A/N: CHA! A new chapter!
I don't own Fairy Tail!
Please enjoy!
Chapter 6: Croissant Boy
Kain Hartmann leisurely made his way through Plumeria, wanting to get a chance to check out the town before checking in at the training camp. He grew up in the port town of Hargeon, so there were a few similarities, but Plumeria was smaller than his hometown, and much colder. He fixed his scarf into a better position as he thought about the cold, coming to stand at the corner of a sidewalk.
He looked around at the small shops and apartments that filled the area. He liked the quaintness and calmness of the town; it was such a different pace from Hargeon. He immediately enjoyed it, feeling relaxed in that town, feeling like he could be himself for that brief moment.
He then heard a struggling noise across from him, seeing an old woman trying to step down onto the road from the sidewalk to cross where he stood. Kain didn't really think about it as he rushed forward to her.
"Would you like some help?"
She looked up at him with a warm smile, "Yes, please."
Kain let her wrap an arm around his, and gently helped her step down from the sidewalk. He made sure to walk at her pace across the street, easing her back up onto the sidewalk when they reached it.
"Thank you, dear," she said, patting his hand in gratitude.
"Of course," he said with a small smile, "Have a good day."
She wished him well in return as he turned and continued walking in his original direction. As he walked along the sidewalk, his green eyes caught an ice cream falling onto the ground as a little girl and her mother walked out of the ice cream shop.
"Oh dear," the mother said, both her and her daughter staring at the fallen treat. The little girl tried to guide her mother back into the shop, wanting to replace her ice cream, but her mother stopped her, "I don't have the money to get you a new one, sweetie."
As soon as Kain saw the girl begin to tear up, he quickened his pace towards the door of the shop, excusing himself as he walked past the mother and daughter to get inside. He made a beeline for the front counter, asked the man working what the little girl had ordered, and paid for a replacement ice cream.
"Excuse me," he said when he stepped back outside, the mother still trying to console her daughter. He gave the mother a gentle smile, showing the ice cream cone in his hand.
She smiled in return, "Oh, thank you! Look, sweetie."
The girl looked up to see Kain bending down to her level to hand her the treat. She smiled widely and squealed happily as she took the cone from him. Before she could take the first bite, her mother stopped her.
"What do we say to the nice man?"
The little girl looked sheepish for a moment, but eventually found her voice, "Thank you."
Kain gave her a smile before standing up to continue his way through the town.
"Oh, wait a moment please!" the mother called out to him, digging around in her purse. She pulled out a small, rectangle piece of paper just as Kain stopped and turned to face her again, "Here, please take this."
"I don't need anything," he said, waving his hands in front of him.
She took one of his hands and pressed the paper into his palm, "It's just a voucher for a coffee shop. Finish going down the street and then take a left. You'll see the place."
Kain flushed slightly, "Thank you."
The mother nodded at him in her own thanks before she gently pushed her daughter forward to continue their walk through town.
Kain looked down at the voucher in his hand to see it read 'Common Grounds' at the top in bold. He wasn't much of a coffee drinker, but he did like a good cup of tea, so he began making his towards the café in hopes they also carried tea. The woman had been correct as he turned the corner and could see a shop with an iron sign of 'Common Grounds' above it and a steady stream of foot traffic going in and out of the place.
It didn't take him long to reach the shop, reaching for the curled iron handle of the front door. He noticed a young woman behind him as he began opening the door, stepping off to the side to let her in before him. She nodded at him in thanks, quickly stepping into the café. Kain went to step in after her, but saw a man making his way out. Kain motioned for him to make his way out of the shop before he stepped inside. A woman quickly followed the man out, giving Kain a quick thanks for holding the door open. Soon enough, Kain found himself holding the door open for every person coming in and out of the shop, too polite and awkward to stop the flow of traffic to let himself in.
