It was an early April morning and the first strings of light had managed to search their way over the treetops in the small Swedish village. Fanny was yawning heavily as she shut the front door behind her. She and Lisa had been up till late last night talking about everything and nothing and it had rendered Fanny in the state of sleep deprivation she currently was in.

"God I need coffee," she muttered as she adjusted the straps of her bag on her shoulders. She threw a quick glance on her wristwatch and came to the conclusion that she indeed should have time to go by the local coffee shop on her way to work.

By the promise of coffee she managed to force her legs to move a bit faster as she turned down the street towards the city centrum. She lived in a fairly small and secluded town which made the walk to everything rather short and within minutes she'd reached the coffee shop. Sadly the size of the town also equalled a rather limited selection of coffee to choose from but on mornings like these that did not matter to Fanny since all she needed was a strong dose caffeine.

The shop was not directly a Starbucks in neither its menus nor its appeal. It was small and cosy with only tables for a dozen customers and the atmosphere smelled strongly of roasted beans. It was an old family business that had started long before Fanny or her family had moved here.

Since it was a small town, everyone knew everyone, so Fanny prepared herself for the usual small talk that she shared with the barista Agneta every time she went by.

But as she opened the class stained door with the clinging of a bell she froze in her footsteps. Because behind the disk was a person she'd never seen before in her entire life, she was certain of this because a face like that she was bound to remember. The person behind the bar was a lot taller than Fanny but sported the same teal undercut. They had an androgynous look with strong brows and a sharp jawline that was contrasted by full lips and long lashes.

The white shirt and the black apron hung loosely over the person's thin frame where they stood leaning over the disk. They smiled and stretched into their full height when they noticed Fanny at the door.

"Hi and welcome to Svensson's Coffee, what can I help you with?" Their voice was dark and a bit rasp but with a feminine tone to it. Fanny couldn't help but to drown completely in the sound of it.

Fanny couldn't help but feel a bit nervous as she stepped up to the counter. "Hi!" she said and gave the barista a bright smile she hoped didn't come off as weird. But the person behind the counter smiled just as brightly back so Fanny took it as a win.

"I'd like a double espresso thanks, Derek." She added the name in a flirty way as she read the small name tag on the barista's chest.

"Roger that," Derek answered and typed the order into the register. "Something else?"

"No thanks."

Derek nodded with the smile still plastered on their face. "Do you want the coffee to go or you wanna drink it here?"

Without even thinking Fanny answered "here," and was rewarded with a short happy nod from Derek.

"It's 20 crones right?" Fanny said as she started to fish out the wallet from her back pocket.

"No, it's on the house," Derek answered and picked up a mug from the cupboard behind the counter.

"Really?" Fanny asked confused.

"Yeah, it's a new policy," Derek answered with a smug smile and started preparing the coffee. "Customers that look hot get a free coffee before eight o'clock."

Fanny couldn't stop the blush that was spreading all over her face, she just hoped that the barista hadn't noticed how her entire face probably had turned into the colour of a ripe tomato. To escape the situation she simply just murmured a "thank you" before she fled to a seat at the back of the shop. From there she could study the skilful movement of Derek as the coffee was prepared. And as the barista came towards her she couldn't help but to study the movement of their body and Fanny found herself wishing that the shirt was a few sizes smaller so that she could see Derek's shape better.

"Here you go, a double espresso," Derek said and put down the cup in front of Fanny. She couldn't help but to blush once more as she saw the heart and the X and O that was drawn in the foam.

She looked up at Derek with a smile on her face. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Derek shifted weight between their feet for a few seconds as if they were uncertain of what to do next. But then they asked. "Hey, traffic is pretty low on mornings, you mind if I sit down with you?"

Fanny felt as if she had butterflies in her stomach and she mentally slapped herself for reacting like a high school kid. "Please, sit down," she said with what she hoped was a laid back voice. "I'm Fanny by the way," she added and extended her hand.

Derek shook it with a firm grip. "Nice to meet you Fanny, I'm Derek, but you already knew that." Their hands lingered together for a few seconds longer than natural before they parted and when they did Fanny already missed the touch.

"I hope you don't mind me asking what pronoun to use," Derek said and sat down on the chair opposite to Fanny.

"Not at all, I prefer 'she', you?"

"Both 'she' and 'he' works," Derek answered and straightened a few wrinkles on her apron with her hand.

"Got it," Fanny responded with a smile and took a sip of her coffee. "Are you new in town? I've never seen you around." It made her kind of sad to see the swirls of the heart disrupted and destroyed when she put down the coffee on the table again but the surge of energy the caffeine granted her with more than made up for it.

