Its a bit light at first, bear with me!
She remembered the coffee in her home town, rather bland, watered down. She had always used so much sugar and creamer.
She never knew real coffee.
It was the same with love. Few partners, attempting to shower one another in gifts and going out constantly. That was the cream and sugar.
She hadn't known either well.
When she met Groucho, she felt the passion she had always wanted to in love- but with no strings attached.
At least she thought.
She had stepped off the train, pushing her mint colored glasses up the bridge of her nose, adjusting the heavy suit case in her hands, brown dyed locks falling over her face.
But glancing up- she came to a frightening ordeal.
Adjusting to this sudden shove into politics, Etno didn't exactly understand what it meant to be mayor.
She had to meet everyone in the small town of Cocoon, and that scared her.
She had never felt comfortable around strangers, wanting to move for that reason. She needed to build up her skills with others, and force her anxieties down and away.
When she met Groucho, a large, grumpy man with rounded bear ears, a full head of messy, navy blue dark eyes, spikes and tanned skin, her eyes immediately found the three large scars on his forehead, and a scowl on his face.
"Mayor huh?" He gave a smirk, bearing a sharp set of fangs, "They call me Groucho," her back found the wall, and his elbow found the space next to and above her head, towering over the small woman, "Now, who are you?"
"I'm Etno." She swallowed, intimidated, "Nice to meet you. I think." She glanced away, trying to keep up a tough outer shell.
He chuckled deeply, "Lets be good friends, Etno."
That's what they stayed. Or at least claimed to be. As the town grew, so did she. She no longer trembled when she spoke, and was just as sarcastic as the bear she was intimate with.
Even when she was busy attempting to finalize the location for a project, planting trees and flowers in a particular pattern, pinching for bells with fish and bugs- she's make time to love him.
Not that she always had a choice.
He could be quite pushy, rude even...
"Hey junebug! You there? Grumble..."
Etno sighed, the couch she had be pushing not even up against the wall yet. He'd barge in, claiming he just wanted to hang out, but they'd alway end up on her bright mermaid couch together in a tangled mess of passion.
Of course, it wasn't always about close intimacy.
During the Fireworks Festival, there was no need to slip from the crowds. Hand in hand, they watched the fireworks burst in the sky, describing well how he felt with her, as he said, the proceeded to demand she not tell anyone he said that.
But slowly, as the days crept, she began to lose free time, balancing her other friends, constantly changing paths and landscapes, fishing for bells, working on the island-
She needed a break. From everything.
After having excavated 6 fossils in a day, Blathers, the nocturnal, feathery man, mentioned a friend of his- one who used to own a café as she yawned unwillingly.
"A café, that only serves coffee." She reiterated. Pondering briefly.
A cafe is just what the town needed. A calm place, not like Club LOL!, not like the hot sands of the island...
Isabelle quickly agreed, a café would be wonderful!
And so it was decided.
Etno worked hard to earn enough bells to fund the project mostly herself. A thousand here and there from others wasn't enough.
Soon after, she fed Lloid the last hundred bells, and she yawned.
"The project has been fully funded!" Cried the gyroid.
She nodded solemnly, but then froze, suddenly understanding the meaning of his words, she shook with excitement.
The next day, Cocoon would have its own café.
And her life would change.
Before she could even enter the café herself, Isabelle had caught her, asking if she wanted to celebrate the grand opening. Giving a false smile, she agreed.
The first to arrive was Groucho, and then Soleil, Margie, and Bill, surrounding her with smiles. Groucho tussled her hair, causing her to pout and nudge him playfully.
According to Isabelle, they weren't ready to begin. So, who else was to come?
"There he is!" Isabelle cheered, causing the mayor to follow her gaze.
The girl's lips parted, her eyes widening, laying eyes on the café's owner, Brewster.
He was taller than her, dressed sharply in a white collard shirt, fitted black vest, and bow tie. His eyes hidden behind small spectacles resting on the upper bridge of his nose, light blue, were as calming as the ocean breeze gently wafting his wavy, dark slate blue hair, touched gently with silver streaks, under feathers following his hair line, held back in a pony tail, contrasting with his pale skin.
She watched the mustache on his upper lip as he greeted her, a simple hello, and a slight smile.
She wanted to respond, but instead was placed directly next to him by Isabelle, Groucho had be shoo'd to stand with the others.
