❋ Author's Notes:
An old story I'm giving another shot. Just a fun AU - a good ol' slice of life! No powers. Just coffee.
ⓉⒽⒺ ⓄⓃⒺ ⓌⒽⒺⓇⒺ...
~ A STORM BLOWS THROUGH TOWN ~
"Um, excuse me? Miss?"
Artemis turned around to look at the customer standing on the other side of the wooden counter. A girl with red hair and plenty of freckles bit at her bottom lip as her fingers nervously tapped against the side of a ceramic mug in her hand. The girl smiled sheepishly, placing the cup on the countertop and nervously pushed back a lock a hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. Artemis put on a smile and tucked the rag she had been drying cups with into the pocket of her apron.
"May I help you?" Artemis asked kindly, her voice rising a full octave in pitch. While her friends thought it was bemusing how Artemis so quickly changed when forced to interact with customers at the café, she knew – having learned from working in food and retail for the last several years – that by adopting a more cheerful (dare she say bubbly) tone, people were less off-put with her than when she used her naturally low and husky voice. Plus, she would end the day with more tips when people believed that she was actually happy to be of service to them.
The girl began to blush profusely and even turned away slightly. She pointed a finger toward a table by the window. "I, uh, accidentally spilled my coffee," she mewed, clearly embarrassed by the whole ordeal. "Could I have some paper towels or a cloth to clean it up with?"
From where she stood, Artemis could see a small pool of mocha already forming on the hardwood floor, trickling off the table's edge, drop by drop. It had been a large mocha at that, which meant she was going to need to fetch out the mop. Internally, she sighed with aggravation. It seemed like every day someone was making one colossal mess after another, left for Artemis to clean it up.
Such was the life of a barista.
"Don't worry," Artemis replied to the nervous girl, smiling through her teeth. "I'll clean that up for you."
"Oh, wow, you're so nice! I really am sorry, I can just be such a klutz sometimes!"
Artemis couldn't figure it out, but this girl was an anxious wreck right now. She was practically trembling in her little pink flats. Maybe she wasn't having a great day. Okay, Artemis would play nice. She wasn't a monster, after all. "Why don't I make you a new drink and you can sit at a different table?" she offered.
The girl grinned broadly, relieved to see that Artemis wasn't upset with her. "That's so kind. Thanks so much!" Artemis went to work at steaming a pitcher of milk as the girl reached into her purse – expensive, but not quite designer, Artemis noted – and pulled out her clutch. Artemis tried not to stare when she saw a flash of green bills.
Jesus, this girl is loaded! She thought with a sigh and pumped several squirts of mocha sauce into a clean mug. Must be nice to have money like that.
"Here, for you," said the redhead, placing a ten dollar bill into the tip jar.
Dang, this girl really must be rich to be handing out tips like that! Artemis smiled to herself. That was going to buy her dinner at the kabob stand down the street later, with enough leftover to pay for the train, too. Okay, so she was a little less annoyed at the girl now.
Finishing the new mocha, piping hot and with a heaping amount of whipped cream on top, Artemis carefully pushed the drink across the counter. She was about to leave their interaction at that and go wrestle the mop out of the closet in the back to clean up the mess, but stopped when she got a closer look at the blushing young girl.
"I'm sorry," Artemis said, her brow furrowing, "but you actually look kind of familiar. We don't know each other, do we?" It would be just like her to completely forget a kid whom she probably went to school with. She wasn't the best when it came to remembering names and the faces they belonged to.
The girl carefully picked up her drink and laughed lightly. Her voice was soft and airy. "No, I don't think we do." She lifts the cup to her face and takes a small sip so that the liquid isn't brimming at the edge; she daintily licks a spot of whip cream from her upper lip. "You might recognize me from TV, though. I do some small roles here and there."
And then it clicked, and Artemis held back a gasp of surprise. Of course, it was so obvious! How could she not see it earlier? "You're Megan Morse! You play Miss M on The League!" Artemis exclaimed, a little louder than intended. The two girls looked around at the other patrons in the small café to see if anyone had raised any eyebrows.
Megan nodded slightly, a rosy blush coloring her pale cheeks again. Wow, did she get flustered easily. "That would be me," she replied humbly.
