deep breath, as if about to jump into icy water.

“James,” he says. “Potter, if it’s of any importance,” he adds awkwardly, ruffling his already disheveled hair.

Regulus glances at him, and James awkwardly places a small box of the best cookies in the world on the counter. A white flag.

Orion Choco Pie. ___________________________________________________

Alsciaukat - the fourth-brightest star in the constellation of Lynx;

Wasat - a.k.a. Delta Geminorum (δ Gem) , the primary component in a triple star system located in the constellation Gemini;

Kraz - a.k.a. Beta Corvi, the second-brightest star in the southern constellation of Corvus;

Diphda - a.k.a. Deneb Kaitos, the brightest star in the constellation of Cetus;

Okab - a star in the Aquila constellation;

Mirfak - the brightest star in the constellation of Perseus;

Rex - alternative name of Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion.

#the marauders #coffeshop au #jegulus #starchaser #starrauders #james potter #sirius black #regulus black #lily evans #stardust au

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