This is my third OP fanfic, and it will also be a Law x Oc story. I figured that it will be fun to experiment around with OP characters in an alternate universe setting, so here it is. I'm planning on this to be a oneshot, but if I receive enough positive response from you guys, I may consider continuing this story.
Enjoy!
Mai gave a quick glance at her watch. She was counting down the time left to three o'clock. She tapped her fingers on the counter, getting quite restless. The hands on her watch were ticking by too slowly for her liking.
'Five minutes left. You can endure for another five minutes.' Mai chanted in her mind repeatedly.
The café was currently void of any customers. Mai was used to the peace and quiet she got whenever she was on shift.
The café was not anything that spectacular. It is just a quaint little shop selling coffee, tea, snacks and desserts. It is located quite near to a local university campus, which happened to be the institute that she was studying at.
Not many students come all the way out here to study or find some quiet time. Most of them stay within the campus, and would opt for a cup of Starbucks over an unbranded cup of java any day. If anyone asked Mai, she would say that Starbucks is overrated, and definitely overpriced. Heck, she could probably make coffee that tastes just as good, or if not even better, and it will cost her less than that one cup of overpriced coffee.
However, there is one particular university student that has been patronising the coffee shop frequently. Whenever Mai was on shift every Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, he will always come in at a fixed time and order a cup of espresso. He would take the spot at the furthest corner, next to the wall. He will take his notes out, study material, or whatever, and begin to study. He will stay here for the rest of the day, and only leave at dusk. It is Monday today, so he should be coming in at 3 o'clock.
And this pattern had been going on for three weeks already.
Mai gave another quick glance to her watch. The side of her lips twitched upward, forming a smile. He will be coming through the door in five, four, three… two…
One.
As if on cue, the door opened, causing the bells hung on the door handle to chime. He strode into the coffee shop with his bag in hand, and immediately went for his favourite seat at the back. As usual, he was wearing a white dress shirt and black trousers. The sleeves of his shirt folded up to his elbows, showing his tribal tattoos, and the collar unbuttoned.
When he walked past her without saying anything, Mai looked at him curiously. Usually, he would ask for his usual whenever he walked past her, but he did not say anything today.
Mai decided to take the initiative. "The usual?" She called out, her voice going an octave higher than her usual tone.
She cringed at herself. 'Don't sound too enthusiastic!'
"Hm? Oh, yes please." He answered in a smooth voice.
Immediately, Mai went to prepare his coffee. When she was done, she brought it over to his table.
He looked up from his papers momentarily when she placed the hot cup of coffee on his table. "Thank you."
She offered a small smile. "You're welcome."
Mai stationed herself back at the counter. She had nothing to do at the moment. There are times when she brought her assignments and notes to work and she would read through them whenever business was slow. However, she had no assignments to be due, and she had finished reviewing all of her notes, leaving her with nothing to do.
Sometimes, she would look at the man seated all the way at the back, and study him.
He is definitely a tall one, maybe around a heads taller than her. His raven hair was spikey, and always looked dishevelled. But it was dishevelled in a good way. It made him look more attractive. The goatee looks surprisingly good on him. If any other guy tried to pull off that look, they would probably end up looking like a madman. The dark shadows under his grey eyes told her that he doesn't get enough sleep. He had two piercings on each ear. With all the tattoos printed all over his arm and his piercings, one would think that he is someone from the underworld.
But Mai knew that he was definitely a student studying in the same university as her. University students and criminals just don't seem to mix together well. However, he is just a stranger first and foremost, so she couldn't be so quick to judge someone. For now, her verdict is: the handsome man is a good man.
Now that Mai thought about it, how did she come to know that he was studying in the same university as her?
Mai hummed in thought. 'That's right, Shachi knew him.'
Shachi is one of her colleagues who happened to be studying first year pharmaceutical science in the same university. Two weeks ago, she and Shachi were on the same shift, when the man walked in to the coffee shop. Shachi then told her that the man was studying medicine in his second year. Shachi could recognise him because they were in the same faculty, and sometimes Shachi saw him walking around the school.
