Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.
I hope this fic gets everybody excited for the holidays.
If you asked me what was in our delightful, rich red velvet cupcake I would tell you down to each and every ingredient, down to each sinful detail.
It is a wonder how things like a couple cups of tasteless flour, eggs (which I hate otherwise), sugar, a pinch of salt, baking soda, delicious cocoa powder, creamy buttermilk, vegetable oil, a bit of red food coloring, white distilled vinegar, vanilla extract, frothy cream frosting, and a bit of crushed pecans for garnish can combine into the most intoxicating of flavors.
Yes and the best part is, it doesn't just stop there. We have tarts made of fresh fruit plucked at the right moment when they are most ripe and sweet. We have beignets with the finest powdered sugar in all of New York. Oh and chocolate... all types of chocolate cakes, mousse cakes, and éclairs. And if you're in the mood, you can try our assorted flavors of macarons shipped directly from our French kitchen.
Of course, our sweets are best accompanied by our signature drinks. Do you like hot chocolate? Hot chocolate made of course of the finest cocoa plants from Brazil (not that powdered stuff you get from the convenience store). No. I'm talking about rich chocolate flavor decorated with our softest white whip cream. Could I interest you in cinnamon powder on top as well? I promise you that you will enjoy it.
Or perhaps our other drinks like our caramel latte with coconut crème, our chocolate mocha fudge, strawberry crème smoothie, or even our creatively blended sodas.
It's true. If there was a heaven on earth, surely Le Coup de Foudre Cafe would be it. Even the name suggests that it is love at first sight. And I, almost too cliché, a girl named Vanille (yes I've heard it sounds like vanilla), work there serving up the sweetest of sweets, but of course... all it took was one simple order to throw my world completely upside down.
-xiii-
"Small black coffee and a plain croissant," came a feminine yet husky voice.
Politely, Vanille responded with a smile, beaming at the business suit clad, pink haired, blue eyed woman in front of her. "Can I get you anything else, ma'am?" She knew the answer of course.
"No." Then the pink haired woman would proceed to watch her get her order then take the decorated bag and leave.
The total spent was $15.68. To the average person, yes that is a lot to pay for cup of coffee and a croissant, but the French believe that eating should be an experience. At the cafe, there is beautiful rococo-inspired furniture for you to relax on with your pastry and classical French music to soothe your ears. That is... if you were to sit there. Not "Ms. Black Coffee and a Plain Croissant" who comes in religiously Monday through Friday at 10 am for the same thing for the past two months. Even for Vanille, who loves the store with a passion, it seemed to be a little too much to spend on breakfast every morning.
The store had its fair share of regulars, mostly girls, but no one was quite like Ms. Black Coffee and a Plain Croissant. Pink hair that fell casually over one shoulder, the most mesmerizing blue eyes that ever existed, and model-like features of which even Vanille found herself completely jealous of. She was absolutely captivating and the red head wasn't the only one who thought so. When she came through that door, the door would let out a jingle from the bell above, and everybody turned their head like cats with wide eyes as if she had a can of tuna on her. Yes, this regular was definitely something special.
Their interactions and routines would be the same almost every day as if following a well written script, but sometimes, their dialogues would change slightly.
-xiii-
"Black coffee and a plain croissant," the woman said while slightly leaning on the counter.
Vanille nodded and quickly went about making the woman's order. As she brewed the coffee, the red head couldn't help but glance over at the other woman who seemed to look at her curiously. Under her regular's unfaltering gaze, she stuttered slightly. "So... Do you- do you work nearby?"
"Yeah," was all she got in return. No elaborating on where she worked? How far away she worked? Or what she even does?
Placing the order on the counter, the woman said her thanks and left again. Vanille could only wonder what this mysterious regular does. Sometimes she was even tempted to follow her. The regular was always dressed so nicely in her fitted suits and occasional skinny ties. Maybe she was some sort of spy. That was probably unlikely, but it seemed weird to picture the woman in a cubicle doing some sort of desk job.
