You know what sucks? Summer sucks. It sucks when you see everyone's instagram, facebook, tumbler or whatever full of beach pictures and others hanging out with each other while you are, well, alone. This summer however would have the most cliche twist on my life imaginable. It turned out so well, that I want to tell you all to never give up. Things get better. Lonely people get friends and you won't have to be alone. You find things you aren't looking for because usually they just come to you. So this is the story of how the thing I needed most in my life found me. In a shitty coffee shop in San Francisco.
"Jean...Jean!"
Jean broke his daydream to turn to the source of the yelling. His boss, Eren, was holding a pack of paper coffee cups giving him an angry glare that Jean realized later was just his face.
"Yeah, what?"
"Take these cups and stack them on the counter with the others." Eren said handing over the stacks to Jean.
"Kay..."
Jean started this job because he had absolutely nothing better to do. In past summers he would just lie around watching Netflix and hoping for something to happen. As usual it never did. It was only this year he found out that if you want something to happen you have to actually do stuff. Which is why he took this job at the "Latte Legion" (the fucking stupidest name for any coffee shop out there, courtesy of Eren) or L.L for short. It was located on Powell street, squished in between a bookstore and what we've always assumed was an office but now we think it also might be a gang hideout or a salon, no one really knows.
The shop itself has been renovated five or six times in its lifespan. It started out as a victorian house but then in the 70's the owner decided to make it more "retro" and tore down the first floor front wall, rebuilding it to be the ugliest piece of crap in existence. The next owner realized its ugliness, tore down half of it and put in a big window that pokes out and a new high counter for the baristas. The third owner was a deadbeat and did nothing but add fucking potted plants and trees everywhere out front. The fourth owner in the 90's had a 20's obsession and added a stage for a jazz band and about 15 different lighting fixtures. That's when the cafe was at its best, when it wasn't called fucking Latte Legion and it had nights where it would be packed with a band and dancers. Sad thing is it all went downhill from there after the fourth owner died. The fifth and sixth owners only ever did small things like painting the walls and letting spider webs collect. They could only keep the shop for a short amount of time before they gave up on it and the customers stopped coming. That's when Eren Jeager bought it. He's sat on a pile of his dad's cash without knowing what to do with it and the end result is that he buys a cafe. Of course. So it was left this Two story mismatched building. The top floor almost untouched and still victorian and the bottom now just a standard coffee shop. Business is average. Coffee is average. Life is average.
"Hey horse face, if you have time to contemplate life you have time to earn minimum wage."
"Yeah whatever boss."
There were four people working here. Eren, who manages, Armin and Sasha, who mix the drinks, and Jean who works the cash register. They were all around the same age. Armin was the youngest at 16, Jean and Sasha were 18, and Eren was 20.
"Eren...you should be nicer to your employees..." Armin turned from his position in front of the bean grinder to glance at Eren who was now washing mugs in the sink.
"Personally, I've always enjoyed the horse jokes." Sasha poured cream into a cup then stuck a lid on it, handing it to a customer.
Jean didn't have time to retort as another customer approached the counter. He turned to her with a smile smacked on his face.
"What can I get you?"
"umm...I'll have a large mocha."
"Alright, that'll be $4.50"
This was how things worked around here. Jean would turn around and call out to Sasha the drink if she didn't already know it already. She or Armin would make it. They'd hand it to Jean, Jean would hand it to the customer. And Eren...he doesn't really do much.
"One large mocha right?" Sasha asked as she began taking syrups from the shelf while Armin poured some coffee into a large cup. It was finished off with cream, chocolate syrup, sugar, and cocoa powder. When it was handed back to Jean he placed a lid on it, called out the customers name and handed it to her.
"Hey guys..." They all heard Eren say from behind them.
"What is it Eren?" Jean turned from the register. Business was slow today and they were free to mingle as they pleased.
"You know what we should add to the store?" Eren remarked excitedly, running down the stairs that lead to the upper story. Jean has never been up there, it was where Eren was crashing presently. He didn't know why but he assumed it was because of a fight.
"You can't go one day without a new idea can you?" Sasha mindlessly stirred a cup of tea, her head in her palm as she stood by the counter.
"Hey, I have some really good ideas."
"None better than Latte Legion." Jean's comment was met with snickering from Armin and Sasha and a slightly more unpleasant expression from Eren.
"That name is revolutionary, and don't forget I'm paying you." Eren continued into the rest of the shop. "No, I say we order our own, customary, STICKERS."
"...Stickers"
"You know when you go to the bakery and they pack up your pastries in that little white box and then stick their own shop's sticker on it, I think that's adorable I want it."
"You want us to stick stickers...on coffee." Armin replied
"Yes."