He stood there with perfect posture, hands folded behind his back, the mayor stared, not realizing she was. He glanced down to her, only raising a brow as her face faltered, looking away.
"And now a short speech from our Mayor!"
"Uhh-" She cleared her throat, "Uhm, onto the next project!" She grinned, striking the same pose she always had, receiving applause from the crowd, and the man next to her.
The rest of the ceremony was a blur, as she simply focused on Brewster. Why did she feel so flustered, and scared- but safe and calm at the same time?
She pondered these contradicting feelings- not noticing that Groucho replaced the spot where the barista was standing at her side.
"Tired, Junebug? Maybe you should get some rest."
She hummed as he said her nickname, but instead decided on trying the coffee. It was cold out, and she couldn't sleep yet- it was only noon.
Coffee would help, right? There were already many excuses for her to enter the café- and she didn't even need one!
"I have something to do, actually," she stated, "I'm the mayor, I have to make sure everything is up to code-"
"You just want to flirt with the new guy," Groucho smirked playfully, much to her dismay, "It's alright, junebug, I get it. We're not exclusive anyway."
Having glanced away, her face became red, and she was suddenly up against the outside wall of the café, lips pressed against her own.
"But that doesn't mean I won't fight for you- if I feel like it." He shrugged, taking a step back, "See ya later." He nodded his head, leaving her where she stood.
The thought of her flirting with Brewster suddenly filled her mind- surely she wouldn't do such a thing. At least, she hadn't planned to...
Her first step inside the calm and cozy café was shaky, her eyes immediately meeting his. He paused briefly, only to return to dusting off the fragile coffee mug in his gentle hands.
Stepping up to a set up of chair around a large table, she ran her fingers across it, pretending to admire the oak. She took a moment to soak in the music that she barely noticed was playing, a very calm piece...
"Coo... There's an open seat here at the bar..." He spoke, not even looking up to her.
She had jumped when she hear him speak, only to hum in acknowledgement and force herself to sit upon the stool directly facing him.
"...It's two-hundred bells a cup. If you want one."
The mayor simply nodded, wishing he would speak more, as she was pleased by his baritone voice.
Wordlessly and swiftly, the barista prepared a hot cup of black coffee, moving as though he'd done it a million times before.
He gently place it in front of her on a small plate, only for her to stare blankly at it for a moment.
"...Please, drink while its hot."
Barely touching the cup, she withdrew her hand from the heat of the steam alone, "It would burn my tongue-"
She quickly received a disturbed glare from the barista, feeling more than just intimidated- she grabbed the handle and gulped it down. Although the coffee had a blissful taste, she probably wouldn't be feeling her tongue for a week.
Even so, she visited every day, usually alone, sometimes with friends.
Rosie, Soleil...
Even with Groucho.
Even so, she had bonded a bit with the barista. With each cup, her feelings slowly became deeper, and he began to open up more.
"Coo. I was hoping you'd come by... Would you like a coffee today?"
She would always say yes. The usual or something else? The usual, of course. Three spoons of sugar, no cream.
She used to always have cream.
But she found all she needed was sugar.
"I'll be waiting for you tomorrow..."
Though there was one day where he didn't say that.
"You know, Etno... I could use some extra help around here..."
She glanced up over the empty mug, "Are you asking me to work here?" She asked, surprised.
He simply nodded, "I couldn't pay much, but what I could give you is worth it."
She froze, her mind going south, "Uhm...?"
He smirked slightly when he saw the blush form on her cheeks, "Coffee beans. The quality depending on how well you do."
She sighed, half in relief half disappointment, "S-sure. I can do that. Tomorrow at noon okay?"
He nodded, "Perfect."
"Gyroids?"
"I've always had a fascination with them... They way they sing, the way they move... It took me years to accomplish this."
The mayor studied the gyroid she held securely in her hands, admiring the small details, the cartoonish mustache and glasses, the beak that personified his animal side, the dark color of his hair covering it all.
"It's adorable." She grinned, surprised when it made a deep cooing sound. She glanced up at him, seeing a genuine smile on his face.
"And it's yours." He said, placing his a bent finger under chin, "You deserve it."
"Thank you..." She smiled back at him, placing the gyroid on the counter.
Their hearts raced, slowly feeling like they were being pulled towards one another, their lips just a splinter away- but she pulled away quickly, hearing the bell chiming the town tune, and Groucho entering the café.
Acting like she had just been cleaning a cup, she looked up to Groucho, who was receiving a slight glare from Brewster. Clearing her throat, she began to remove the vest she wore on the job.
