Summary:

In which Koneko is a numbers shark and Amaimon gets his just desserts. Mephisto's trying his hardest, but it's just not gonna cut it~

Notes:

Movie references abound in this one lmao, In this and the next chapter alone I'll have referenced 101 Dalmations, Chocolat, and Holes XD Just pulling those romance tropes outta the classics to write this au ;D

Song of the Chapter: Sweet Tooth by Scott So you know that scene from 101 Dalmations? You'll recognize it when you see it.

This time, Rin was ready.

He wiped down the counter, eyes on the door, waiting.

His fingers tapped to the newly cleaned surface as he strained his ears for the distinct sound Rin knew meant one thing.

An engine rumbled in the distance. He perked up.

"You know you're watching the door like some kind of dog, right?" Izumo drawled.

"What? Am not," Rin said without looking at her.

The engine sound neared until the bright pink limo turned the corner and parked in front of the entrance. Rin bounced on his toes, heels rolling and tail twitching beneath his shirt when the increasingly familiar form stepped from the car.

Izumo's mutter of "unbelievable" didn't detract from his grin when Mephisto entered.

"I have a bet for you," Rin said before the usual greeting passed Mephisto's lips, watching them stretch in a matching grin. "I was thinking about it last night."

Light flashed across green eyes as Mephisto approached the counter. "Oh? You were thinking of me?"

"Yeah," Rin said, caught up in the epiphany he'd had the night before as he was readying for the morning baking at four-am, "You've been around awhile, like a long while, which means you've probably tried everything under the sun."

"Are you calling me old, Rin?" Mephisto said, brows arched and huffing a breath that spoke of irritation, "I might be insulted."

"My bet," Rin said over him as he let his smile show fang, catching Mephisto's attention and getting excited for the response his challenge would bring, "is that I'm going to make your favorite drink you've ever had and will ever have again."

Pupils slivered. The grin on Mephisto's face froze as he took in Rin and his challenge.

"Confident, are you?" Mephisto breathed the words when he recovered, claws tapping in slow motions over the folds of his suit where he'd crossed his arms.

"Yup," he answered and let the confidence in his voice speak for him despite the way he could see Izumo gaping like she couldn't believe his nerve. Which, she knew him by now, he'd probably done dumber things.

"Hm, and what are the stakes?" Mephisto's hum and narrowed gaze brought Rin up as he realized he'd never thought about that point.

"Uh, I guess if I lose," scratching at his cheek, Rin made up his mind, "you have to keep coming back until I get it right."

"And if you win? What then?" The way Mephisto said it-like he tested Rin-just made him more determined. He'd be winning this bet if it took everything he had.

Though, what did he want for winning the bet? It wasn't like he had thought it through.

"Not sure," Rin shrugged, then laughed with his realization, "but I guess I would have made your favorite drink, so you'll be coming back here anyway. I'll figure it out."

Mephisto shook his head, calculation leaving him as he relaxed, head tilted with his wry smile. "I don't usually enter into open-ended wagers, but I'll make an exception for you."

Rin hid a cheer, giddiness in his movements as he whipped around to begin crafting his masterpiece. Was Mephisto a coffee guy? Tea? Iced or hot? There were so many variations he could try!

He put the metaphorical and literal cherry on top of the frappuccino. It was the perfect combination of sweet, creamy, and the slight bitterness of the blend he'd gone for to balance it out.

"Here, this is definitely it," Rin said as he waited, locked onto the way Mephisto accepted his drink. There! That was the shudder Rin recognized from the last few times he'd enjoyed his drinks and food, actually from everyone who tried his stuff.

"Mmm," Mephisto moaned, head going back as a long, tapered tongue extended to take the whipped cream from his lips, eyes opening and a sly expression sliding to meet Rin. "It's very good."

"But," he added before Rin could get excited over his victory, "it's not my favorite."

"Dammit," Rin swore as a pout tugged his frown from his face. He'd really thought that one was a winner, based on the success of the last two he'd given Mephisto. "Ah well, that one's on me then."