Artemis was in disbelief. Small time roles her butt! The League was one of the most popular and well-known daytime soap operas still airing! Not to mention one of Artemis' favorite shows to watch – not that she'd ever admit that to any of her friends.
"Sorry," Artemis said, chuckling at herself. It wasn't typical of her to blurt things out like that. "I didn't mean to freak you out; though I'm sure that happens to you all the time. I watch The League every week."
Megan smiled, and it actually looked genuine. "Well, it's always nice to meet a fan. I just play a minor reoccurring character, so I don't actually get noticed all that often," she explained, but was then quick to add, "Not that I'm complaining about it or anything!"
Artemis nodded and smiled, taking out her rag again. While part of her wanted to keep talking and ask Megan all about her job on the show – she may have had a few fan-theories that she wouldn't mind having answered – but saw some of the other customers looking at the spilled coffee from the corner of her eye. Duty called.
"Well, thanks for indulging this fan," she said, "but I'll let you get back to your business. Sorry for holding you up."
Megan waved a hand and let out an awkward chuckle. "No, nothing to be sorry about!" She then leaned in over the counter, her eyes shifting left, then right, and then whispered, "I'm actually here on a blind date!"
Artemis watched and held back a smile as Megan's eyes widened while revealing her agenda. "I'm pretty nervous actually. Hence the coffee fiasco."
A blind date, huh? Artemis stood tall and pointed a finger toward the corner of the room, where a small booth was unoccupied. "Go sit at the table of the far left; it's the most private. Less wandering eyes and all that."
Megan turned to look and smiled when she saw it. "Thanks," she nodded in appreciation. "It was really nice to meet you, uh…"
"Artemis," the barista supplied. "And likewise. I'm sure you're date will go just fine. And don't hesitate to come get another drink if you want. It's on the house."
Megan beamed and thanked Artemis one last time and then walked off with her mocha in hand. Artemis watched her carefully adjust her skirt and take a seat in the booth, her back facing her. For a TV actress, she's a lot nicer than I thought she'd be, she thought to herself as she went back to work.
With no one else in line waiting to order, Artemis swiftly got the mop from the back and went to clean up the spill at Megan's original table.
You're just here until you have the money for grad school, Crick. You can make it, she thought to herself – it's what she had to keep telling herself every day just to make it through each shift. She pushed the mop back and forth, soaking up the mud-colored liquid and crinkled her nose, seeing that the old whipped cream had curdled on the floor.
It was just over a year ago that Artemis had graduated from Gotham University with a dual degree in political science and sociology. She loved it and absolutely flourished while studying there – graduated magna cum laude, even! Now she had plans to move on to law school, but her lack of sufficient funds kept her from doing so. At Gotham U, Artemis had managed to land a full-ride scholarship straight from high school, but now that she's graduated, she's found her luck had finally run dry.
Her dream school, Metropolis Law, was a lot more conservative when it came to passing out scholarships, meaning Artemis was going to have to work her butt off if she ever wanted to go. She was sure that she could get in, but the cost of tuition would drown her faster than she could swim. She had thought about taking out loans, but she didn't want to risk being saddled with debt for the rest of her life.
With the table and floor now clean, Artemis headed back behind the coffee bar and prepared everything for when she would go on break. Thankfully, the café wasn't too busy that day due to the heavy rainstorm that was sweeping through town. But that did mean traffic was worse than usual and her coworker was going to be a bit late because of it. Turning her back to the counter, she stocked the shelves with clean mugs and glassware, humming a soft tune as she worked.
"The usual, please," came a voice from behind. Artemis recognized it immediately.
"Hey, Dick," she greeted the customer, turning around to face him. She rested her hands on her hips and smiled.
Standing at the counter was a tall man with black, unruly hair and a devilish grin. He wore a dark Metropolis police uniform.
"Artemis," Dick returned the greeting, taking off his reflective aviator sunglasses. Even in a tropical storm, he always tried to look cool. "How's it going?"