She had agreed earlier in the day to go to Club LOL! With Groucho, even being overly tired... and that she did.
She was quickly becoming more and more bothered by the music blasting in her ears, but strangely inspiration found her when she looked at the dancing gyroid during the change in songs.
Over the next few days, she obtained three more of his custom gyroids, and both of them pretended like nothing happened the other night.
Being it was Sunday, the mayor decided it was her day to relax, she sighed, keeping her head down on the bar. Not even looking up when Brewster set down her coffee, "Etno...?"
She looked up, clearly tired, even having changed from her contacts to her mint colored glasses, "Sorry- I know." She grabbed the handle, ready to chug the delicious black liquid.
"You know, if you can't drink it hot, then you can't drink it hot." He shrugged.
"I'm used to it now, Brewster. I've built up an immunity. Not sure if that's good or bad..." She hummed, guzzling down the hot drink.
"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." He stated, picking up another cup and beginning to clean it, as usual.
"I don't know, I've heard some other villagers say I make coffee better than you." She shrugged, teasing.
"What- who?" She could almost hear him whine as he stopped wiping down the mug.
She let out a laugh, "What's bad and good again?"
He cleared his throat, "Forget I said anything."
Glancing to the window, she gasped, realizing it was late.
"Do you want me to walk you home?" He asked, concerned.
She rose her brows, "I suppose... I mean you've never offered before."
"Rarely anyone but you comes in on Sunday, Etno."
She shrugged, agreeing to the walk, it was snowing and dark out after all. But as he was locking up, she gasped, suddenly remembering something, "Oh! Oh! Brewster I have to show you something-"
Before he could respond, he was simply dragged off, and through the town, gaining some strange looks along the way.
Reaching Club LOL, they both stopped to catch their breath. Brewster shook his head, "The club, Etno...?"
"I know, I don't like loud music either. But- just bare with me okay?"
He sighed in a such a woe-is-me manner, she elbowed him in the side before dragging him into the club.
Through the darkness and flashing lights, she was able to bring him through to the front of the stage, just as the song playing ended, K.K. Slider threw up his paws, letting the gyroids sing. Immediately recognizing the sounds, Brewster looked up to see his own gyroids working together to the intermission's beat.
"Etno... Did you?"
"Yeah. Shrunk let me switch them out, I had to bring him some fruit but-"
Denying interruption, he abruptly placed his lips upon hers, though she flinched in surprise she allowed herself to kiss back without hesitation.
Her heart tore and pieced itself together at once.
Confused, she pulled away, looking to his calm eyes. Tears suddenly began to flow freely, and she apologized, running out of the building without warning.
Rushing through the snow, close to her home, she ended up falling face first onto several small but dangerously sharp rocks, and hitting the top of her forehead hard on a boulder on the way down, which also cracked her glasses.
She whimpered, sitting up, her glasses now stick in the snow. Reaching up to touch the fresh cuts on the bridge of her nose and cheek, drops of contrasting scarlet fell against the light snow.
Hearing the sound if boots crunching down on the ice, she looked behind her, "Etno-" the deep voice called, the bear-like figure immediately picking her up bridal style.
The next thing she knew, she was tucked in Groucho's bed, wearing an oversized collared shirt, the length of a short dress on her. She groaned, sitting up. Inspecting her wounds again, stuck bandages where they had appeared.
"It's probably going to scar." Groucho grumbled, sitting in a modern chair next to where she lay, "Scars are something to be proud of though." He smiled gesturing to his own three large scars prominently displayed ok his forehead.
"I tripped and fell on some rocks, I wasn't mauled by an enemy in wrestling practice." She mumbled, squinting to see him.
"How did that happen anyway? Running in the dark?" Groucho rose a brow, "You don't gotta tell me but..."
"Thought I saw a tarantula." She lied.
"In winter."
"Yeah..."
"Well if you don't wanna tell the truth, then that's that."
"The truth is troublesome. I just want to move on..." She looked away, watching the program on his TV.
"Whatever floats your boat." He shrugged, "just be more careful. I worry about you, Etno."
"I know..." She hid under the cover, "I worry about me to... So don't get too close to me okay?"
"I know, I know, nothing more than friends, we made this clear already, grumble..."
"Not clear enough..." She whispered in audibly, laying back down.
'Maybe... Maybe I should just focus on work...'