With each day that passed, Vanille couldn't help her budding curiosity. Just who was Ms. Black Coffee and a Plain Croissant?
-xiii-
"How is your day?" Vanille asked with a bright smile while handing the pink haired woman her order.
"It hasn't really started yet," was the simple reply that she got.
…
A simple fine would have sufficed. "Right." Vanille continued smiling.
-xiii-
"Happy Halloween!" Vanille exclaimed excitedly, dressed in her cute orange tabby cat ears.
Dressed in a beige cardigan and formal slacks, the regular seemed less than amused. Blue eyes just stared blankly at Vanille's cat ears. "You're a cat." A cold solid response.
Vanille giggled, placing her hand over her lips. "Yeah."
"That's interesting..." A pause. Blue eyes met green eyes, blinking a couple of seconds away. "So... can I get a... a small black coffee and a plain croissant?"
Vanille recited her order in her head like a mantra. "Do you want anything else, ma'am?" No, Vanille responded in her head.
"No."
-xiii-
Putting the black coffee and the croissant in a beautiful robin's egg blue colored bag, Vanille started up conversation again. "So... are you doing anything special for Thanksgiving tomorrow?"
"Sort of." Another vague response from her favorite customer.
"Oh."
"I'm going to my sisters." The woman grabbed the bag.
She has a sister, Vanille mentally noted. One more piece of information discovered. "I hope you have a good Thanksgiving."
"Thanks."
Sometimes Vanille wished her regular would start up conversation with her. They saw each other every day. Maybe just one time? Maybe?
-xiii-
The regular was dressed in a heavier jacket on top of her black suit. At the sound of the bell, she came in while brushing off the snow off her shoulders. "Some weather huh?" Vanille asked while the woman made her way to the counter.
"Yeah," she said with a sigh. Her cheeks were red from the cold weather and she had a bit of snow melting from her hair sliding onto her delicate cheek.
Napkin in hand, Vanille reached for the woman's face and wiped the water away. "Here." As she did that, she realized blue eyes locked with her's and she couldn't help but blush.
"Thanks..." was all that her regular said. Then she took the napkin from Vanille's hand and wiped away the snow herself, grazing her hand lightly in the process.
Retracting her hand, Vanille felt like an idiot. That simple touch sent electric waves through her body. She couldn't find words to express what she felt so she proceeded to follow her script. "So... what can I get you?"
And as always the woman would respond with the same order. Vanille's heart kept racing, recalling how close she was to her customer.
After handing the woman her order, she simply said "thanks" and left. Vanille sighed and decided that a conversation with Ms. Black Coffee and a Plain Croissant was pretty much impossible until...
Christmas morning.
-xiii-
"Merry Christmas." A short statement came from the pink haired woman who, for the first time, wasn't dressed in a suit, but a pea coat, a sweater, a pair of jeans, and a scarf.
"What?" Vanille couldn't help but blubber out.
The woman tried again, slightly annoyed. "Merry Christmas... Vanille."
"Hm?" Another dumbfounded answer from Vanille. Did she just say my name, she thought. My name Or did she want something vanilla? Probably the latter- she continued to ramble in her head.
Pointing at Vanille's name tag that sat right above her chest, she said "Your name is Vanille, isn't it."
"Oh..." She looked down at her name tag. "Ah... yes it is. Um... thank you, Merry Christmas."
There was a moment of dead air. It was something that seemed to happen a lot between them. The woman started again. "They made you work on Christmas, that's tough."
Vanille couldn't believe what she was hearing. Is Ms. Black Coffee and a Plain Croissant... talking to me? "Um... it's ok. I don't mind it. Everybody is very happy here. Um... I guess they made you work too?"
"No." A pause then she elaborated. "I have off."
"Oh..." Vanille was caught off guard. Here, she was thinking that the woman only came here for breakfast because she worked nearby. Was her theory wrong? "Do you live nearby?"
"No." The woman replied curtly. Then the next line which was nowhere in their script shocked Vanille completely to her core. "I guess it's just weird to not see you in the morning."
