Angela sighed, her eyelids heavy though she forced them to stay open as she dragged her feet down the sidewalk, the burdensome backpack on her shoulders weighing down on her to remind her of the numerous assignments medical school demanded her to complete and prevent her from sleep.
Rounding a corner, the early morning sunlight shone against her face, causing her to raise a hand to shade her eyes and squint.
Usually, she would not mind such a beautiful morning, but considering the lack of sleep she had been experiencing since the start of first year in medical school, she could not help but scowl at the morning. Silently begrudging the natural order of the Earth's rotation that allowed time to flow, she continued her way to her destination.
Her nose picked up the scent of coffee in the air, and instantaneously felt her eyes feel lighter as she got closer to the cafe. Pushing through the door, she allowed herself to relax as the warm scent of typical caffeinated beverages flooded her sense of smell, and proceeded to the back of the short line as per usual, behind the same familiar customers.
She leaned over, to catch a glimpse of who was working and found only two baristas, Jesse and Zenyatta, behind the bar with the latter at the register.
Standing back up straight with a hum, she took out her phone and checked her email to quickly confirm her agenda for the day. She mentally checked to make sure she had all her materials and assignments, though frowned upon noticing that she would be shadowing a surgeon that day.
She briefly panicked, swinging her backpack around to her front to make sure she brought her medical coat, and accidentally bumped into the person behind her.
"Oh! My sincerest apologies!" She quickly said, looking up with an apologetic smile.
"It's okay." The person behind her said with a light laugh, lifting a hand up to show there was no harm done. "It happens."
Angela could only cast a grateful nod, happy that she didn't offend the other person, though noted that they were new as she didn't recognize them. She didn't allow herself to ponder on it any longer though, as she quickly zipped open her bag and sighed in relief upon confirming her coat was neatly folded over her laptop.
"I thought you were a med student." The person behind her commented with a chuckle as she closed her bag, "You look the type."
Angela politely smiled, unsure of how to respond to such a statement…
It was much too early for her to be socializing anyway, especially before she had her morning take of coffee, and she was much too tired to even attempt to do so.
"Thank you…" She settled on, hoping that a simple statement would be enough to disengage from the conversation.
"I'm Drew by the way." The person continued, "I'm working to get my Masters in computer programming."
Angela mentally groaned. She just wanted to purchase her coffee and leave for her first class that day. "Angela." She quipped.
"Not a morning person?" Drew asked with a laugh.
Please stop talking, she mentally demanded as a light headache began its' onset around her temples.
"Next customer please." Zenyatta called in his usual soothing voice.
Angela ducked her head with a polite, terse smile toward Drew, and attempted to rush to the register without looking desperate for an escape.
"Good morning Angela, would you like the usual today?" Zenyatta asked with a polite smile.
"Good morning Zen, and if you would please do so." She nodded.
Zenyatta's brown eyes briefly glanced over to Drew before making eye contact with Angela, his relaxing smile never once moving. "And how has school been treating you so far?"
Being a regular to the cafe for years now, ever since her freshman year at university, there was no way Zenyatta - who had been working since her junior year - would attempt to have small talk about school, of all things, first thing in the morning with her.
So, recognizing the subtext under the question, Angela immediately jumped on the chance for help. "Difficult. Perhaps you can help me one of these days." She suggested in a hopeful tone as he rang her up.
If she ever needed help in Psychology, then there might be a small chance of Zenyatta helping her with homework, however, considering that the length of her studies for the subject weren't as detailed as his, it was unlikely.
Regardless, he nodded happily in understanding, "But of course." He smoothly said, "Your total will be $3.65."
"Thank you." Angela said with high gratitude, handing him a five dollar bill. "Keep the change." She said, hurriedly leaving away from the presence of the person behind her.
"My thanks." Zenyatta nodded.
Angela breathed a silent sigh of relief as she stopped at the counter to pick up drinks at. She would have to thank Zenyatta again later when she got the chance.
"Lordy Angie, you look how I feel."
Angela groaned, though this time audibly as she turned to look at the other barista, Jesse, over the counter. "Jesse. Please. Not now."
"Long night?" Jesse asked, finishing up a beverage and placing it down. "Lucio!" He called loudly, garnering another customer's attention, before Jesse ducked back behind the coffee machines.
"'Scuse me!" The owner of the drink said, mindful of his reach as he leaned past Angela to grab his coffee before leaving with a, "Hope you all have a wonderful day!" With his headphones that hung from his neck ever still playing music loudly.