"Nonsense," the purr in Mephisto's voice took him from his defeat, and Rin bit at his tongue to cut off the squeak when he found fingers drawing towards his ear, "you've earned this for the exemplary service."

A rasping sensation of paper over the delicate skin of his ear sent Rin shivering, reaching up on automatic to rub it away while Mephisto pulled back. He left, tilting his drink in Rin's direction with a "goodbye" trailing in his wake.

His hand cupped at his ear, fingers curled over the tip Mephisto had tucked there and trying to calm the flutter in his heart.

"I think I'm going to cancel my streaming subscription," Izumo said, speaking up from her silent observation and prompting Rin to fumble the money into his apron because he'd totally forgotten she'd been standing there.

"What?" he stumbled through the word, jerking towards her at the random comment.

"Yeah," she sighed, "your love life drama is way more exciting than any soap opera and cheesy rom-com would ever come up with if they had all the money in the world."

"Hey!" His shout of affront went unheard.

There was no way it had anything to do with his love life, and besides, Rin had to focus on finding Mephisto's favorite drink.

He would try something with chocolate in it and see where that got him next time.

Koneko entered to unmitigated chaos.

Bon and Godaiin wrestled with the latte machine as it spewed frothing milk, their yelps and shrieks bringing winces of sympathy from onlooking customers.

He just sighed, waiting for them to get the constantly malfunctioning machine back under control.

Another thing he would have to discuss with Rin once he gathered the monthly receipts and went over their projected earnings. It would set them back, but it probably wasn't a good look to have broken equipment.

"Sorry for the disturbance," he said, bowing to a woman who looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or offer assistance.

"Ah! Koneko!" Rin's voice rang over Bon's cursing and he waved from the back room. "You made it!"

Well, he had been early, but Rin seemed like he was at least semi-ready for him this time.

Two greetings from Bon and Godaiin interrupted their struggle he responded to as he eased himself around the mess to the back.

"Please tell me we have enough in the budget to replace that thing," Rin moaned as soon as Koneko stepped through the curtain.

"That kinda depends on what you have for me this month, Rin," he put as kindly as possible. He was an accountant, not a magician. Koneko couldn't just pull money out of the ether.

"Er well," Rin dropped stacks of receipts onto the small table.

"Is that unorganized?" Koneko sighed, his question deadpan because he could tell by the poorly concealed guilt on Rin's face that they were.

"It's been a busy week!"

"Well, let's get started," he said as they got to work. He still had to go over expense reports and where they were for the month versus last, projected earnings for the year, and if it looked like they'd be able to get anything back when it came to year-end taxes.

At least things sounded like they'd calmed down by the time they finished sorting and going over options.

But, "I think if we squeeze things a bit you can splurge on the new machine, Rin."

"Yes! You're a lifesaver, Koneko," Rin cheered, looking like he was already imagining the fancy new machine he was going to get.

"Within budget," he stressed just in case Rin's eyes were bigger than his pockets.

Rin's nod of consent had him smiling, patting his shoulder as he gathered the receipts and papers for filing later. They left the room to find order returned to the chaos, a frazzled Bon tapping out with Rin to deal with the next wave.

"Your days of suffering with 'The Beast' are over, Bon," Koneko said, laughing at the relief in Bon's groan and the glare he shot the half-functional machine. "I'll head out then, I've got another client to get to."

"Hang on, 'Neko," Bon said and waved him back to the room. Koneko followed, curious and trusting Bon to have a good reason, since he was usually all about punctuality. "Also, it's good to hear you got another client!"

"Heh, yeah, working here was a lucky break out of school, thanks again for recommending me to Rin." It had definitely given him a good jumping off start in such a competitive field like accounting.

"Hey, you're doing clueless over here a favor." Bon rolled his eyes as he pulled a jar from behind the flour bags. "Speaking of clueless."

"Oh no, how much is it going to cost?" he preempted, sensing a coming storm, though it could have just been the storm of Bon's expression he'd learned meant something had interrupted his calm and orderly world.

