obligatory (mini) coffeeshop-au

Skipping Stone

"If it is that bad, why you don't just use your savings. I mean, c'mon, your father is loaded. Or just move back into that place he bought for all of you."

Temari scrunched her nose and looked away from Sakura's inquisitive gaze. "It's too busy. Gaara conducts a lot of his work there; people always coming in and out."

"Because Kankuro's apartment is so much calmer."

Her eyes narrowed. "At least he gives me my space."

The bell above the door chimed and both Sakura and Temari looked over to see a man dressed in jeans, a large navy sweater, and a trench coat enter.

"Isn't he a little late today?" Sakura said under her breath, leaning over the counter to grab a menu and hand it to Temari.

Temari glanced at the clock behind her and shrugged. Since she'd been working this shift, he'd come in every Tuesday and Thursday between 11 o'clock and 11:10. It was 11:30 now. She probably would have noticed, had today not been so... climactic.

Wiping her hands on her apron and bookmarking the open textbook in front of her, Temari took the menu — though she knew even this was for show — and walked over to the booth in the corner where the man was currently — always — sitting.

"Hello," she greeted, handing him the plastic menu. "Can I get you anything?"

It's only a formality. They both know what he will say. Once, though, she had brought him a coffee without asking first, and he'd smirked at the familiarity. She hadn't liked that, so now she always made sure to ask, treating him as though they'd never met.

Without looking at her, the man removed his thick scarf and set it down on the table. She had been working the night shift at Skipping Stone for several months now, and she was pretty sure he only wore variations of the same clothing. He always appeared clean, even with the scent of stale of cigarettes that seemed to always accompany him and the clothes that never really seemed to changed. She had caught herself wondering every now and then if his closet was just a set of blue sweaters and black coats or if he simply continue to wash the same outfit every night. Or every Tuesday/Wednesday, at least.

"Coffee," he requested in the same deep and vaguely disinterested voice she had grown used to. "Black."

Without opening it once, he handed back the menu.

"Sure." Temari replied and walked back to the counter where Sakura had already prepped a cup and was filling it up.

"You could stand to be a little kinder," Sakura chided. "You do realize customers like to be treated well, especially when they know you."

"I don't know him."

"He comes in all the time and always orders the same thing. There is no need to treat him like a stranger."

Temari rolled her eyes and took the coffee. "If you treat him like he's special he will only get arrogant." That's what she had learned that one time he smirked at her.

"How do you know he's arrogant? You never even talk to him."

"Look at his hair, Sakura. As soon as you put it in a ponytail, especially when you mess it up like that, you lose all benefit of the doubt. How hard do you think he tries to be accidentally handsome?"

Sakura chuckled. "He is friends with Ino. She likes him well enough."

"Because Ino is such a humble person."

"All I mean," Sakura said patiently, "is that you could stand to be a little nicer. Especially when he tips so well."

"How about you try waiting on him?" Temari bit back.

"He only sits in your section."

Temari tightened her fingers around the mug and walked back to the booth in the corner. The classic rock music on the radio was loud enough to drown out their conversation at the counter.

The man didn't give any sign that he was paying attention, anyway. He just sat there, hands clasped together on the table and eyes looking out the window.

Temari set down the coffee next to his elbow. "Would you like anything else?" Formalities.

"No. Thank you."

"Anyway," Sakura said when Temari returned to the counter. "It doesn't matter how much Kankuro physically leaves you alone. It's only going to get worse," Sakura noted, referring back to their earlier conversation.

Temari shrugged. "I know, but come May, if she's not accidentally pregnant and Kankuro's not failing any classes, they'll move away after he graduates. Then I'll get the place to myself."

"Right," Sakura said. "But how are you supposed to pass your finals when your brother and his girlfriend don't understand noise levels?"

"How are you supposed to pass yours while talking to me?"

Sakura threw up her hands in mock surrender, "I'm just saying, you've been complaining about it for months now, and she wasn't even living with you. Now you say she is moving in right before exams and you aren't going to do anything about it? You can hardly sleep with all that noise."

Kankuro and his girlfriend are loud. And not just about sex (which is the obvious), but about everything. They play music loud, watch tv loud; talk loudly.

And they fight. Like, a lot.

Temari bit her lip and turned back to her book. "Go study, Sakura." She instructed.

Sakura sighed and went into the backroom where she had her pre-med texts laid out all over the floor. Something about chemistry. It was absolutely nothing Temari was interested in.