Vanille blushed. What is she saying? "I- um-"
"Hey can I get a slice of strawberry shortcake and a Cherry Berry soda?" A customer came up and asked, breaking the moment apart.
Snapping out of her daze, she quickly responded. "Right away." In a hurry, she went to get the order ready, hoping to talk to her regular some more... but when she returned, the red head realized she was gone.
She let out a sigh. It would probably be another Christmas until she talks to me again, she thought.
-xiii-
Locking up the cafe, Vanille waved good bye to her other co-workers, wishing them a merry Christmas. In her hand was a box of sweets, a little present to herself. Looking at the watch on her wrist, she realized it was only six. The cafe had closed early so everybody could spend their Christmas night with their families, which would be a nice gesture if she had a family...
Looking around the city, she couldn't help but smile when she saw the holiday spirit in everybody's eyes. The city was all lit up in bright colors, all the stores had flashy Christmas displays, and Christmas music blasted in a roaring symphony all around.
Looking at her box of sweets, she knew the perfect place to enjoy them.
-xiii-
Traveling downtown by subway, she arrived at Rockefeller Center, home of the most beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Her eyes reflected the bright bulbs of color and she couldn't help but giggle to herself. Snuggling into her scarf, she walked over to a bench to sit down. It was chilly, but she kind of liked it. It was the perfect Christmas weather, she thought. There's nothing like a beautiful box of sweets underneath an even more beautiful tree. Untying the blue ribbon, she was ready to enjoy her favorite treats until she heard a familiar voice.
"Vanille?"
Looking up, she gasped. "Black coffee and a plain croissant!"
…
"What?" Her regular laughed.
Vanille marveled at the sound of her laughter and laughed too. "I'm... oh that's embarrassing. Um... We have a tendency- um me and my coworkers that is- um we have a tendency to call our customers by their order."
"Oh."
Vanille shook her head at the awkwardness. "Um... so what are you doing here?"
The pink haired woman shifted from foot to foot, putting her hands into her pockets. "The tree? Well also I actually do live around here."
"Oh." Vanille smiled then placed a hand next to the seat next to her. "Well... if you want, you can sit with me and," she held up the box of sweets, "eat some cake?"
With a tilt of the head, the regular sat next to her. Vanille felt all giddy inside. This was an unexpected turn of events. Deciding that this was as close to a special moment she was going to get from her customer, she took out her favorite cupcake. "Here?"
The pink haired woman looked at the red velvet cupcake in the red head's hands. "I'm not big on cream cheese."
"Me neither." She giggled. "It's vanilla frosting. I frosted it myself."
Blinking, the woman took the cupcake and took a nibble. "It's good."
Vanille smiled. Her heart was feeling all sort of warmth in that moment and she was happy that her favorite customer enjoyed the cake. Noticing the bit of frosting on the corner of the woman's mouth, she unconsciously took a dab at it with her finger and placed it in her lips. Curious blue eyes looked back at her. The woman was blushing pink. When Vanille realized what she had done, she hid her face from embarrassment. "Sorry...ah... habit."
"It's ok, Vanille." The woman whispered.
She called her name again. Oh she has such a wonderful voice, Vanille thought. Taking another pastry from the box, she took a small bite, and then boldly decided to ask the question that was on her mind since forever. "So- what's... what's your name?"
"Lightning."
Vanille's eyes looked back at her. "Lightning..." She tested the name with her lips. It sounded sweet. Well, sweet because of the pastry she was eating. "That fits you somehow. It's cool. Is that really your name?"
Still blushing slightly, there was a small pause. Lightning watched as Vanille took another bite of the chocolate pastry, something very familiar to Lightning. "Well... not exactly."
Vanille glanced over. "Hm?"
"Eclair." A pause. "Eclair Farron."
Looking back at her pastry, which was none other than a chocolate éclair, she looked back at Lightning with wide eyes. It started out as a chuckle then exploded into laughter. "What-? Really?"
Lightning huffed. "I'm not taking that from a girl named Vanille."
Vanille continued to giggle as she pictured her cool customer's real name. "No- um... it's cute."