"In such a way you would not believe." Angela sighed tiredly. "The morning doesn't seem to be fairing better either."
Jesse arched a brow, scooping up some ice to shove into the blender.
Angela gestured with her head toward the line, her eyes still trained on him as to not promote any suspicion.
Turning the blender on, Jesse glanced over to the line, and presumably saw Zenyatta holding it up. "Another one?" He mouthed in disbelief.
Angela nodded with furrowed brows as the blender stopped.
Jesse frowned in disapproval, dumping the contents of the blender into a large cup with a heavy jerk.
"Jesse. No." Angela warned with a pointed finger, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "Zenyatta is taking care of it."
"Douche bags that keep pesterin' people need more than just stallin'. 'Nd I'm not just gonna sit around and let some asshole mess with any friend of mine." Jesse grunted, menacingly pouring a hefty amount of whip cream on top of the drink.
Angela sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I appreciate the sentiment Jesse." She drawled.
"You're welcome." Jesse nodded, topping the drink with a cap before setting it down. "Hana!" He called, causing another customer to rush forward as he delicately placed a straw in, with the paper still wrapped around the top.
As always, without looking up from her phone, she grabbed her drink and slid it to herself. "Excuse me!" She sang, before bending over to pull the paper off with her teeth, picking it out with a hand and throwing away in the trashcan next to her. Finally, she picked her frozen drink up and dashed away, eyes still glued down to her phone.
Angela followed Hana with her eyes, wondering if Hana was going to end up making the same mistake she usually did or not.
And, as Angela should have predicted, Hana pulled the door open, only to bump into a person - another regular since the first day of the school year - and jolted back, looking up from her phone and hiding it behind her as though she were in trouble. "Oh! Unni! I'm so sorry!"
The new person giggled, "It's okay Hana. I'm used to it by now."
"You shouldn't be," Another person with black and green hair said before turning back to Hana, "You really need to start looking out where you're going." He said in a tone of concern
Hana frowned, "I'm fine!" She insisted, "I only ever bump into Lena anyway!"
Lena laughed, "Don't I feel special?"
Hana merely groaned, "Look. I'm going to be late for class. I'll talk to you later Unni. Bye Genji!" She quickly babbled before squeezing through between them to exit.
The two chuckled as they gave their farewells to Hana, and Angela couldn't help but light laugh at the short banter as well.
"Ain't he cute?" Jesse's voice breathed out, as the sound of a cup, presumably Angela's coffee, clicked onto the surface. "The day's just startin' and I can tell it'll be good."
Angela didn't even have to look to know that Jesse had a dreamy look on his face.
Ever since Lena and Genji started becoming regulars to the cafe, their arrival became an event for Jesse and Angela to anticipate in their otherwise busy and stressed out lives. Feeling refreshed from seeing the two was probably akin to another person melting upon crossing a baby animal...
Turning to pick up her coffee, she glanced up and confirmed her musings, and rolled her eyes. "Then talk to him." She advised as she usually did when they had this conversation, taking a quick sip of her black coffee with an extra two shots of espresso.
Jesse clicked his tongue, "If I weren't on the clock, then I would at least try to. Unlike you who only ever makes googly eyes over at the little miss over there, that I know you see regularly." He half accused, "Twice a day mind you."
Angela lightly huffed, "I am not going to bother someone from going about on their day like those who do so to myself."
"Which is why I have no choice but to settle with him being eye candy…" He paused as his eyes glanced back over to Genji and let out an appreciative hum. "And boy is that some mighty fine eye candy."
Angela let out a laugh, knowing she would have to leave quickly so Zenyatta could continue with taking orders for the rest of the line. "I'll talk to you later lover boy." She said, turning to exit out of the cafe.
"We still meetin' back here for that study session of ours?" Jesse asked before she could leave.
"Of course!" She confirmed. Just as she grabbed hold of the door though, she couldn't help but cast one last glance up for a quick glimpse of Lena, and managed to make eye contact with her.
Angela's eyes nearly widened, and she almost, reflexively glanced away in an attempt to show that she wasn't looking, until Lena beamed a smile at her and waved a hand in greeting.
A little stupefied, Angela couldn't help but return a small smile of her own, giving her a nod of acknowledgement before leaving with a small bounce in her step.
Any day where one's own eye candy gives them a nice greeting, no matter how simple, was bound to be a good day.
She wished to take that sentiment back though, the moment she returned to the coffee shop in the late evening for her next dose of caffeine that would enable her to power through her study session that she planned to take place in the cafe, and had her short moment of relaxation interrupted by the same person from that morning.