Artemis shrugged and gave a small sigh. "Y'know, just the same old. Nothing special." Things were rarely out of the ordinary in her life, or even that interesting – not that Artemis' minded. Boring meant that she could keep her head down, work hard and focus, and move on sooner with her studies and school. She did think about mentioning Megan – it certainly wasn't every day that famous TV actors came into the shop – but decided not to as Dick would never let her live it down if he figured out she watched soap operas.
She gestured to the large windows, which showed the pouring rain beating down on the pavement outside mercilessly. "the outside world going crazy in this weather?"
Dick let out a short laugh and shook his head. "Surprisingly, no. Been pretty quiet on my end, too," he sighed, but looked a bit relieved about the fact. Working for the Metropolis Police Department usually involved long, grueling shifts, and with Metropolis being one of the largest cities in the nation, MPD was always busy and always working, weather be damned.
Artemis and Dick had been friends for a few years now, and enjoyed one another's company, which was convenient. They had moved into the apartment building around the same time as one another, both having relocated to Metropolis from Gotham – "What a small world," they had joked.
At the time, Dick had just finished up at the Police Academy but wanted to break from Gotham, and Artemis couldn't blame him for wanting to work elsewhere. Gotham was a dark pit, seething with crime and corruption. In comparison, Metropolis was a breath of fresh air, where he would actually have the chance to move up and make detective – and never worry about having to turn dirty in order achieve said goal.
Now, two years later, Dick was nearly there, and Artemis was right there to cheer him on. So it naturally became routine for the young cop to come in to get a daily pick-me-up at the Cave Café.
Pouring a fresh brew of hot coffee into a large to-go cup, Artemis handed over the drink with a small smirk. "You're the only guy I know who actually enjoys black coffee," she commented, the aroma of the dark roast wafting through the air. "Usually, people who say they do only say it to try and act cool. They think it makes them seem tough."
Having served coffee for the last few years, Artemis could usually spot the people who were too afraid to order a drink with any kind of syrup or frills because they were too embarrassed, so they just went with plain coffee. Of course, she would always watch them walk over to the condiment bar a second later and pour heaping amounts of sugar and cream into their drink on the down low. It was so weird how customers always thought she was judging them for what they ordered. Just order whatever you like. I honestly couldn't care less, she often found herself thinking.
The stigma around fun coffee drinks nowadays was ridiculous.
Taking a quick sip from his drink, Dick grinned slyly over the rim of the paper cup. "What can I say? I'm just that cool." Suddenly, he jerked backward and miraculously managed to drop the cup back down onto the counter without spilling. "Gah! That's hot!" he hissed through his teeth, sucking in air.
Artemis couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the clumsy action. For someone who thought of himself as being 'cool,' Dick had to be of the of the biggest dorks she knew. "Even I don't need to be a detective to figure that out," she teased. "Look, says so right there on the cup." She pointed to the WARNING: CONTENTS MAY BE HOT caution label printed at the bottom.
Dick huffed and regained his composure as he dug his hand into his pockets and pulled out a few crumpled dollars; he placed them on the counter, making sure one went straight into the tip jar. "For the college fund," he explained with a wink.
Feigning a gasp of surprise and covering her mouth with one hand, Artemis exclaimed dramatically, "Why Richard Grayson, you are single-handedly going o pay for my entire tuition through your generous tip money. Thank you!"
He rolled his eyes at her. "Sarcastic, much?"
"It's the only thing that keeps me sane while working here," she grinned, taking the money and placing it into the register.
"Speaking of, is Zee here yet?" asked Dick, leaning in to look behind the counter expectantly.
Artemis shook her head. "Not yet, but she better be. I need her to take over so I can go on my lunch." As if to emphasize her point, her stomach grumbled loudly.
"Want me to grab you something? The hotdog stand is surprisingly open right now," Dick offered. "Guess he's not worried about his cart being washed away. But hey, to each their own."
Before she could respond to the kind gesture, the front door chimed with a gush of cold air. Artemis snapped to attention and looked past Dick's shoulder, hoping that is was signaling the arrival of her co-worker, who could finally relieve her of duty so she could go on break. The person who entered, however, was not Zatanna, but another recognizable face.
"Hi, guys," said the newcomer, rubbing his hands together for warmth. "Man, it's cold out there."
