Notes: Written for a kinkmeme prompt that wanted a fic about Layton's love of tea. A really short and pointless drabble; set at some unspecified time after the second game with very mild spoilers for that game, but nothing too serious.
Few things satisfy like a puzzle solved.
And one of those things was a piping hot cup of tea.
Professor Layton was used to having to drop what he was doing at any given moment, to chase after a criminal or dash off to solve a mystery at short notice; but out of everything he would put on hold to go have an adventure, drinking tea was something he liked to take his time with if he could help it. Of course, there were some occasions that would even call for afternoon tea to be interrupted, but thankfully for Layton these were few and far between.
Regardless, going on an adventure didn't always mean that he wouldn't have time for tea anyway. It helps the mind and, if his visit to Folsense was anything to judge from, often helps other people as well. Some of his fondest memories of that particular trip had been brewing new types of tea with Luke, both successfully and a few less than spectacular attempts to make tea that they both agreed never to speak of again. This proved not to be a waste, as many of the residents ended up being quite helpful once the duo had provided them with the right kind of tea.
Though in the eyes of Layton, there were very few brands of tea that weren't the right kind. While he was often noted for enjoying a good cup of Earl Grey, this was far from the only brand that he would go for. He also indulged in many others, such as Darjeeling, Oolong, Peppermint, herbal teas of many different varieties, and, if he was feeling a little tired, a good cup of Camomile might be just the ticket to help him drift off into an easy sleep.
There was just so much that Layton appreciated about the old cuppa. And he had done his whole life. From when he was a young boy, his parents had been very surprised that instead of rotting his teeth with soft drinks like the other children, they would find their son sipping a warm mug of tea, while filling in the crossword puzzles from his father's newspaper. It was curious behaviour, but he wasn't harming anyone so they let him get on with it. As he got older, his preferences didn't change – all throughout his teenage years, while he may have made some wild choices in regards to his hair, when it came to what he drunk, he much preferred just sticking to tea, instead of going out to roam the pubs with the other boys.
As an adult, he found his habit was far more accepted by society, not that he'd ever minded too much either way. People viewed him as distinguished for being a gentleman who would partake in such a gentlemanly habit. And he often had people wondering aloud where he picked his love of tea up from – had someone he admired as a child inspired him to drink it? Or perhaps a young lady he liked had told him that drinking tea is what a gentleman does?
The Professor would just smile quietly and continue to sip his tea, letting them come to their own conclusions about the matter.
But from the day he was old enough to handle a cup of brew to quite possibly the day he dies; Professor Layton found that there was no better way to start the day than with a good cup of tea and a crossword puzzle.