Ever since Shachi pointed the man out, Mai had begun to take notice of him. It was no surprise that Mai did not recognise the man at all. She was studying in a faculty way different from science and medicine. There was no way she could have seen him around in her school.
The ringing of the bell snapped Mai out of her thoughts. Another customer had walked in and took a seat at the counter, right in front of her.
Mai resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the man staring at her with a smirk on his face.
It was that creepy man who had been trying to hit on her for a week already. He usually comes in at 8 o'clock, one hour before the shop's closing hour. The creepy man will sit down at the counter and drink his coffee, and stare at her shamelessly as she worked. Then, whenever she is about to close the shop, he will offer to walk her home, or take her out to supper, or a midnight movie. She rejected all of his offers flatly, but he would always pester her to reconsider, saying that she "won't regret the experience". No doubt he's just trying to get into her pants.
Well, he should do something about his face first before hitting on girls.
Mai mustered a fake smile. She could play nice for now. "May I take your order?"
The creepy man's smirk grew wider. "Why, yes. May I have you?"
Mai clenched her fist under the counter, but her smile remained. "I'm afraid not. You are supposed to order something that is edible in a café, not a human."
"What if I said that I wanted to eat you, hm?" The man's face turned cocky, as if challenging her to come back with a smart comment.
Mai's expression immediately turned a hundred and eighty degrees, glaring at the man straight in the eye. "I do not appreciate you talking to me like that."
"But I really want to." The man replied in his failed attempt of a sultry voice. It just made him sound like a dying whale.
Mai took a deep breathe, and slowly exhaled. "Sir, I don't think you are getting the hint. I am not interested in you, and I will not go out with you. Either you order something, or leave this place."
"Aw come on, sugar, don't be so bitter. You may not want me, but I do want you. You can't be so sure that you're not interested in me without giving me a chance. Just one date, and I will make you fall head over heels with me. What do you say?" The creepy man said suggestively.
"I said no. If you are not going to order anything, then leave." Mai said. Her patience for the man in front of her was growing thin. If he does not leave now, she would definitely snap.
"Sorry to break it to you, sugar, but I won't leave until I get a date with you." The man said with a forceful tone.
'That's it.' "Would you like me to mess that ugly fa-"
"Excuse me, Mai-ya. Can I get a refill for my coffee?" A familiar voice came behind the creepy man.
Mai stopped mid-sentence and tilted her head to the side, and saw the attractive university student standing there, holding his now-empty cup.
Mai immediately smiled, and took the cup from him. "Sure thing. You can go back and wait at your table, if you'd like."
He shook his head. "I'll wait here. Besides, I think you need help in dealing with a difficult customer."
"Excuse me, I'm difficult?" The creepy man shrieked.
The attractive man raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't see any other customers here other than the both of us."
Mai scoffed. "He's not even a customer."
"What am I, then?" The creepy man said, sounding hopeful that Mai will say something favourable.
She glared at him. "A thorn that has been persistently sticking on to my side for a week."
The attractive man smirked. "There you have it. I think it will be prudent of you to leave now, before Mai-ya decides to lodge a police report against you for harassment. When that happens, I will be her witness and vouch for her."
The creepy man's face paled immediately. "A-all right! Fine! I'll leave!" He scrambled for the door, and finally left the coffee shop.
Mai let out a sigh and shook her head. "I was about to punch that creep in the face before you stepped in." She then looked up at the man. "Thank you, er…"
"Trafalgar Law. Law is just fine." The man introduced.
"Thank you, Law." Mai repeated herself.
Now that her burden was out of the way, she went to refill Law's espresso.
"Maybe I shouldn't have stepped in. Seeing you punch that man might prove to be entertaining." Law said.
Mai placed the filled cup on the counter, with the handle facing law. "What a nice thing to say. I'm flattered." Mai replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. "By the way, who told you my name?"
