Coffee shop
Growing up, Jaune was never a big fan of coffee; his dad always swore by it, saying that it was one of the best ways to start the morning. Then again, his dad also said that the best way to start the morning was a sausage and egg sandwich. Now, that he could agree with.
But coffee was just bleh; it was bitter, it made your breath smell. It made you need a, well, it made you need the bathroom. The small-town blonde was still adjusting to the big city, and Vale was definitely a big city.
He found it hard to fall asleep at night. Back at home, he couldn't say that it was quiet at night, but still, birds chirping and animals howling were much more soothing than the horns of cars. It only took about a week to get used to it, but on his first day of college, the teen was like a zombie.
This is why the twenty-year-old had been interested in that coffee shop for the first time. Beacon, the place was called.
When he reached the counter, he was too tired to pay much attention to the barista at first, just ordering whatever drink had the most caffeine in it before he got a good look at the woman that served him.
And just like that, he was a regular. He still didn't even like coffee. The drink he had ordered that day didn't even wake him up.
But he returned for her.
She looked to be around his age, maybe a little older, and she had black hair with red tips that left him wanting to ask her if her hair was naturally like that or not. It would be a perfect way to start a conversation, but he was too nervous, so instead, he just told her his order.
He could have just asked about her eyes; the unnatural shade of silver never failed to catch his attention. It also never failed to make his heart race.
"Next! Hey, next!" A voice called loudly, making him nearly jump realising that they were calling to him. He stepped forward before he frowned, seeing that the silver-eyed barista wasn't there anymore.
He shook his head, feeling his stomach plummet as he realised that he had missed his chance; he was too afraid to ask her out, and now he was never going to see her again. Turning around before he could cause any trouble for anyone else, he made a beeline for the way out, only for his eyes to widen in surprise as he bumped into a familiar figure.
She had a hoodie over her uniform, hiding the black dress shirt with red buttons from his eyes, as well as most of her skirt. The only part of her uniform that seemed visible were her leggings. When he realised that his eyes were giving her a glance over, he flushed, before forcing his gaze back to her face.
"I'm so sorry," he apologised to her with a flush, not sure exactly what he should be apologising for– bumping into her, or looking her up and down. "I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry." He apologised again, looking away from her.
"Hey Jaune, it's fine. Must be weird seeing me not behind the counter." She smiled at him before humming. "Weren't you going to get coffee?" She asked him with a tilted head.
"Weren't you going to serve me coffee?" The blonde couldn't help but ask in return, flushing. "Sorry, but no, I'm not feeling like getting anything today." He admitted to her.
"You just missed it. Today was my last day." The silver-eyed ex-barista told him, making the blonde feel his stomach plummet. "I had one last shift this morning," she yawned.
"Oh." Was his awkward response, not sure what else to say before he stood up straighter. "Then this is my last chance," he said, more to himself than to her, but it didn't fail to get her attention.
"Last chance for what?"
"I don't even like coffee," he confessed to her quietly, but she still heard him. "I'm sorry if this sounds creepy. Feel free to just tell me to go and I will," he added, the nervousness clear in his voice, making her silver eyes glisten with confusion. "I've only been coming because I'm too much of a coward to ask you out. I've been trying to, but every time I try, the words just go 'poof'." The words flowed from his mouth like air releasing from a punctured tire. They only stopped when he felt the woman grab his hand softly.
His blue eyes went to her face when he felt her hand, only to perk up in surprise when he saw how her pale skin morphed into a deep red flush.
"You really don't like coffee?" That was the only thing her mind could think of as the blonde couldn't help but smile.
"I kind of have a sweet tooth. I recently found a waffle place that makes some really great milkshakes. Do you want to go with me?" He was almost too nervous to look at her as he realised that he had finally said what he was meaning to tell her. Each second felt like a minute, and when she nodded yes to his question, he felt giddy.
Maybe coffee wasn't so bad after all.