"Dude, this isn't a bakery." Jean looked skeptically towards Eren who only moved to lean against the counter next to Sasha.
"It doesn't have to be a bakery, there's no law that only bakery's can have ownership of stickers."
"Eren."
They all looked towards Sasha who spoke his name seriously. Lifting her head dramatically she spoke.
"Imagine. You walk into a coffee shop. It's early, before work. You're eyes are still boogery, your brain not quite awake. You see a freakin weird looking coffee shop and since your sense of reason is a bit off you decide 'eh, why not.' so you step inside. The store smells of cabbage and sweat, still you persevere. The menu is extensive, it hurts your head. You decide something simple. A plain and easy cup of coffee. That's all you want. It's all you've ever wanted. You walk to the register, the cashier has a horse face, and it disturbs you a bit. You try to ignore it and just order your coffee. Part of you just wants to leave but you finally do it, you say the words 'small coffee.' You pay the amount. The deed is done. Now you only wait, wait for the one thing you came here for. After awhile your name is called out. You jump to your feet, your time has come. You walk up to the counter, your lips swollen, tears in your eyes. You reach to grab the plain cup of coffee. Something is wrong. Your hands wrap around the cup, but something is there. You can feel the sensation of it on your fingers. It is sickening, but what is it? You turn your coffee cup to find the source, and there plastered on the side of it is a sticker, a sticker with the worlds 'Latte Legion' written on it. Your hand clasps to your mouth. It is so wrong. Why? Why is this happening? Unable to keep the coffee in your grasp you drop it and cry out into the heavens. The world has forsaken you. You journey has ended. You have failed... and all because of the sticker on the side of the plastic infused coffee cup."
"...What the fuck Sasha."
And so the day continues. When his shift ends at 2:00 pm Jean hangs up his apron in the back and says goodbye to Sasha and Armin. Eren usually gives him an insult of some sort on his way out.
His home is close enough to walk to, about 20 minutes away. Enough to get him to wake up in the morning but not so much that he is exhausted once returning.
He walked up the sidewalk towards his house, one which like all the others was squished in a row with stairs leading up to the door. His was a light blue and had bright roses growing in pots on the porch and under the windows.
Jean's keys jingled in his hands as he trudged up the steps, breathing in the warm summer air. Shoving them into the lock he opened the door.
No-one would be home except for him, as his mother would get back at 5. He walked into the empty house wondering what to do next as he always did.
Routinely he changed his work clothes and threw on some basketball shorts and a shirt. For a moment he just stood in his hallway without the lights turned on, thinking what was next. If he hadn't had his job he would be doing this all day, waiting, wondering. He eventually just walked into the kitchen, made himself some tea (with enough sugar to be unsafe) and got out some chips.
Since his mom wasn't home he sat in the living room and watched Netflix on the T.V until she got there.
"Jean-y!" He heard his mother's voice called out from the door after she unlocked it. It was plenty bright outside, being summer and all. It didn't feel like it was already 5. "You have a good day sweetie?" She asked while walking into the living room and collapsing in the armchair next to him.
"Hey Mama." Jean answered. "You wanna know how today went?"
She turned her head tiredly to look at him. "How?"
"Well it started off average you know, but then Eren introduced 'coffee stickers' like the ones at bakeries, and we all knew it was a stupid idea, but Sasha replied with this huge monologue that made absolutely no sense, and they are so weird they are all so weird."
"...You like them though don't you."
"...yeah."
She continued talking while she unlaced her sneakers and kicked them to the floor. "Well there are two options for dinner tonight." Her first sneaker dropped to the ground and she slipped her sock off after it. "We could have leftover pasta from...how long ago was that?"
"It's been like a few weeks Mom."
"Ok, ew. Nevermind, one option for dinner. Chinese takeout!"
"Yeay!" Jean loved when they got Chinese, it meant relaxing instead of cooking and movies instead of dishwashing.
"But only if you go get it, otherwise it's precarious pasta night."
"Maaaaaaamaaaaaa….."
She only turned her head to look at him. Her eyebrows raised.
"...fine."
She gave him some money for the food and he set off. There were a few restaurants close to them. A Mexican place (which was the closest), the Chinese restaurant, and an Indian place that always looked super shifty and there were always people in there giving him a death stare when he used their lot for parking to go to the convenience store near by.
He walked in the afternoon sunlight with his keys jingling in his pocket. A car or person would pass him by occasionally. It was a slow day and warmer than usual for San Francisco. He didn't have to wear his usual hoody to survive, but he did anyway. He had it since he was a high school sophomore, navy colored with a cat face on it. His best friend got it for him as a joke that year but surprise surprise, Jean loved it.