A grumble sigh whooshed from Bon as he scrubbed at his hair liked he'd tug the short strands if it were in that old blond mohawk he'd had it in when they were teens and not the more mature of his natural brown he kept it in now.

"Just our sanity," he said as he indicated the jar full of what looked like pocket money and various coupons. "Shima and Izumo have it in their heads that Rin's getting hit on by a new regular during morning shifts and they made me promise to get you to put your bet into the pile."

That sounded like the exact sort of thing that would put that expression on Bon's face.

"So they want us to bet on Rin's love life?" he surmised, already beginning the calculations before coming to a quick conclusion. "I'll need to come in and see this customer to really decide on what I'm going to bet."

"Oh no, man, you already know 'em," Bon said, grin cracking onto his face.

"Someone we know?" Koneko blinked as he ran through their short list of shared acquaintances.

"Not personally," Bon's grin twisted into a scowl, the lines in his forehead signaling an oncoming stress-migraine. "A certain numbskull caught the eye of the demon king of time, himself, and I almost want to take my chances at another job because there's no way this ends well."

Koneko's mind caught up with what Bon said and he paused. He raised his head, eyes widening and stomach dropping, trying to go over the sentence as if there was any other possible meaning.

"Did you say…"

Bon nodded slowly, drawing his confirmation out just as slow.

"Yup," he exaggerated the word, letting it end on a "pop" while Koneko stared at the tip jar like it would offer him another explanation.

"And," Koneko said after he could get his mouth working again, "Rin's doing his usual routine, I'm guessing?"

Another nod.

"Oh." Had he sounded as faint as he felt? Koneko wasn't built for these stresses.

"So, still wanna come in and see them before you place your bet?"

Actually, "Yes," Koneko said with a shake of his head. "But, um, maybe from back here. I need to be smart about this, you know?"

His money wouldn't be going anywhere near an uncertain future. Koneko hadn't gone to school to get his hard-earned degree for nothing!

"Suit yourself, I don't care that much," Bon shrugged, leading them out of the room.

"Hm, then what did you put in the pot?" Something about the way Bon actually told him about the bet said maybe his friend was hiding a bit more interest in this than he was letting on.

"Er," Bon stuttered, grimacing at Koneko with a shifty-eyed look, "just, you know, half-a-month's paycheck on Rin doing something that winds up pissing this guy off and we have to peel our boss out of a hole in the wall."

"I don't think we have the finances to cover that."

If that were the case, their bets would be going towards the wall and not the winner.

Koneko would just have to wait and see how things played out before he started budgeting for an emergency wall-fixing fund.

"Er, was Koneko giving me one of his pity-frowns?" Rin asked Godaiin as they waved Koneko out the door.

"Yeah, don't know what's up with that, you do anything recently?"

Why did that sound like Godaiin was hinting at something? Rin eyed him in suspicion but only got the usual easy smile.

"No, not unless he's still mad I didn't organize the receipts," he said before giving up when he still didn't get anything from Godaiin.

"Looks like things are winding down for the evening anyway, you and Bon good to close?" Rin glanced around at the last stragglers who liked to hang out, knowing they'd wind up staying until closing. Not that he minded. It was nice to see people felt comfortable in his little shop.

"Yeah, where you headed, Rin?"

"Any hot dates planned?" Bon spoke up as he joined them, "You're rushing out of here pretty fast."

"Wha-" Rin's cheeks heated, growling at the smirk Bon shot at him, "No, I just thought I'd get working on finding us a new machine, unless you guys want to keep 'The Beast' around."

A meow interrupted Rin from the unjust mocking he was undergoing and he brightened to see Kuro outside.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about, have fun closing up!" Rin said as they tossed goodbyes his way.

"Two days in a row, huh?" he started, making their way to the station.

Kuro nodded and hopped into Rin's lap when they found their seats, though something about the way he'd dug the points of his claws into his legs as he'd settled said maybe he was upset about something.

"Yeah, you're going to that demon shop again, aren't you?"