Temari rested her elbows back on the counter and opened her thick textbook back to the saved page. She hadn't read half a paragraph before the man before her cleared his throat.

"Excuse me."

Temari glanced up, surprised. In all the months he'd been coming here, they'd had the same routine. And it had already been enacted for tonight. At this point he was supposed to get up, leave a crisp $20 on the table — much more than the coffee was worth — and head out before she could give him his change.

They had a script. And for some reason, he was breaking it.

She didn't like this.

"Could I have a refill?" He continued when she didn't respond.

After a beat, Temari blinked. She had been openly staring at him. "Uh, sure." She'd never seen him up close before. He was much taller than he appeared from far away or when sitting down. He was skinny and beautiful in a feminine sort of way, yet his height suddenly made him quite intimidating in a way his frame naturally didn't. Quickly, she looked down to see him extending his empty mug. Temari took it, trying very hard to make sure their fingers didn't brush. He was making her uncomfortable.

She walked over to the coffee pots. Maybe Sakura had been right about being more friendly with her regular customers. And who knew, maybe he'd tip more (though probably not)?

"You came in late today."

Turning around, Temari faced him while pouring the coffee. Apparently, this newfound dialogue between the two surprised him as well, as his eyes widened a bit.

He was pretty, with his dark eyes and heavy lashes. She knew that. She'd known that the first day he came in. He was prettier than her, almost as pretty as Sakura.

She never liked his face. He had a way of looking at her like he knew something she didn't. And he liked the smirk. She hated it.

His surprised look turned sheepish for a second as he brushed a silky piece of hair behind his ear.

"Did I?"

Standing on opposite sides of the ivory counter, Temari eyed him for a moment longer before placing her fingers on the rim of his mug and pushing it back. She could feel something bright and quite familiar beginning to pulse in her gut.

She really didn't like him.

"Anything else?" She asked pointedly, ignoring his question.

The man looked at her for a moment more before taking the coffee back. This time, their fingers touched. Temari snapped her hand away. She was still uncomfortable, though the warm feeling in the pit of stomach didn't go away.

"Is there any particular reason you're not using your inheritance to rent an apartment on your own?" He asked after a moment.

She gaped. "What? Were you listening? And how the hell do you know about my inheritance?"

Her heart rate quickened when he cocked a smirk, her annoyance growing. "Temari, right?" He said with no questioning lilt at the end. "My father works with your brother."

Temari eyed him. The fact that he knew who she was — probably had known as long as he'd been coming here — made the whole loner thing he had going a whole lot creepier. Sakura liked him, only because she liked Ino, and while Temari didn't mind Ino, she had trusted her friendship with this guy. But fuck. She couldn't imagine why Ino liked him at all.

But creepy or not, she wasn't scared of him. He wasn't dangerous — she was pretty sure she could beat him up too, but that was another matter — he just made her feel… apprehensive. Unsure. Unsteady.

"I don't know what to do when I finish school," she admitted carefully, regarding him with inflective interest. It wasn't a secret. Everyone she knew was aware of her plans. "I am saving my inheritance until then. I might be out of work for a very long time."

"This is not meant to be insulting, only inquisitive," he prompted. She frowned, but nodded for him to continue. "Your family has enough money for you to live comfortably your whole life without working at all. Is there any particular reason you aren't using it?"

"That's awfully personal," Temari's lips fell into a hard line.

He shrugged, as though completely unbothered by the bounds he was overstepping.

She gave a small sigh and licked her lips. This part wasn't something she talked about often, though she wasn't opposed to talking about it either. "I don't want to ask my father for money." Which she would have to do, if she were to not work for the rest of her life, which at the moment, seemed like a legitimate possibility.

The man picked up his mug without responding and took a long sip, eyeing her over the rim. He set it down again and wiped the wetness on his lips with the back of his hand. "You really have no idea what career you want to pursue?"

"No idea whatsoever."

"And your major?"

The radio station they were listening to stopped playing music for a moment to make note on the coming snowstorm. It was supposed to start in a few hours and last three days. She stopped to listen to the update.

"I'm one year into getting a graduate degree in physics."

He nodded and took another few sips of his coffee. When he set down the cup this time, it was half-empty. He pushed the cup back to her over the counter and reached into the inside breast pocket of the coat he was still wearing. He pulled out a slim wallet and placed another twenty dollar bill on the counter. "I should get home."

"Coffee is only $1.50," she said loudly as he walked back to his booth to grab his scarf.

"Save up to buy an apartment away from your brother."