"Cute." She glared back at her. Vanille stopped laughing thinking that she had offended the other woman somehow, but when Lightning started to laugh, Vanille laughed too.
As their laughter died down, their eyes locked again, only this time it didn't seem as awkward as before. The frosting on Lightning's lip disturbed Vanille greatly. She wanted so much to kiss it, but she had to stop herself. She didn't want to make a fool of herself on their first date... Date? Is this a date?
Breaking away, the both of them continued eating their pastries. Vanille's face was completely red as she ate her... éclair. Her heart fluttered at that word. It looks like she now has a new favorite pastry.
After a while, Vanille started to shiver. "It's getting late... I should probably go." Looking at her watch, she realized it was past seven. "Darn it, I missed my train." Vanille lived out on Long Island and her train only came every two hours. Putting her arms around herself, she blew out a sigh. The white puff of air danced until it was no more. Then she felt a warm jacket around her. Shocked she looked over at Lightning who was only in her sweater. "But you'll be cold."
"No worries. I live close by." A long pause passed. "If it's not too forward. We could-"
"Yes." That almost came out as a squeal. A little softer this time. "Um... yes..." She blushed as Lightning stood up first and offered her a hand. The touch of her hand sent waves of joy throughout Vanille's body. If you had asked her a few weeks ago, her first love would've been pastries, but now... everything seemed to change in that single moment.
-xiii-
Four months prior.
"Lightning! I've been dying to try this place out! I can't believe you work so close to it and you never even told me!" Serah, Lightning's sister excitedly bounced up and down as they neared the overly girly establishment.
"Serah... do we have to go there? It's way too expensive and..." She shuddered. "Pink."
Serah glared back at her and her pink hair. Lightning didn't respond, obliviously walking on. "I heard they have the most amazing macarons made from France." She made her biggest puppy eyes Lightning had ever seen.
"Fine, but can we eat at the park? It's a nice day."
Serah chuckled at Lightning's uncomfortable behavior. "Ok ok. What do you want, sis? You can wait outside."
"Just get me..." As they walked in front of the window of the cafe, her heart skipped a beat as she saw the most beautiful red headed girl she had ever seen.
"Sis?"
Coming up with the first thing in her head. "A black coffee and a plain croissant."
"Really?" Serah looked back at her. "They have the most elaborate sweets menu in all of New York City and that's what you want."
Not really paying attention to her sister, she nodded. Serah then disappeared inside the cafe as Lightning stood outside looking in. She saw as the red head prepared their orders, smiling and giggling as she and Serah talked. Her throat was dry and her heart drummed uncontrollably. Looking up at the cafe, she huffed as she read the name of the establishment, Le Coup de Foudre Cafe.
How cheesy, was her first thought, but Lightning would find herself stepping into that cafe every day since then. She never knew why her feet would automatically lead her to the pink door, but that was what happened every single day.
And every single day, she would watch the red head smile. A smile that in time would melt the ice around Lightning's heart.
-xiii-
The bell rang. Vanille glanced over at the door and immediately blushed at the sight of the ever dapper Lightning "Eclair" Farron who had a single rose in her hand.
"Happy Valentine's day, Vanille." Lightning handed the rose to Vanille as Vanille continued to hide her bright red face.
"Really? Here? You couldn't wait until later?" Vanille giggled then when no one was watching, she gave Lightning a quick kiss on the cheek. Clearing her throat, she proceeded to follow her script. "So... what can I get you?"
Lightning smiled. "The usual."
Smiling, Vanille proceeded to make Lightning her small black coffee and a red velvet cupcake with vanilla frosting.
-fin-
There's been so much Lanille-love lately so I had to take a break from Beauty & the Beast my other Lanille story, and write this one shot.
The cafe is based off of Lauderee, a macaron shop in uptown New York. The story is inspired by my beautiful girlfriend who told me to write about a bakery. So this is for her.
And again, hope this fanfic gets everybody excited for the holidays.
Read, review, and junk. It makes me super happy!