His question stopped Rin and he glanced down at the cat-eyes glaring balefully up into his.

Rin smiled and prodded at Kuro until he got a reluctant purr.

"You're not still mad I was gonna bring pastries to that guy and not you, huh, Kuro?"

"No," came the grumble, "just making sure that demon really deserves them."

That got a laugh from Rin and a deepening scowl on Kuro he soothed, though not before replying, "You know, I wasn't even going to go today, I didn't bring anything."

What if the shop was closed again? He'd hesitated, psyching himself out of going because the pointless embarrassment of making his way to an empty shop for the second time in a row kept needling at his mind.

"You have to!" Kuro demanded, affronted, "You told me I might like it."

When he put it like that…

"Ok, boss, I did promise," and it meant he had an excuse today!

Stepping off the train into the wash of the golden evening light, Rin knew it wouldn't be like last time.

Was it just cicadas buzzing in his ears, or the hint of power that stung at his senses?

The usual stream of conversation fell out of Kuro that Rin nodded along to as he once again took them towards the shop.

Just as they made it around the corner, shuffling over the ground reached Rin's ears. A round shaped rolled further down ahead of them, dark green and panting.

"Oh!" Kuro breathed a gasp, eyes lighting up. "It's a hobgoblin!"

"Ah-wait!" Rin tried to stop him as he darted towards the demon, watching as Kuro ran ahead while he stumbled behind. Why did he have to think every demon was a potential friend?

A handle turned and the door to the shop opened just as Rin reached it. Too fast to dodge, a body stepped into his path.

"Oof!" he gasped, breath forced from his lungs as a pointed elbow jabbed into him and he tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

His head rang with the impact to the ground and the distant sound of something shattering added to the confusion as he tried to reorientate himself, giving up and heaving to regain his ability to breathe where he lay.

"Ow," he groaned when he could. His eyes squinted open on a blur of colors, green filling his field of vision. Then the image snapped back into place and Rin stared.

An impassive blink came from gold eyes over a mouth just beginning to tug downwards into a frown and Rin knew who he'd run into.

"Sorry!" he said in a rasp, containing a cough as he cleared his throat because the last thing he needed was to cough all over the demon he'd just run into like an idiot. What was worse, the demon lay across from him, not saying a word to Rin's apology as he started panicking inside the longer the silence persisted.

That gaze left his to look at something beyond their heads, Rin tilting his and catching what the source of the shattering had been.

"Oh man," Rin trailed off as he took in the large ceramic pot that lay in pieces on the dirt road, the hobgoblin and Kuro batting shards of it around where they sat across from the pile.

It looked expensive. Like, possibly enough that he wouldn't be getting that new coffee machine after-all.

"I'm so sorry!" he began again, scrabbling to his knees, "I can repay you, uh, I have a coffee shop, let me make you a drink-or, I have pastries! As apologies! Apology pastries!"

What even was he saying? There was no way a couple pastries were enough to cover the cost of that thing! Rin wanted to stick his head in the dirt road and scream. Before he could backtrack or consider self-combustion, a gleam entered gold eyes, interest flashing in them and replacing the lack of expression in an instant.

"Yes," the demon said as he rose and hauled Rin to his feet along with him by a firm grip on his arm, "I'm owed apology pastries. Take me to your shop."

"Er, yeah, sure," Rin stuttered and followed along, though he didn't get his arm back, led by the demon more than leading as Kuro and the hobgoblin trotted behind, leaving the broken pot on the ground.

"It's back in the city, I can pay for your ticket too," he continued through the unceasing pace, like the demon was a dog after a scent, and Rin the handler on his leash getting pulled after.

"Ok." An absent shrug and them finally making it to the station left Rin with whiplash as he tried to process what was going on.

It wasn't until they'd sat and the demon turned his bored gaze to the window that it hit Rin.

"Hey uh, I'm Rin, Rin Okumura," he said, kicking himself that it'd taken him so long as he got a raised brow for his efforts. "What's your name? I kinda forgot to ask last time."