Within the café, Gale sat at a small table with his black laptop in front of him. His fingers smoothly and quickly typed away until he noticed the cold air of Plumeria filtering into the shop. He looked up briefly to see a young man standing at the door, his black hair cut and trimmed neatly and wearing a polite smile as he nodded at all the people he was letting in and out of the shop. Gale didn't really think much on it until he noticed that the young man continued to stand there with the door wide open, not making any motions to try to step into the café himself. Gale's typing slowly came to a stop as he continued staring at the man holding the door open, almost disbelieving what he was seeing.
Gale let a small chuckle escape his lips as he saved what he was working on and closed his laptop, sliding it into a worn bag that was covered in patches and buttons. He slung his bag over his shoulder and grabbed his coffee cup, stepping away from the table without realizing that his wallet fell out of his back pocket.
He walked up to the door, catching the man's attention and giving him an amused smile. The man stared in return, looking slightly concerned about the smile across Gale's face.
"You good there, bro?" Gale asked.
Kain looked a little taken aback by the blue-haired man's words, being much more informal than he was used to, "Yes," he answered as he nodded to another person entering the café, "Just being polite."
"Holding the door open for two people is polite. You're being a passive doorstep at this point."
"I can't very well step in front of someone."
"Sure you can," Gale said, making sure his bag was firmly in place, "You do it just like this," he said, smirking as he stomped his way into the open doorway, effectively cutting off a woman on either side of the café door.
"Excuse me!" one of the women said, giving Gale a scowl.
Gale's brown eyes lit up in delight, "Sorry sweetheart, but this dude deserves to come in before you," he said, motioning to Kain, who immediately flushed in embarrassment.
"Haven't you ever heard of holding a door open for a lady?"
"Yeah, but I don't see one here," he said, sending Kain into further mortification, "Besides, have you been holding a door open for people for the past ten minutes? I don't think so."
The woman gasped at him before walking away in a huff.
"What are you doing?!" Kain asked, his cheeks fully flushed.
"Getting you into the shop since you won't do it on your own. So, either head in now or I start making a bigger scene."
Kain wasn't sure how to react to the situation before him, but he knew he didn't want to be embarrassed any further and slipped into the café with his head ducked down.
"You're welcome!" Gale called after him before fully exiting the shop.
Kain made a beeline for the front counter, quickly ordering whatever tea his eye landed on first and handing out the voucher he had been given. As he waited for his tea, he looked over where he had briefly seen the blue-haired man sitting, seeing a black leather square sitting on the floor. He looked around for a moment before he walked over to the table and picked it up to see it was a wallet. He flipped it open to see a photo ID of the man that had technically just helped him get into the building, even if it was the most ridiculous and rudest way possible.
'Well, I can't just not give it back to him,' he thought just as his tea was ready. He thanked the barista and headed out the door in a brisk pace, not bothering to stop to hold the door open for the man walking in. He looked both ways down the street, spotting a mop of blue hair leisurely making his way back up the sidewalk he had originally walked down to get to the café. He took off at a jog, knowing he'd catch up to him easily.
"Hey, wait!"
Gale turned when he heard the shout, surprised to see the too polite man jogging towards him, "Yo! What's up? Come to thank me for helping you?"
Kain felt the previous heat rise to his cheeks again, "No…I mean…well, yes…but no, that's not it."
"Chill out, bro," Gale said, laughing at the man in front of him, "You're gonna blow a gasket. I was just teasing."
Kain looked at the easy smirk on the man's face, suddenly feeling a bit more relaxed. He handed the wallet over to him, "You left your wallet back in the café."
Gale patted his back pocket to see that he was, in fact, missing his wallet, "Hey, thanks man!" he said as he took his wallet and put it back into his pocket, "The name's Gale."
"Kain."
Gale smiled to himself as he watched the man fidget in awkwardness after that, "So, you from here?" he asked as he began walking down the street again, forcing Kain to follow him.
"No, I'm from Hargeon."
"That's a long way from home. Here on vacation?"
"I'm here for cadet training for the Rune Knights."