He took some time to breath as he walked. He always had to make sure to do that, breath. He'd had trouble these past years with anxiety attacks and panic. Some of them were results of hypochondria some were just because of this anxiety thing he'd get where he'd strongly believe everyone around him was dying and were going to leave him alone. It was at its height last year, but recently has gotten much better. He helped it with meditation, medication, and as his therapist had him do, keeping a journal. He didn't go to therapy anymore after he told his mom he stopped needing it when he was taken off his meds. Doctors he went to always had a lot of trouble explaining where it came from and they decided it was mostly related to PTSD. Though Jean had no past traumatic experiences as proof. His life had been happy. It was like he had suddenly fallen into a pit when he was 15, when it all started. He had nightmares about crazy things, watching all the people around him being murdered. He didn't mention the dreams to any doctors.
Right now though, he was content. He thanked that partially to the coffee shop, it kept him busy, kept his mind occupied.
He walked in the noise of the streets at a relaxed steady pace until he reached the restaurant.
The bells that hung over the red painted door jingled when he pushed it open. As he entered the shop he was met by warm welcomes from the workers there who were now very familiar with Jean and his Mom as they'd been getting takeout there for years.
"So good to see you Jean!" Lily, who worked the check-out counter most days greeted him warmly as he walked up to place his order.
"Good to see you too."
"So that'll be the usual dishes won't it?"
"Yep."
He was seated in the waiting area on a red bench, a television raised in the corner showing the news of the day. With nothing else to do Jean watched it, surprised at what he was hearing.
"Several members of a street gang were found lying unconscious in the back of a supermarket dumpster just this morning." The footage showed an image of the store and pictures of bruised and beaten guys, lying unconscious. "And it was later discovered that these boys were the ones responsible for the recent stabbing incident involving two teenage girls just last week that resulted in one hospitalization and one death."
"Bitches, serves 'em right!" Benny, one of the waiters commented at the screen before returning to work.
"Hey you watch your language!" Lily eyed him as he scooted away, then turned her attention back at the screen.
"What was most curious is the mark engraved on both of their upper backs, which we have reason to believe represents another gang, the ones who left them in this state."
An image of one of the boys' backs popped up on the screen, a bloody symbol drawn in their skin,and another picture showed a redrawing of the engraving. Two crossed wings in a pentagon. It was an interesting design, but it left the hairs on the back of Jean's neck standing up. Before he had time to think anymore about it his order was called up.
"Take care on your way home Jean." Lily remarked her eyes flickering back to the screen.
"Don't worry, I'll be perfectly safe."
"I hope so."
Jean didn't think much anymore about the footage from T.V after that. He returned home as leisurely just as he came. Breathing. Seeing. And after he shared the Chinese food with his mom and they watched a movie, he prepared for the next day.
Jean woke up the next morning groggy. He groaned at the sound of his alarm and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Work. Bleh. To wake himself up a little he hopped in the shower, washing up from a strangely sweaty sleep. He used to only get like this with nightmares, but he was thankful that he didn't have one that night.
It was early for summer and Jean didn't really feel quite hungry for breakfast yet. Instead he just made himself a cup of tea (he was sick of coffee), deciding he could eat at the shop.
After he finished he got dressed in his usual jeans and the uniform black collared shirt. Nothing special passed on his mind. It was the 22nd of June, he was off to work, he was off to life. Nothing unusual, as always, as forever.
Before he left he grabbed his jacket. San Francisco's weather was being normal today and a cold wind blew in from the bay. One which would send chills up your arms if it hit your bare skin.
He plopped his wallet and keys into his pocket the pushed open his front door.
After he closed it he stood on his porch and took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. Then began to walk down the front staircase onto the sidewalk, making his way to his job.
This particular morning would prove to be much quieter than usual and the streets were void of the people that always filled it. At the time Jean thought nothing of it. It was Saturday morning, he assumed people were just tired and wanted to stay in. It was when he reached Latte Legion that things got weird.
The store's street which was usually pretty much abandoned in the morning was bustling full of people. Jean thought that there might've been a street fair going on, or that some store was having an event. It wasn't an obscene amount of people, an estimate of about 40 but enough to be surprising. When walking further in he noticed that the people weren't very ordinary. Most had tattoos of some sort and almost all had large firm muscles. Their style's didn't match at all with most people looking punk rock, some hipsters, and others looking almost gothic. Weird. But what was weirder is where they were coming from.
As Jean approached the shop he noticed a line of them coming out and moving into Latte Legion.
He pushed his way through the people (who were actually frightening close up) and squeezed into L.L.. Inside there were people occupying every chair in the place. He glanced over at the counter and saw Eren, Sasha, and Armin frantically mixing drinks and taking orders. Once Eren spotted Jean he sighed a feeling of relief and shouted at him to come over.