"Yeah I just moved here to live with a couple of friends. Maybe you know them? Madpie and his crew?"

Fanny almost choked on her coffee as Derek mentioned the nickname on one of her closest friends. "Heck yeah! Issa! Why hasn't he told me he had a friend who was moving in with him and the others?!"

Derek laughed at that. "Well to be fair, he didn't tell me that he knew someone as pretty as you living here either."

Fanny couldn't help but to blush once more and tried to hide her face behind her coffee cup. She hoped that it all didn't look too suspicious.

"So," Derek started and rested her elbow against the coffee table. "What do you do for a living?"

Fanny froze in her movements. Oh shit, work. She threw a quick glance over at the clock on the wall just to realize that her shift started in five minutes. "Damn't I'm late for work!" She rose from the chair almost quick enough to flip the whole table over. Derek flinched of surprise at the sudden movement. "Thank you so much for the coffee, and…. I'll see you around!" Fanny added and Derek had just time to open her mouth before Fanny had thrown herself out the door with the clang of the bell.

The day went by way faster than Fanny was used to. If she was to be honest then she didn't remember much of the day itself since she wasn't able to focus on the world around her. All she could really think about was that smiling face from the coffee shop and how it had felt when her soft skin had touched her own. Even the coffee she drank at the lunch break was left to be forgotten since all she could think about was those soft swirls of the heart in the espresso that morning.

She couldn't even stop herself from calling Madpie during said lunch break.

"Hi," answered a muffled voice on the other side of the line.

"Hi, it's Fanny. Whatya doing?"

Madpie laughed a bit at the other end of the line before he answered with a much clearer voice. "I'm doing a paint job on the house. Aren't you at work?"

Fanny sighed heavily. "Yeah I am… I just…. I met Derek this morning. Why haven't you told me about her?"

"I haven't? Oh… I was sure I had. Oh well… Now you know," Issa answered with another chuckle. "What did you think of him? He's pretty cool right? Did you meet him at Svensson's or what?"

Fanny rolled her eyes in freighted irritation. It was so typical of Madpie to forget to tell you about something like this. "Pretty cool is an understatement. She's amazing man! Funny, and outrageously flirtatious and freaking gorgeous as well!"

"Sounds like you fancy him."

Fanny once more felt how her cheeks turned read from blushing. "Well…. I mean…. I only just met her so I can't really say much but…. You know…. I might? You know if she likes girls?"

"He's pansexual, and he also happens to be single," Madpie answered with what could only be described as a mischievous voice. "I could put in a good word for you if you want."

"NO!" Fanny's voice was so loud it made a few of her colleagues who sat at a different table jump in surprise. She turned towards them and mouthed a silent 'sorry' before she turned her focus back to the phone call. "No," she said again with a much more collected voice. "I'll handle this all myself."

Madpie laughed at her. "Fine but I am so telling Natha and Lthera about this!"

Fanny felt how her heart started beating faster in fear at Issa's words. "No! You're no-"

"Oh, gotta go, Natha just came out the door. Bye Fanny!"

Fanny was just about to make a last attempt to silence her friend when the line went dead. But she managed to hear Madpie yell out "HEY NATHA, YOU WANNA KNOW WHO-"

Fanny rolled her eyes and started half seriously planning how she could easiest escape from the face of the earth as she moved back towards her working space.

When she came home that evening her entire body was aching from a workload she couldn't even remember doing and she was already longing till she could go back to see that beautiful fluff of teal hair.

She felt like a teenager once more as she started planning what she would say to Derek if she met hear again the next day and it was with those thoughts in mind she fell asleep curled up round a pillow in her bed that night.

She was up before the break of dawn the next day. Even though it was still way too early for her usual awakening she felt absolutely beaming with energy. She took extra time choosing which hat she would wear for the day, she decided to take the blue and teal covered cap that accentuated her hair and eyes. She also chose a pair of heeled boots that made her look taller. She ended with her long black coat over her work outfit and added a simple nude lipstick and a bit of mascara to make her facial attributes pop.

She was to be honest not a single bit thirsty for coffee when she finally left her apartment but she still felt as if she couldn't get to the coffee shop soon enough.

It was still rather dark outside when she walked down the streets. The sun was barely visible behind all the tree trunks of the surrounding forest and the slightest of bird song could be heard in the distance as the day active animals were waking up together with the town.

Fanny was humming happily to herself as she skidded to a stop in front of the shop. She took a moment to check herself in the window of the door before she opened up and walked in.

Derek stood just like the day before leaning over the disk. She seemed a bit shocked the first second she noticed Fanny entering but then she relaxed more.