He couldn't keep calling him "the demon" because knowing his luck he'd slip up and call him that out loud and was that considered an insult? Rin really sucked at knowing these things.

"Amaimon," the demon answered with a snort.

Amaimon. A-mai-mon. That was so complicated Rin wanted to whine. He could barely remember a normal name let alone that mouthful. He was still worried he'd forget Mephisto's and insult his new regular.

"Amaimon," he said out loud, testing the syllables and repeating it in his head to cement it in place. Hopefully.

Rin occupied himself the rest of the ride trying very hard not to spend the whole time staring. He knew how it made the hairs stand on his own skin when people did the same to him, hackles rising until he got out from under the attention. Or confronted it. That had happened enough times that his mom had made sure to place extra focus on controlling himself in that specific aspect until he'd fully gotten the reaction fully mastered.

More than likely, Amaimon hadn't had the same drilled into him, and it would be just Rin's luck to piss him off when he was trying to apologize.

Would it be weird to tell Amaimon he'd been coming by yesterday? Rin had no idea what he was supposed to talk about, though he usually had no problems talking, but every time he looked at Amaimon's cool expression turned on the window his voice shriveled in a suddenly dry mouth.

Why couldn't he be like Kuro? He definitely didn't seem to have any problems curling up to sleep and not helping Rin at all!

Before he could resign himself to finishing the long ride in complete silence, a cold, wet nose snuffled against his hand.

"Wha-" Rin started petting at the face trying to nuzzle him on automatic, too used to Kuro's demands. Moments into the reflexive movement and he realized it was the hobgoblin.

"Hah," Rin released a soft laugh, happy for the distraction the hobgoblin had provided him with and using both his hands to run over the smooth, lizard-like skin, green scales warm beneath his fingers.

"Hey, you, what's your name?" he cooed, laughing harder when he wound up getting slobbered on by the long tongue as his hands ended up being used as a chew toy.

"Gross, I'm gonna give you food, you can't eat me!"

The urge to toss the hobgoblin like a beach ball filled Rin as he rolled the round demon around the floor by his feet. Knowing how he and Kuro played, Rin would be avoiding that destruction of property.

"Behemoth."

"Huh?" Rin startled at the word from Amaimon, jerking his head up to see him watching with a cocked head and considering eyes.

"Its name is Behemoth."

Oh! Rin grinned, squishing one of the large paw pads between the claws and shaking. "It's good to meet you, Behemoth."

He'd relaxed, though he had to be careful not to disturb Kuro too much or risk his wrath, but Rin was content to spend the rest of the ride rolling Behemoth down the row only to have him return like a game of fetch where the dog was also the ball.

His mood improved and the initial nerves faded when they made it back to the city.

"It's not super close to the station since rent is kinda high around them, but it's not a bad walk." The question of whether it was rude to make a veritable stranger go so far out of their way after he'd broken something flashed across Rin's thoughts but he ignored it, distracting himself with the way Kuro and Behemoth played along the sidewalk ahead.

Finally, his shop rose into view and Rin went forward to unlock it, humming as he began turning on lights and heading towards the storage room where they kept the things that hadn't sold for the next day.

"Looks like there's a decent selection, and I can make you a drink to go with uh-" Rin pulled the tray out, a prickling up his spine, then he looked back and bit off a squeak.

Once again, Amaimon had foregone personal space boundaries and situated himself at Rin's back to peer over his shoulder at the food.

"Yes, I want a drink," he said, reaching around Rin like he wasn't brushing against him in an already small storage room to part a hole in the plastic-wrap with his claws and snag an almond croissant.

"Here, take whichever you want," Rin said in a rush as he shoved the tray into Amaimon's hold and spun out from his almost-grasp-almost-a-hug to make it out into the main room.

Kuro glanced at him with a curious sound Rin laughed off as he made his shaky way behind the counter to get the equipment running. What was wrong with him? Rin cursed himself, forcing his hands to stop trembling by using the familiar motions of prepping a station to regain control.