"And wet," Dick added, taking note of the soaking wet man next to him. He gave a small pat on the shoulder and said, "How's it going, Conner?"
"Hey, Conner," Artemis smiled softly. Her eyes landed on his chest, where she could see the drenched shirt cling to his skin, enunciated the chiseled and defined muscles beneath. When she realized she was staring, she promptly turned around with a cough and pretended to grab something behind the bar to distract herself with.
"My driver couldn't pick me up because the car got a flat and was in the shop. I would have taken a taxi, but no one stopped. Ended up catching the train and just walked two blocks," he explained. "Remind me why I bother coming downtown?"
"'Cause slumming it with us average Joe's keeps you grounded."
"And because your dad doesn't understand why you would want to, and you like pissing him off," added Artemis with a shrug.
Artemis had known Conner from college; the two had shared a few classes, even. At one point, Artemis even had a crush on him… and maybe still did. Not that she was going to tell him that. Artemis was a barista living from paycheck to paycheck, while Conner was the heir to a multi-million dollar industry. They were practically from different planets and she knew that there was no way in hell that he'd ever see her as a possible romantic interest. So Artemis settled with just being friends.
On the other hand, Dick knew Conner merely because, as a cop, he knew practically everyone in a ten-mile radius from walking the beat. And that Dick had been the arresting officer a year back when Conner got in trouble at a club nearby. Luckily for Conner, Dick was chill enough to realize that he hadn't done anything wrong and let him off with a warning, which Conner more than appreciated.
Since then, the three had been pretty good friends. They even liked to hang out on the rare occasion that their schedules all lined up.
Artemis furrowed her brows, looking at her friend who was still dripping wet from the rain. "Why aren't you wearing a jacket? It's supposed to be the storm of the year this weekend!"
Conner simply shrugged, looking non-affected by the fact. "Forgot, I guess." He may have been incredibly rich, ridiculously good-looking, and Metropolis' number three bachelor according to Teen Dream magazine, but Conner Kent, at times, could be a bit daft.
"Well," she sighed, realizing that there was no getting through to him on the foolish error, "what can I get for you?"
Looking toward the ground, Conner scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm actually meeting someone here."
Dick's eyebrow raised and his trademark smirk made its way back on his face. "You're on a date, Kent? Good for you!"
Conner blushed a bit, but it faded quickly; he wasn't the type to show vulnerability or emotions easily. "Yeah, a friend of a friend set it up. Told them this would be a good place because no one would notice us here."
"Well, you're going to make one hell of a first impression," Dick snorted, gesturing to Conner's drenched clothes and hair. "You'll scare her off before she can even order her drink."
In response to this, Conner grabbed a few paper napkins from the counter and blotted his face and clothes, though it didn't make much a difference. He frowned. "This is stupid. I should just go. I mean, who even goes on a blind date?"
Artemis' mouth opened in realization. "Wait, you're Megan Morse's date?" It made sense, actually. Megan was a small-time TV celebrity who needed more exposure and Conner was a rich, well-known socialite who needed some better press coverage – something a sweet, naïve daytime soap actress would give. From a PR standpoint, their getting together would be perfect.
Conner looked at her with mild confusion. "You know Megan?"
"Me? No," Artemis replied and held up her hands. "Well, I mean, kinda. We just talked for like a minute earlier."
Conner suddenly beamed, his bad mood dispersing instantly. "So she's here?"
Nodding, Artemis pointed to the corner booth, where Megan was waiting patiently, scrolling through her phone. "That's her. Real sweet." Artemis then jeered, "Didn't think she'd be your type."
Conner seemed to pay no attention to the insinuation as he took a few deep breaths and patted down his soggy hair. "Thanks. I'll, uh, see you guys later then!" With that, he walked awkwardly to where Megan was, Artemis and Dick watching with mild amusement as he went.
"No bad," Dick muttered, more to himself than anyone, his eyes locked on Megan.
Artemis slapped his arm playfully. "Don't be creepy. Besides, you have a girlfriend."
"And incredibly hot girlfriend," came a new voice from behind.