"Hey, Fanny! Good to see you again. Same as yesterday?" she asked as she picked up a mug from the cupboard.

"If it includes the same company as yesterday then yes," Fanny answered with a smug smile which was rewarded with a blush growing up Derek's neck.

"An espresso with Derek coming up, and remember our policy, it's on the house!"

"I'm pretty sure the owner Agneta wouldn't agree on that policy," Fanny said with a small laughter as she walked over to the same table as yesterday.

"What you don't know can't hurt you," Derek answered from her spot at the coffee machine.

Fanny sat in silence and studied Derek's movement as she prepared the coffee. It was obvious that she hadn't worked as a barista for a so long based on her kind of clumpsy and nervous movement but she still was skilful in the process and Fanny found her absolutely alluring.

Derek was grinning broadly as she walked over to her with the cup in her hand. As she put it down Fanny instantly noticed the extra X that was formed in the heart shaped foam this time.

"Thank you, it's beautiful," Fanny praised as she took a sip from the burning hot coffee.

"Just like you," Derek complimented and moved a bit closer to Fanny, making her heart skip a few beats.

They sat like that for like felt like ages and seconds all at the same time. They talked about nothing and everything and somehow they just seemed to glide closer and closer together. The coffee turned into cold drops at the bottom of the cup and the streets outside got showered by the light of the sun. Yet still they just sat there. Fanny didn't know who's leg had made the last move but suddenly their knees were touching and everything felt just perfect.

She could have stayed in that moment forever but the bell over the door shook them both back into reality as a customer entered the shop.

Derek mouthed a silent 'sorry' as she rose to take the elderly man's order and Fanny took the moment to throw a glance at the clock. Once again was her perfect day ruined by her work.

She made eye contact with Derek and smiled softly as she exited the shop but not before Derek managed to give her a discrete wink.

It was strange how easily she moved into a state of familiarity with this new schedule. She would wake up early, dress nicely and run by the coffee shop before work. By Friday it almost felt strange imagining a day when she didn't run by the coffee shop. And a day without seeing Derek sounded almost unbearable.

She had spent Thursday evening playing board games together with her friends Malex and Lisa. She had told them all about Derek and they had both practically beamed at the idea of Fanny finally meeting someone. Lisa had hugged her and told her that she would cry at their wedding and Malex had promised to be her first man. Fanny had playfully smacked them both and told them that she and Derek wasn't even together yet. They had of course not listened one bit but was instead all too busy planning the wedding menu.

Fact was that Fanny actually had a day off that Friday but the thought of getting to meet Derek again was so appealing that Fanny set her alarm to 6 o'clock anyways.

It was raining slightly that morning so Fanny hurried her way over to the shop but still managed to get soaking wet by the time she came through the door. The shop was heated nicely though so she warmed up quickly. Derek was grinning at her from her place at the disc as she entered and Fanny felt the butterflies scurry ones more in her stomach.

She opened her mouth to make her order as she stepped up to the counter but Derek was already on her way to prepare her coffee.

"Coming right up, just wait by the table, there's blankets in the basket by the shelves," Derek said simply with a wink as she walked over to the coffee machine.

Fanny frowned a bit confused but did as she was told. The brown blanket she picked up felt soft in her hands and as she pulled it around her like a cape she at ones felt a whole lot warmer. She snuggled into it as she watched Derek prepare the coffee. She'd grown so much more secure in her movements just over this week and Fanny couldn't help but feel a bit proud of her.

There was a mischievious smile on Derek's face as she walked over to her with the cup in her hand and when the mug was placed on the table Fanny instantly knew why. This time there was no heart shaped into the foam. This time it was a series of numbers shaped into what Fanny could only guess was a phone number.

"It's getting kind of expensive for me to give you a free coffee every day so what say you? Let's get this show on the road," Derek said with a sensual voice that just had the tiniest of shudders at the end revealing how nervous she was.

Fanny barely had time to think before she rose and pulled Derek close. Their lips met in something that could only be described as fireworks. Fanny melted into the touch as Derek massaged her fingers into Fanny's hair. Fanny had to grab hold of the fabric of Derek's shirt in order to remain standing as the kiss deepened.

It was incredible how two people could fit together so perfectly as they did. Their lips and bodies moved in perfect harmony and it was just as if the world around them seized to exist as they kissed. Fanny never wanted the moment to end but they had to break apart as their need to breath became too strong.

"So….." Derek started with a flustered voice. "That's a yes?"

"Heck yeah!" Fanny answered and pulled Derek back into another deep, breath taking kiss.