"Back again?" Drew asked, slipping right next to her at the pick up counter, despite there being so much room around the cafe.
Clearly. She mentally snipped.
Why did this person insist on talking to her? She just wanted to quietly wait for her coffee, to give herself a moment of peace from her tasking day and to prepare herself for her next few hours of studying that would be coming up very shortly.
She politely smiled regardless and nodded, "Yes." She said simply.
"That's cool." Drew nodded with a smile, "Have a long night ahead of you?"
"Quite." Angela replied.
"Aw man, that sucks." Drew laughed with a shake of his head, "I have a bunch of homework assigned myself and a few projects to do."
Angela mustered up her most sympathetic smile, wanting nothing more than to just grab her coffee and leave to do her assignments. At least that way, she wouldn't have to talk to this bothersome person. "That's unfortunate."
"It really is. I just want to be able to go to sleep early for once, you know what I mean?"
Of course she did, considering how deprived of it she was. She couldn't even remember the last time she had a nice, full, four hour long sleep seeing as how she had been surviving off of naps now a days.
"Sure." She offered, just as her drink was quietly placed onto the counter by Hanzo, one of the baristas for the evening shift that has just gotten the job earlier that year.
"Iced coffee with milk and two shots of espresso for Angela." He called quietly.
"Thank you." She said, accepting her usual evening drink as she politely smiled to Drew as a farewell.
She allowed a sigh of relief to be breathed out, as she went to the corner booth and scooted over to the inside, placing her backpack next to her and pulling out her laptop, binders, and pens. Just as she finished setting herself up for her long study session though, movement in her peripheral vision caused her head to snap up, only to find Drew sliding into the booth next to her with a grin.
… Despite there being plenty of other seats available.
"Mind if I join in on your study session?" Drew asked, "I feel like I could get a lot done with you."
Panic began to rise in Angela as she looked up over to the employees, hoping to catch one of their eyes, to no avail though.
Jesse wasn't due to arrive until a few minutes later… As he was usually about ten minutes off from their study sessions.
Feeling trapped, Angela wasn't sure what to do in fear of causing a loud commotion in the cafe upon voicing her refusal toward the other.
"Hey love! Sorry I'm late," A voice hurriedly called out. "I hope you're not mad."
Looking up, Angela never thought she would find Lena more attractive than she did right now, saving her from this sticky situation. "No! Not at all!" Angela immediately said, "In fact, I just sat down… darling." She finished a little hesitantly.
"We wouldn't have been late if Lena didn't mess around during Track and get put on clean up duty." Genji nudged jokingly.
Lena groaned, "Give me a break Genji, coach already worked me to the bone!"
Angela laughed at the banter, "It's okay. I understand how you can be."
"You're too nice to her," Genji remarked with a shake of a head, as if they had this conversation several times. "You need to put your foot down, take assertion. Let Lena know that this is unacceptable." He said with a teasing smile, letting Angela know that he was merely joking.
"Oi! Don't put weird ideas in my girlfriend's head." Lena exclaimed with a laugh, "She likes me for me. Right love?"
"Yes, of course." Angela nodded with an amused smile.
"And who is this lad?" Lena asked, gesturing to Drew who was looking between the three of them with bewilderment. "He's not bothering you is he?"
"No." Drew quickly started, getting out of the seat. "I was just leaving." They finished before stalking off with displeasure.
The three waited until he left the cafe, until Angela allowed herself to breathe another sigh of relief. "Thank you so much for helping me." She said.
"No problem. Glad to have helped." Lena sheepishly grinned while rubbing her shoulder with her opposite hand. "Er… Will you be alright on your own?" She lamely asked, trailing off as she shuffled in place.
"Oh yes." Angela nodded, "My friend should be here any minute now. Thank you, again."
Lena flashed her teeth in a grin, "You're welcome! See you around then." She said, before cutely waving her hand as she and Genji turned to walk over to the register.
Just as they turned, Jesse entered the cafe and comically widened his eyes as he snapped his gaze between the two and Angela, who merely raised a hand to cover her amused giggle.
He was going to be so jealous about how she got to interact with Genji past his standard greetings to Jesse.
Not that she would care as she was pretty sure her thoughts would be swarmed with the brief moment Lena had pretended to be her girlfriend just to help her out.
AN: This was just a thing on my mind that I needed to leave. I'll probably update this randomly or when I feel stuck on other stories.