Artemis turned around and saw Zatanna walk through the back door, tying her apron around her waist. She looked a bit flustered, most likely from rushing to get here, but overall, gorgeous as usual. Artemis didn't understand how the girl always looked so perfect. It was like she used magic.
"Her, Zee," Artemis said, glad that her friend had arrived safely – but mainly, she was happy because her presence meant she could finally go on break.
"Sorry, I'm late. My cab got stuck in traffic because of the weather," she explained and expertly pulled her hair into a bun. "Apparently, it's the storm of the year."
"That's what I've been saying!" Artemis replied sounding a bit exasperated.
Zatanna walked to the counter and leaned her body over it, moving so her face was only inches away from Dick's, who had bent down to close the gap in the height difference. "Hey there, stranger," she practically purred.
Usually, Dick was the kind of guy who was always cool and stoic, or at least attempt to be. He was never over emotional and the kind of guy girls drooled over constantly and for good reason; Dick was good-looking, wore a uniform, and well, he was really good looking. But when it came to Zatanna, Dick's suave demeanor melted away.
"Zatanna," Dick hummed, pecking her on the nose.
Zatanna pouted. "That's all I get?"
Dick laughed lightly and leaned in further to give her a proper kiss. When they pulled apart, both were blushing and giddy. To a stranger, it would look like the two were in a brand new relationship and still in the puppy-dog love phase, but in truth, the two had been dating for over three years now.
Artemis smiled to herself at the sight of the two. If there was a couple more in love than Dick and Zatanna, Artemis had yet to meet them.
She checked her watch and saw that it was a little past one. If she hurried, she could catch the next bus back home – given that it hadn't been washed away in the rain, yet. Knowing that the café was in good hands with Zatanna running the place while she would be out, Artemis pulled off her apron and hung it up on a hook by the door. "I'm heading out. I'll be back in an hour."
"Enjoy your lunch," said Dick, his eyes never drifting away from Zatanna.
Artemis sighed, thinking about what her lunch was going to entail. "It's actually going to be more business than pleasure. I'm meeting someone at the apartment."
"An afternoon affair?" Zatanna teased, looking over her shoulder and twirling her long black hair.
"Ha, ha, very funny," Artemis said sarcastically. "I'm actually meeting someone about the ad I posted."
Last week, Artemis had posted a Roommate Wanted Ad online. She lived in a fairly small apartment in central Metropolis. It was nice, but nothing special. However, the landlord had recently raised the rent prices and Artemis couldn't afford it anymore with her meager coffee shop wages.
Dick nodded, knowing what she was referring to. "Wow, that didn't take long."
Artemis shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, I'm kind of surprised myself. But hey, the sooner the better. I can't afford to stay there by myself much longer, anyway."
Dick scowled, but hid it well. Artemis barely heard him comment under his breath, "Damn Cameron."
"Well, good luck!" Zatanna said cheerfully. "Who wouldn't want to be your roommate?"
"You," Artemis shot back.
Zatanna frowned. "Aw, that's not fair. If anything, you should be mine."
Zatanna came from old money that didn't last long. The only real remainder of said inheritance was a pristine brownstone townhouse that she lived in. Zee had offered to let Artemis move in with her for free when her rent went up, but Artemis didn't want to feel like a burden. She moved to Metropolis to prove herself. And despite how much she loved Zatanna, she didn't want to give up so easily and live off of charity donations.
"See you tomorrow, then," added Dick, turning his attention back onto his girlfriend.
Artemis waved Dick and Zatanna good-bye as they began to chatter.
"Oh my god, is that Megan Morse?" Zatanna whispered in delight. "And is she sitting with Conner? Our Conner?"
"Why does everyone know who Megan Morse is?"
Their conversation became muddled as Artemis walked away through the back. Tugging on her raincoat, she thought to herself, Well, here goes nothing, and headed outside into the storm.
❋ A/N: I've had the Friends theme song stuck in my head for two days straight now because of this. Help me. And having now worked as a barista myself, I feel more confident in my accuracy to depict such a life, haha. Maybe this will end up being somewhat cathartic for me ;) ️
QUESTION: What do you think Kaldur and Roy's jobs should be? I have some ideas, but still deciding...