Gale stopped, looked the man up and down, then laughed as he began walking again, "You're gonna get eaten alive with that polite attitude, bro."
"I'm fairly certain that I can handle myself."
"Guess we'll find out soon enough, yeah?"
"We?"
"Yep, I'm here for the same training as you."
Kain stared in surprise, not having expected to run into a fellow cadet out in the town, much less one like Gale, "I see," was all he said as they continued forward.
"You could at least sound interested in that fact."
Kain looked over at the man, seeing a smile on his face. His green eyes glided back to looking forward again, but a small smile had appeared on his own face.
. : + : .
A young woman with dark blue hair sighed as she got off the train in the late morning. She stood under the wooden covering at the train station, watching the rain fall in a solid sheet. Her breath came out in a white puff from the chill in the air, but it wasn't the cold that bothered her. The cold she could handle. It was all the rain she didn't like.
"And I have to wait so long for winter to come back around," she said, frowning at the rain that definitely wouldn't be letting up any time soon. She sighed as she opened the purple umbrella she carried with her, knowing she couldn't just stand around waiting for the rain to end, "Snow is so much better," she said before stepping out into the torrent of water.
To keep her mind off the rain, she looked towards the town that laid before her. It looked cozy and tucked away. The lights that shone through the rain and the people that walked through the streets looked inviting and warm, and she hoped for a chance to walk through the town later that night. It felt like whiplash compared to the large city of Amaryllis that she hailed from. A cringe came to her face thinking about where she came from, deciding there was one thing worse than rainstorms.
She returned her attention back to her walk, not wanting to think about that glittering city. Instead, she thought about her mentor in Crocus and how she had to say goodbye to her yesterday morning. It was rough, leaving behind the woman that she looked up to so much, that had done so much for her, but she felt like this was the right path for her. That she could make the biggest difference here and prove her worth.
"I'm not just some noble's daughter. I'm not just someone's bargaining chip," she said softly as she turned the corner that would lead her to the building for check-in.
As she got closer to it, she saw a man exiting the building. She couldn't make out his face as his back was turned towards her, but she could tell that he was tall and had dark red hair. Her silver eyes took in that hair, like a flame against the rain and gray of the sky. Soon enough, he slipped around a corner and she had to enter the building, shaking her head to focus on what she needed to do.
"Andy Fox," she said once it was her turn to step up to the check-in table.
The woman behind the table searched for the name, looking back up at Andy with the shake of her head.
Andy sighed, doing her best to keep her eyes from rolling, "Andromeda Fox."
The woman checked the paperwork again, "Ah, there you are!"
Andy quickly collected her things after checking in and made her exit. She turned around the same corner she had seen the redhead disappear around. She was thankful for the covered walkway as she made her way back towards the barracks. She came to the fork in the sidewalk that would lead to the men's and women's barracks. Before she turned left, she looked right to see the backside of the redhead facing her again. She watched as he smashed a cigarette under his shoe before he entered his barracks.
'That's the second time,' she thought as she turned left, 'It's going to drive me nuts not knowing what this guy looks like.'
She finally made her way inside the women's barracks, immediately feeling tension when she walked in. She saw an auburn-haired woman, who was dripping wet, throwing her things around on a corner bed next to the door, a rather tall woman setting up her things on the bed next to her. Across the room was a beautiful woman with a scowl on her face unpacking her things in the corner bed opposite of the angry woman, like they couldn't get far enough apart from each other.
"Hello!"
Andy heard the happy chirp of a voice before she saw a tuft of white hair appear in front of her.
"I'm Lilou! Nice to meet you!" she said, gently grabbing onto Andy's arm and leading her to a bed. The white-haired woman had taken the one across from the tall woman while Andy had been led to the bed next to Lilou's, "Don't mind the atmosphere in here. Quinn just got caught in the rain is all."
"Yeah, that's all!" Quinn snapped, quickly cutting Emma off before the woman could question her on what happened again.