Amaimon emerged from the back room and Rin stalled on seeing him with a second croissant half-way down his throat. The blank expression had vanished to be replaced by one of clear contentment, Amaimon's eyes closed to bare slits and a smile tugging his lips over his fangs. A purr rose from his chest as he licked the sugary almond paste from his fingers, already reaching for another pastry.

Wuffing opened his eyes and Amaimon tossed one of the pastries to Behemoth without thought before returning to his own. Then he focused on Rin, tongue slipping out to catch the sticky remains coating his lips.

Rin's mouth parted on an attempt to speak as he forgot what he was doing.

"Drinks!" he blurted as it came to him, "What kinda drinks do you like? I can make anything."

Interest drew over Amaimon, though he didn't take long to answer. "I like sweets, everything."

One of the last almond croissants waved from Amaimon's grip as he added, "and I like these the best of yours."

He liked those the best. Rin nodded, pleased grin stealing across him as he ducked his head to begin crafting what he thought might work. The finishing touch went around the rim of the mug as a frosted dusting of sugar, edging the healthy addition of whipped cream and sprinkling of almond flakes on top before he presented it all to Amaimon.

Claws snatched the drink from Rin just as he tried to warn Amaimon of the temperature, warning dying in his mouth as it disappeared down Amaimon's throat in under a minute.

"It's good!" Amaimon gasped, face bright and smile baring fangs in a broad smile surrounded by what cream and specks of sugar had managed to miss getting inhaled.

"You like it?" Rin broke through his stupor with the praise, "Awesome!"

Beneath his shirt, his tail wagged, happiness at having made up for the earlier accident at least a little sending out curls of relief until he got himself under control with a cough.

"You can have another to go-if you want-since you've still got pastries to get through, I mean," Rin said, and at Amaimon's enthusiastic nod, began the second drink.

Sputtering started up and Rin's stomach dropped.

Not again.

"Shit!"

Steam hissed from the machine as it malfunctioned and spat frothed milk for the second time that day. He started up a stream of curses at the damn machine breaking down exactly when he didn't need it to

"Sorry! This thing's old and falling apart," Rin said in a yelp as the heated liquid splashed at his face like it was out to get him with a vengeance. Why did this keep happening? His efforts to contain the chaos met more resistance than usual, possibly because he was panicking, but Rin solved the problem by yanking the plug and listening to the wheezing as it trickled to a halt.

"Oh man," he mumbled in the silence, covered in milk froth and releasing a long exhale, "I need to get that thing replaced."

"Wow, Rin," Kuro trailed off, making Rin wince as he waved goodbye to any chance of retaining respect from Amaimon.

"I can fix that."

His heart skipped a beat, Rin snapping his gaze to see the raised brow on Amaimon's face where he appraised the machine.

"You," Rin started, trying to figure out if he meant what he thought he did, "you're offering to fix it?"

A shrug, "Sure."

Just like that? Somehow, Amaimon's impenetrable gaze stopped Rin from questioning him on minor details like how much it would cost or how long it would take.

"You're a lifesaver, Amaimon!" He bowed, beaming when he rose as his heart tripped over itself.

Snapping vanished the machine from view, the last of the pastries going along with it, then, before Rin could react, Amaimon leaned towards him, reaching out and brushing his thumb over the tip of his nose. It came away with milk foam that Amaimon licked off, turning without another word to walk to the exit. A sharp whistle brought the idle Behemoth to his heels.

"See you tomorrow, Rin." He left, the echoes of Rin's name on his lips ringing in his ears as he stood, dazed and staring at the door.

"Wow, Rin, you're so pathetic," Kuro continued his statement in a sigh that jolted Rin's heart back into gear.

"Hey!"

Nothing he said would convince Kuro he hadn't been a complete idiot the entire time. Rin gave up trying, locking up the shop and already looking forward to opening the next morning, even if they'd have to use a limited menu until Amaimon returned.

He'd said tomorrow.

Notes:

Simple chapter, but these poor guys don't realize what's coming for them~ Hope they enjoyed their coffee shop au before things go south :D