"Please!" a crying voice pleaded, the small, scruffy man, practically on hands and knees. His lips quivered and his eyes begged for mercy.
"No." He was immediately shut down (again) by the harsh and unbothered voice. The coldness of his response sent shivers down the other's spine.
"PLEASE, LOID!" he shuffled an inch on his knees. If not for the tall blonde's quick reflexes, the poor man's hands would have clamped around his ankles, permanently imprisoning him in the less than ideal position he was in.
A tiny pang of guilt hit him when he looked down at his friend, the lenses of his square glasses wet with large tear drops, and his trembling hands balling into fists of intensity- or perhaps despair. Loid let a few extra seconds fly by before he huffed in submission. A clear sign of surrender from the stubborn Loid Forger.
"Fine, Franky"
It took a second, perhaps even less, for him to jump up from the shaggy carpeted floor of the apartment. His eyes and glasses cleared of all signs of tears, and perhaps even his shirt and pants straightened out from the wrinkles they had procured from minutes of groveling on the ground.
He so snarkily tugged at his jacket, the collar perking up as if he had achieved something 'cool'. He pulled a slip of paper out from a hidden pocket inside the jacket and swiftly passed it to Loid, who reluctantly took it from between the complacent man's fingers.
"I'll see you tomorrow" Franky smirked, patted the teal eyed psychiatrist on the shoulder and exited the apartment without another word.
Complete and utter confusion lingered in the air as Loid continued the silence, scowling at the torn off corner of paper with an address scribbled on it.
Loid looked from the note then up at the small cafe. Like all other buildings on the block, it was constructed of bricks, painted a boring beige hue, its newer coating a slight difference from its neighbors.
The windows were large, keeping no secrets of the roomy interior. A wooden sign hung above a bouncy row of awnings, the words 'Rose Cafe' carved into it, along with some beautiful intricate engravings of roses surrounding the name. Picking up on the theme, the observant doctor soon noticed the small floral details around the exterior. From small pots of light colored flowers decorating the interior of the window sills to the floral fragrance that wafted around the door to the entrance, the savor delightful and welcoming.
"Afternoon, Loidy"
'Loidy?' he turned his head to the shorter man approaching him, the small tight curls of his perm lightly bouncing up and down with each fluid step. He wore his usual attire: a button up shirt, suspenders, and dark pants. The only differences about him were the bow tie he wore as a substitute for his more casual red tie, and his unusually high level of self confidence.
"Come on, let's go in, wing man" Franky urged, his hand wrapping around the ice cold handle of the door and pulling it open.
The faint romantic scent of rose and calming musk of wood that lingered at the entrance exploded when the door opened. The enticing scent was far stronger, the gentle smell of roasted coffee beans a completely new and equally enjoyable layer.
The quaint and cozy inside, with its savors and calming atmosphere swallowed the two whole, the wooden door closing behind them, shutting out any frigid winter breezes.
Franky's once uncharacteristically confident gait deformed into something much more awkward and stiff as he led the way to a small table in the back corner.
"So, who is it this time?" Loid asked, wasting no questions once they were both settled. An opaque blush painted his friend's face like a tomato, his words caught in his mouth. Controlling his tongue and the blush on his cheeks, he quickly looked from side to side, as if passing along classified information, and leaned in, pointing his thumb towards the barista counter at the complete other end of the room.
"Her-"
"Welcome, gentlemen" A sweet and courteous voice unceremoniously chimed in, sending Franky flying back into his seat with a breathless yip. Even Loid flinched in surprise at the woman's sudden appearance.
Their startled gasps caused her to go into a frenzy of polite bows and apologies; Loid felt compelled to calm her nerves when Franky's flushed stuttering returned.
The waitress finally faced Loid, all other glances to him by her lasting but a second as she moved between the two, like a revolving fan. "So then, what can I get for you?" A kind smile brightened her face and her crimson eyes gleamed brightly, even in the dimly lit corner of the little shop.
Her black as night hair framed her pale moon face. Suddenly, Loid felt his cheeks warm as he realized he was unable to escape the pools of red that were her eyes. The seldom heat he felt in his chest was enough to transport him back to reality, the ruby water he was engulfed in now an unforgettable day dream.
He cleared the silent air by clearing his throat with a nervous cough to his hand, "Just a black coffee for me," he answered with an unassuming smile.
She nodded in response, taking note of his order in her mind and turned to Franky, asking for his.
As Franky stumbled over his words, the blonde studied the waitress yet again. The young woman held tight a silver tray, her slim fingers curled around the thin rim that reflected the light with a glow, just as her jewel eyes and silk hair.
"Excuse me, sir. I've felt you staring at me for quite a while, is there something else you'd like to order?"
Another silent gasp escaped from the usually unstartled man. How long had he been staring? How had she known he was staring? Why was he staring, even?
"Ah, no, nothing" He gently replied.
"Alright then. Your drinks will be ready soon" She gave one last heart warming smile and turned to excuse herself back to her post behind the counter.
The scruffy man across the small table put his cheek to his fist and took a suspicious peek at the raven haired woman, making sure she was a safe distance away before shooting a skeptical glare at his company.
"Loid Forger, staring at a woman? I never would have believed it"
An irritated look draped over Loid's once dazed one, finding much aggravation over the uncharacteristic accusation.
"I don't know what you're talking about" he stubbornly refused, despite all the evidence stacked against him. Afterall, Loid Forger doesn't just stare at someone, especially not a beautiful young waitress with the most heavenly smile and magnificent shimmering red eyes. No. Out of the question.
"Your ears are red" Franky quipped with a blank stare. Loid clamped his teeth together and threw his palms onto his ears to hide any pink might have grown, despite the growing embarrassed flush that expanded on his cheeks.