"She's nice, I swear!" Lilou said with a laugh, "Now then, what's your name?"
"Andy."
"That's a cute name. You should definitely take the bed next to mine, but no worries if you choose not to."
Andy looked to the bed next to Lilou's and then at the rest of the beds across the room. And while Andy could handle cold weather, the iciness coming from the beautiful woman's side of the room did not feel inviting in the slightest.
She set her stuff down on the bed that Lilou had offered to her, "This one looks good. Thanks!"
"I'm heading to the bathroom to get cleaned up," Quinn said, a towel, toiletries and a change of clothes in her hands, "What are you all planning on doing?"
"I wanted to check out their training rooms," Emma answered.
"And I wanted to check out the town while we still have some free time today," Lilou said.
"Okay, I'll try and meet up with you in town later. I wanted to check it out too."
"Sounds good. See you in a bit!"
"Wait," Andy called out, "I'd like to join you in the baths, if that's alright? I've been stuck on a train since yesterday morning. It would be nice to freshen up."
Quinn stopped and looked back at her, seeing her disheveled appearance, "Sure."
Andy's silver eyes lit up, throwing open one of her bags and grabbing the things she would need. She then fell in step next to Quinn and they said their goodbyes to the other girls.
"So," Quinn began once they were out on the covered walkway, "Where are you from?"
"Originally Amaryllis, but I've been living in Crocus for the last two years."
"That's where I came from, Crocus I mean. That's where Emma comes from too."
"Cool," Andy said with a grin, "We can trade info on the best places to eat then! And the best shops to go to!"
Quinn finally cracked a smile at this, glad that she had a number of people that came from her home. It would feel less lonely that way.
Just as Quinn was about to reply to the woman beside her, Andy's eyes landed on red hair in front of them, heading towards the men's bathroom.
"You!" she called out, jogging ahead of Quinn in order to catch the redhead that had been eluding her all morning.
The redhead stopped and turned at the shout, dark blue eyes holding a grumpy stare landing on Andy.
"I finally get to see your face!"
Alexander quirked an eyebrow at her, "What?"
Andy was taken aback by the attitude in that one word and the irritated stare being sent her way, but she pushed forward, "I saw you when I was walking up to the check-in building, and then I saw you again when you were smoking a cigarette outside the men's barracks. But I finally got to see your face this time! I win!"
Alexander just stared at the silver-eyed woman, trying to decide if she was crazy or stupid or both. She definitely wasn't worth the time she was making him waste when all he wanted to do was take a long soak in the bath. He simply ignored her as his eyes landed on the auburn-haired woman behind her, a spark lighting up in his eyes.
"Still all washed up, I see."
He smirked as he heard her shout obscenities at him, Alexander turning on his heel and disappearing into the men's bathroom.
"Who was that guy?" Andy asked, "I need to make sure that he knows I won!"
"That guy isn't worth shit!" Quinn said, grabbing Andy's arm and dragging her towards the women's bathroom, "Don't waste your time on him!"
Still, Andy had to wonder who the redhead was, and he definitely had to know that she was the winner.
. : + : .
Lilou had embarked out into town, having left Emma in one of the training rooms back in the camp. The rain had finally let up for a bit, but light gray clouds still filled the sky. She took her time making her way through the town, looking through all the different shops Plumeria held.
She peered in through a pet shop window, standing at the front window for a few minutes playing with the kittens that were shown there. A few shops down, she admired old books that sat in the front window of a bookstore. She looked up to read the name of the store to remember to bring Quinn back here. She then continued on her way, passing a clothing boutique, a shoe store, an art store, and a coffee shop called Common Grounds.
Just after she passed the coffee shop, the sweet scent of baked goods smacked her in the face. Her head whipped to the side, landing on a white building filled with warm lighting. A few people sat inside the shop, talking to each other with easy smiles. And all throughout the shop were all different types of breads and confections that had Lilou's mouth instantly watering. She practically pressed her body against the window, her eyes roaming over tarts, croissants, rolls, cakes, and a plethora of other baked goods. She quickly made her way inside and looked over all the sweet treats while she waited in line.
