A/N: So, the chain of events that led to the birth of this story. I've been working on this 'secret project' for the past few weeks, and sometimes I post snippets on my tumblr. So one of them involved a spilling of coffee, which prompted my mutual to believe it was a coffee shop au. And it might be (who knows).

But here's an actual coffee shop au that's just a short little thing I wrote. BECAUSE krut09 made hat very emotional and heart wrenching story yesterday (I've created a non-angsty short to uplift y'all).

Enjoy!

The Big E: Is she there again?

Zombie: She's always here, never misses a day

Zombie: This is morning coffee we're talking about

Zombie: And a pastry

Zombie: And sitting in a booth for hours on her laptop

Zombie: She's so fucking beautiful

The Big E: Here's a crazy idea: talk to her

Zombie: Oh god

Zombie: Just the thought makes me want to throw up

The Big E: Get your pathetic ass away from your computer and talk to her, before I go down there and fuck shit up

Zombie: How about no

Eliza stopped answering and Zed sighed. He put his phone down and tried to go back to the task at hand.

For as long as he'd been living and working in Seabrook, New Hampshire, Zed would go into the Mini Shrimp Café every morning to complete his online work for the day. Then he'd take up his afternoon shift at the café.

A few weeks ago, like some cliche romance, the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on started coming in before his shift and staying about halfway through.

Everything about her made his heart melt and his knees weak and his brain practically shut down. She had blonde hair that curled on the ends and looked soft and made him want to run his fingers through it.

They always sat in adjacent booths, giving Zed a spectacular view of her beautiful blue eyes. Whenever she was reading she'd mutter the words under her breath, and when she'd listen to music she'd hum or sing to herself. It was the most adorable thing Zed ever laid his eyes on.

To put it simply, Zed was in love. He was in love with a girl he didn't know, he'd never talked to, he didn't even know her name.

He had a habit of staring at her dreamily instead of focusing on his schoolwork. Today was no different; he found himself daydreaming about the two of them coming into the café together, hand in hand. They'd get their drinks and sit down and she'd talk to him about something. He'd be too infatuated with the mere thought of her and hearing her talk about something she loved to pay any actual attention.

Zed was in the middle of his fantasy world when he noticed movement, seeing the beautiful girl glance up at him, then do a double take. She'd caught him staring at her with a stupid smile on his face. She cracked a small and shy smile and gave him a little finger wave before going back to her laptop.

Zed didn't move for a few minutes. He was stunned, to say the least. She had seen him, and had smiled at him.

Zombie: ELIZA

Zombie: SHE SAW ME STARING

Zombie: SHE SMILED AT ME

Zombie: OMG I THINK MY HEART JUST STOPPED HER SMILE IS GORGEOUS

Eliza didn't answer immediately. Zed closed his laptop and shoved it into his bag, deciding he'd rather start his shift early then face any more embarrassment. He went into the employee break room and put his stuff in his locker, changed into his work shirt and grabbed an apron before clocking in.

The Big E: Now that you've embarrassed yourself significantly you should try, I dunno, TALKING TO HER

Zombie: I decided I'd rather do my actual job than try to talk to her

Zombie: Come by later, okay?

"Look who decided to come in early," his coworker, Bucky, joked. "Done ogling the patrons?"

"Shut up," Zed grumbled under his breath. "She's right over there."

Bucky laughed. "This'll ruins your day for sure, but since you're early you can't work the register. You gotta bust tables, starting with your little fantasy over there. Especially considering she's the only one in here."

At his pale expression, Bucky laughed and clapped Zed on the back. "And clean the table you were sitting at too."

Zed swallowed thickly and grabbed the rag and bucket. He moved from behind the counter and toward the girl's table. "Hey," he said hoarsely, calling her attention.

"Hello," she said with a grin.

"Um, are you done with your…dishes?" Zed asked.

The girl nodded. "Thanks—" she glanced up and read his name tag—Zed," she said.

Zed just nodded as he cleared her table. "You know you're cute when you spend all morning staring at me," she told him. "You get this faraway look that makes your face look so adorable."

Zed felt like he choked on his saliva. If he tried to look at her, he felt like he might just throw up. Still, he couldn't help but ask, "You-You've seen me before?"

"Well you aren't exactly subtle," she said with a laugh. "But you're still cute, I'll give you that."

Zed made a choked up sound that made her laugh—a sweet and beautiful laugh that made his heart clench. He knew his face was bright red and as long as he was next to her it wouldn't change.

"I'm…I'll just…" Zed cleared his throat and moved to the table he was sitting at.

Once he finished cleaning it off his table he made his way back to the counter to put the dishes away. As he passed her table, the girl slipped a folded paper into his apron. "Don't read it until your shift ends," she whispered as he passed.

I'll be here again between 7 and 7:15 tonight. Let's meet up, get to know each other. Hopefully you come by and I don't have to find a new coffee shop.

See you tonight (hopefully).

xoxo Addison