When Jean reached behind the counter he was finally able to ask what exactly was going on.
"No fucking clue, no fucking clue." Was Eren's response. Sasha also shook her head slightly and continued mixing drinks with all her power. Armin however, actually had something to say. He looked over at Jean and nodded his head, gesturing at him to come closer.
"I wasn't so sure at first but now I'm pretty confident I can say that all these people…" He glanced around anxiously as if someone was listening in, "are in a gang."
"A WHAT-"
"SHHHHH, keep your voice down I don't think they want us to know."
"Armin this is serious shit I don't think-"
"It's not like that, you want to know how I found out?"
"How?"
"Look at the tattoo on the red hed hipster on the barstool."
Jean craned his neck and tried as discreetly as he could to peek at the man. He had various tattoos, all in black ink. One of them however was colored, and when the man turned a bit it was in Jean's full view. Two wings, one white and one blue crossed each other in a pentagon on the man's shoulder. It looked familiar and after a little while Jean's eyes widened with realization.
"That's the gang that beat up the stabbers!" Jean whispered strongly as he turned back to Amrin.
"You saw that news broadcast too?"
"Yeah."
Sasha paid no attention to them but Eren's angry face came on as he yelled at them to "take orders or take their lives." Causing Armin and Jean to shuffle to their stations and begin work. "Jean you take over the register." Eren shouted at him above the chatter.
Jean nodded and walked to the other side of the counter taking his place at the register.
The people ordered their drinks as toughly as they looked. Jean suspected they weren't doing it on purpose, its just who they were. Some interesting ones included a Japanese girl with short black hair and defined abs peeking out of her crop top, a leather jacket almost covering up all her tattoos though they peeked out at her wrists and chest. Another was a short platinum blond who seemed entirely sweet and innocent except for the large skull tattoo covering her neck.
He lost track of particular things about them as he went through so many one by one. The question was never answered as to why they were there or where they came from, but one thing was for certain, they didn't seem to be hiding who they were at all. Most had the crossed wings tattoo in a very obvious place and they did nothing to cover it. Not to mention showing up in a large group like this...they made themselves pretty obvious.
As time passed more and more of the mysterious gang members left, only leaving spots of them here and there. No one was coming up at the moment so Jean, Armin, Sasha, and Eren all had time to rest.
"You think someone paid them to be here?" Sasha inquired as she slumped down on a stool in front of the blender. Eren didn't even retort to that, he looked like he was thinking about it as well.
"Most likely it will just be a one time thing. Stuff like this is bound to happen once in a while." Eren decided. It sounded very reasonable and everyone sort of nodded, accepting that as the final answer.
Jean was turned around, leaning against the counter in front of the register when he heard a voice call out to him from behind. Swiftly he turned, apologizing for not paying attention.
He looked up and noticed the person standing right there.
He was tall, the color of the mochas that they sold there; darker freckles dotting his face. Brown hair that parted in the middle swept aside to give full view of his black eyes. He was smiling.
"A cup of mint tea please."
Jean felt he was in the presence of someone beautiful and suddenly felt very self conscious. He himself was a long faced weirdo with a two colored undercut. And this dude...well this dude was ...not fair, that's what he was. Unfairly attractive.
"Got it." Jean said quietly and rung up the order. When the man reached out to pay Jean noticed the winged tattoo on his wrist. He was also one of them. But he seemed so much calmer, and he never stopped smiling. Jean didn't stop himself when he asked. "What were you guys all doing here today?"
The man laughed a bit, "about time someone asked."
"Really?"
"We were wondering when it was going to be, but no one asked, of course until now."
"So why is it?"
"Well...no offense but we noticed the shop was basically abandoned."
"None taken, we noticed it too."
The man laughed, "Well we thought it would be perfect for us, we don't like popular places, people stare too much."
"Stare at your wing tattoo?"
The man didn't smile. Jean wished he hadn't said it.
But then the man lifted up his wrist to show the wings, and began rubbing it. Bits of it fell off or were rubbed away as he did so. "This? This is fake." The man smiled again.
"All of them are fake?"
"Yeah, we don't want a permanent identifier."
"So then what's its purpose?"
The man thought. "For fun."
Jean laughed "Pshhhh, and here I thought you were some part of a deadly gang."
The man just chuckled along with him.
"I think some of us might come back here."
"Really?"
"Yep, lots of us liked it, though most of us don't go to the same place twice. I think I will though."
They both turned when they heard Armin call out, "regular mint tea!"
The man pivoted and went to pick up his drink. On his way out as he passed Jean, he made one more comment.
"Don't worry, we're not a deadly gang, we're a gentle one."
And then he left.