"Welcome to Sweet Buns," the woman behind the counter greeted with a warm smile, "What can I get for you today?"
"Everything," Lilou said with a laugh.
"First time here?"
"Yes! Everything looks so good!"
"I know, right?!" the woman agreed with her own laugh, "If I can recommend a few things, our chocolate filled croissants are amazing! And the apple tart is to die for!"
"Ohhh, can I do two of those croissants and a slice of the apple tart, please?"
"Of course! Would you like the tart warmed up?"
"Please!"
The woman nodded at her and placed two croissants on a plate. Lilou paid for her goods and then took the plate, the woman advising that her tart slice would be brought out to her when it was ready.
Lilou turned away from the counter, smiling as she moved to find a seat. As she moved passed the door to reach the tables, the door was pushed open. Luckily, she had been paying enough attention to stop and lean back before the door hit her. The plate she was holding shook a bit, and for a moment, she thought her treats were about to plummet to the floor. She stared at the bread with wide eyes, praying that they would stay on the plate. She finally got a better hold of the plate, the baked goods settling back into place and not on the floor.
She let out a relieved sigh before she looked up to glare at the person that almost made her drop her food. Before her stood a tan-skinned man with green hair and a cute face. Though, that cute face wouldn't be enough to save him from her.
"Yo, you almost made me drop my croissants!"
He actually took a step back from her, not having expected the aggressiveness upon entering the shop, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you like that."
"Well," she started, looking him up and down in intimidation, "You did apologize. But never knock a girl's sweets out of her hands!"
"Y…yes ma'am!" he said, awkwardly saluting her before inching his way around her to the front counter.
Lilou then made her way to a small table, sitting down and quickly biting into one of the croissants. She immediately hummed in satisfaction, already knowing that she found her favorite bakery in town. She made quick work of the first croissant, and just as she was picking up the second one, the man that had thrown the door open on her sat across from her at another small table.
He looked at her for a few seconds before looking away with a small flush, Lilou assuming he still felt embarrassed about earlier. She looked down at the plate in front of him to see two croissants that matched the ones she ordered.
"They're really good," she said, motioning to the sweet bread on his plate.
"Yeah?" he asked, still looking a bit sheepish, "The woman at the front counter suggested them. And the apple tart."
"Same," she said, a small pause happening between them, "Do you want to join me?"
"Even after I almost knocked your croissants out of your hands?"
She watched as a small smile appeared on his face, Lilou deciding he looked cuter with the smile, "Would you rather me go back to glaring at you, croissant boy?"
He flushed again but picked up his plate and moved to her table, "My name is Jun, by the way."
She looked him up and down again, this time a smirk appearing on her lips, "Croissant boy suits you though."
Jun could only take a bite of his food in response.
"My name is Lilou," she said, now simply smiling at him, "Thank you for joining me."
"Thanks for inviting me."
They smiled at each other as Lilou's tart was brought out, the pair falling into an easy conversation while enjoying their baked goods.
A/N: And there we are! I hope you all enjoyed it!
Credits
Kain Hartmann – Azrael DarkWings
Andromeda Fox – musicaldreams89
This chapter was such a feel-good chapter and I loved it so much! We got to finally meet sweet boy Kain! And then Andy! Ugh! We've talked about these two so much on the server, so it's really great to see them in action. And that last scene! All that cuteness! I really hope you all liked it!
Our new cover picture is of Jun E. Fiore, our prince! It was drawn by the amazing XLil MEkoX!
Thanks for all those awesome reviews! I really loved them! So thanks to Grimnack, musicaldreams89, Origm2012, Benthino, Joshua1277, Sakura-Fiction, Dreadburner94, and RedMoonRabbit for all those great reviews!
That should be it for this time around!
Until next chapter!
Yours Truly,
MyDearWatson