Law raised his eyebrow again. "Your nametag told me."
Mai blinked owlishly, before looking down at her work apron. "Oh, that blasted thing…"
Law chuckled.
'Oh my… his laugh….' Mai could definitely get addicted to that sound.
He slipped onto the counter seat. "Tell me, why work in a café like this one when there are always very few customers?" Law asked curiously.
"Because it's quaint." Mai replied immediately. She did not miss the look of disbelief on the man's face.
"Just kidding. I work here to earn money to pay for my tuition fees. Surprisingly, the pay I get here is enough to cover for the fees, with maybe a little bit of extra money left." Mai said. She took note of how he was drinking his coffee now on the counter with her, completely ignoring the fact that his belongings were at the back.
"Tuition fees? So you're studying in a local university." Law came to a conclusion quickly.
"And we have a winner!" Mai replied, grinning at him. "Would our winner like to guess which university I'm studying at?" She asked cheekily.
Law smirked. "Grand Line University."
"And now we have a champion." Mai laughed.
"I'm currently in my second year in Grand Line University, but I can't say that I've seen you around before. Which faculty are you in?" Law asked, taking another sip of his coffee.
"You study there too? I'm in my second year of studying Accountancy in the Faculty of Business and Accounting. You?" Mai asked, acting as if she didn't know about Law being in the same institute as her. If she mentioned anything about her knowing him, that will make things awkward between them, and she didn't want to explain herself to the man.
"Second year medicine in the Faculty of Medicine. I guess that explains why we have never seen each other on campus before." Law mused.
"University campuses aren't small, after all." Mai agreed.
Law then stood up, holding his cup in hand. "I think that's enough of break time. I'll go back to my table now."
"That's alright, I don't wish to interrupt your studies." Mai said, smiling at him. "I'll be here if you need more coffee."
He smirked at her. "I'll keep that offer in mind."
He stayed longer today, way past dusk.
When he didn't start packing his things at dusk, Mai got a bit curious. What made him stayed longer today?
Over the past few hours up till dusk, the café received six more customers. They only stayed here for a maximum of an hour, before all of them left. Mai snacked on a small serving of the shop's potato salad to keep her stomach filled until it was time to close the shop at 9 o'clock. When she was on shift, she usually did not eat dinner, and instead snack on something that could last her she got off work and bought food back home to eat. Which she admit, was very unhealthy, but she didn't mind.
Once it was 8.15, Mai started to prepare closing the shop. She mopped the floor, cleaned the tables and chairs, and kept all of the kitchen equipment. By the time she was done, it was five minutes to 9 o'clock.
Strangely enough, Law haven't started packing his things.
She went to the changing room at the back and took off her apron. She took down her purse that was on her designated hanger, and replaced it with the apron. She went out, and saw Law sitting at the counter.
"That was quick." She commented.
"Thank you. I was surprised you didn't chase me out earlier." Law said.
"Technically, we only close at 9, so chasing you out before that would be immoral of me. Besides, I was surprised you didn't leave at your usual timing." Mai smirked, quoting his words.
Law shrugged. "Had to make sure that the "creep" from this afternoon doesn't come back and harass you."
"How gentlemanly of you." Mai chuckled.
"Once again, thank you." Law said smoothly. "Are you hungry? I noticed that you only ate a small snack a few hours ago."
"I hope you're not trying to pull off the same thing as that creep." Mai said in mock accusation.
He smirked at her. "I wouldn't dream of it."
"All right then. Since you're asking, I do feel a tiny bit hungry."
"Would you like to accompany a hungry man for a trip to the diners down the street? I only had cup after cup of coffee, and I'm absolutely famished by now." Law asked.
"Well, if you put it that way, I can't reject your offer." Mai said playfully.
"Well then, shall we be off?" Law asked.
"Lead the way." Mai grinned.
That's it folks! Do drop by a review, and I'll see if I will continue with this story.
The link to the story's cover image is on my bio.