"I'm joking, just joking," the small man with the perm admitted with little enthusiasm. The blonde's hands slowly slid off his ears and down his face, his flush just barely dissolved, even as vexed ticks formed on his neck. "Oh, speak of the devil"
Quiet footsteps sounded like trumpets in the psychiatrist's ears as the returning waitress cautiously made her way toward their table, steaming mugs positioned on the glowing tray propped below them, balancing on a single palm.
"Here are your drinks" she hummed as she served the two their drinks: Loid, a simple coffee, and Franky, some fancy latte with all sorts of sweet toppings and decorations- something he had impulsively ordered when his brain refused to function.
She took one last glance at the table before moving away, making stops at the other occupied tables scattered around, but with the measly distance between herself and the two customers at the back of the shop, she could hear the whisper of the scruffy man.
"Didn't you order black?"
Yor's light grip on the tray she held tightened to the point where the metallic platter threatened to bend like a simple sheet of aluminum foil. 'How could I make such a mistake?' she questioned herself, inwardly bashing her brain. She sped over to the table, closing the gap faster than any car, bus, or train could ever.
Loid spotted the flush-inducing waitress race back to their seating place, a despairing look on her face, far more frantic than earlier before. Loid could do nothing at the moment but stare wildly as the woman threw herself into a straight bow, any further, and her head would surely meet with the floor in a painful fit.
"What do you mean, Franky?" the blonde asked as he brought the hot mug to his lips, the blistering liquid overflowing into his mouth, searing his tongue on its way to spill into his throat.
The pale woman looked up from behind her two drooping locks of hair to the green suited man drinking the diluted coffee, not a hint of disgust or outrage showed on his face. Her racing heart calmed and her sorry face brightened, sharing the same soft smile as him.
As much as Loid wanted to avoid any more future teasing, he couldn't help but turn his head to take in her kind features, setting the mug down on the matching saucer.
Suspicious brown eyes traced over the face of his long time buddy, who refused to drink his coffee in any way but black, and who never caught feelings for anyone, then over his recent crush who, through days of…research, found she never lingered at one table for longer than need be, and she never felt so relaxed under the gaze of a customer.
His own heart ached at the thought that arose in his head. Denial flooded his chest but his eyes played no tricks.
When Yor finally left to make rounds around her shop, Loud's gaze stuck on her like a bandage.
It only took more or less ten minutes to finish their drinks, even Frnky didn't mind the monstrosity he had ordered after the third sip or so.
When the time came for the two to leave, Loid took in one last inhale of the sweet aroma, one last gaze of the waitress, and one last listen of her sweet sweet voice as he exited the building. His warmed up body almost immediately turned cold from the harsh winds and frigid temperature, however the warmth in his heart lingered.
The two friends took off in their respective directions, though not without Loid taking one last glance at the cafe.
Loid arrived back at his apartment when the sun finally sank and the stars arose.
To call the day "long" would be an understatement. From jealous bosses, toady coworkers, and crazy friends, not to mention, the heavy feeling he had been feeling in his chest since the coffeehouse, it was enough to send him falling flat on his couch as soon as he opened the door.
Weary teal eyes grew too hefty to keep open, and along with his tired limbs, his thoughts turned fuzzy as his brain began to shut off.
Darkness began to set in as the world around him started to drift away. His fingers went limp and his eyelids were about to shut tight when–
BRRRRINGGGGG BRRRRINGGGGG
The phone screeched and shouted, sending the tired psychiatrist who just wanted a break flying off the sofa and onto his hands and knees, like a spooked feline.
His knees trembled as he carried his heavy self to the phone, each tumultuous ring leaving a buzzing in his ears.
He picked up the phone, immediately regretting not ignoring it. If the call was truly important, they would leave a message or call again.
Leading with a deep and tired breath, he answered, "Forger residence."
Nothing but nervous breathing came from the next line.
'Damned kids' Loid eye rolled. "Hello?" he warned. A countdown ran through his head. Feeling generous, he spared no more than three seconds for this anonymous caller to either hang up or gather the courage to respond.
He huffed deeply, anger bubbling through his blood, though certainly not enough to wake him up.
About to hang up the phone, he heard a nervous "um" from the other line. The meek voice caused him to bring the phone back up to his ear. "I-I'm sorry, you sound very tired at the moment, I can call again tomorrow" The voice shrank as it continued on with its apology, the shy tone familiar to a certain apologetic waitress...
'No. It couldn't be' Loid scoffed inwardly at the thought. Such coincidences seldom ever happen, he reassured himself.
"No, by all means." Such coincidences seldom ever happen…but it's not impossible. "If you don't mind my asking, would you mind telling me who you are?"
"Ah! I'm sorry! I'm Yor, the waitress from the cafe you visited today"
…it's not impossible.
Tired eyes widened with covert joy, heart beats quickened with unnamed excitement, and cheeks and ears warmed with bashful felicity.
Suddenly, he found himself drowning in those crimson pools, the vivid memory of her more than enough to feel the sensation he felt back in the coffeehouse.
"And you're Loid, right? Your friend, Franky, had given your phone number, he said something about thanking him later" A light chuckle whispered in his hot ear as she recalled the memory. It was clear to Loid who that message was really directed toward, but what angered him far more was the fact that he had even approached the woman.
He supposed he would let his friend off easy though.
What felt like an hour of talking later, the stars had sunk and the sun finally rose.
Sleep had completely eluded the two, who finally said their goodbyes when Loid realized how late he would be for work.
He stumbled into the building with tired eyes, an uncharacteristic disarray to him. But it was fine, because he knew of a great cafe to go to.