"Aren't you a student?" She doubted he was older than her, plus, almost every young adult who lived around here — which she assumed he did, coming in near midnight — was somehow connected to the university. "You should probably keep it."

He straightened his coat and wrapped his scarf around his neck, tucking in the hair at the end of his ponytail that reached his neck. His hair was longer than hers. "Dropped out," he commented lightly before raising a hand in what might have been a wave and pulling open the door. The bells clinked as he left.

Dropped out? Temari sighed and picked up the money, stuffing it into her apron. She glanced back at the clock. Her shift ended at 1am. She had another hour. There were no other customers and only one or two people, if any, came in during that time. She took a rag from the sink and began wiping down the counter, a requirement every hour.

"Aren't you proud of me?" She said loudly.

"For having a conversation?" Came Sakura's muffled reply behind the door to the backroom.

"For being nice to a customer."

"If that's what you call nice, then yeah."

Temari groaned and threw the rag back into the sink.

On Thursdays, Sakura came in an hour earlier than Temari, which meant she also left an hour earlier, so when midnight struck, the younger girl grabbed her coat, slipped on her snow boots and bid Temari goodnight. By now, Temari usually had the whole place to herself. But for some reason, her customer was still sitting there, staring out the window. Although this side of town was pretty much a hub for students and university faculty, there was no one outside in this weather and at this time of night, and Temari absently wondered what he was looking at that would keep so interested for over an hour.

"Are you leaving anytime soon?" She asked him from across the room.

Even though she could tell he got the hint, he merely glanced over at her without any sort of expression on his face. "Are you closing?"

"No."

"Then no," he responded blankly before turning back to the window. The streetlights were the only thing illuminating the sidewalk.

Temari sighed. "Do you mind if I turn off the music then?"

"Can't study?"

"I can, I just have trouble reading when music is playing."

Still looking at the window, he waved his hand for her to continue. "Do what you want."

Stealing the stool that was usually where the cashier sat during the day and moving it to the middle of the counter, Temari sat down, and once again, began to pour over her books.

She couldn't concentrate though. She kept looking up to watch the man in the booth watch the street outside. She had been relatively distracted and frequently occupied this past week and hadn't had much of a chance to reflect on her previous conversation with him. He was interesting person. And he interested her (though she didn't like admitting that — even to herself). It wasn't in what he'd said — he hadn't said much — but in the way he carried himself.

He was mysterious and hard to read, which in turn made him all the more captivating. It was certainly possible that he wasn't all that hard to read, there just wasn't much to be read, but she had a feeling there was, and that he was just a more inwardly-focused person.

She didn't want to understand him. She did not like him. Not a bit. He wasn't her type in anyway whatsoever. He was just... interesting.

"You should be studying," he said, effectively pulling her from her thoughts. "Stop staring at me."

Temari huffed, upset to have been caught.

"I can see your reflection," he told her, still not facing her. "Isn't your first test in two weeks?"

She bristled, he'd been eavesdropping on her and Sakura again. "If you left, I'd be able to get more done."

"You might as well give up then." This time her turned to look at her. "You look tired," he commented, gesturing to the seat across from him. "Come sit."

She scoffed now, unamused.

"I'm working."

"Serving what customers?"

Temari sighed. She disliked him. She really did. But still, she after waiting a moment, she found herself bookmarking her page, sliding off the stool, and walking over to his table. He gestured for her to take a seat and with one more reluctant sigh, Temari slid in opposite him.

She waited, and when he didn't speak, she turned to the window and began looking out. He followed suit and they sat there, not speaking for a long time. Her heart didn't stop pounding though. She could hear it in her ears. They stay like that until the alarm on her phone went off.

"My shift ends in ten minutes."

"Are you going home then?"

She smirked. "Actually, I run all my errands at one in the morning."

The man rolled his eyes, nevertheless reaching into his inside breast pocket for his wallet. Temari stood, feeling the cool air wash over the back of her legs from where they were pressed into the booth.

She grabbed his empty mug and walked into the kitchen to stick it in the wash. In the back room, she hung up her apron and grabbed her coat. Lee, the man in charge of the place until 5am when another waiter joined him and the cook came to open up the kitchen, was waiting in the main room when Temari came out.

They exchanged a few words after greeting and then they parted. When Temari left the cafe, the snow was falling harder than it had that evening when she'd come in. She looked to her right and left. Her customer was nowhere to be found. Temari walked home, snow crunching beneath her weight.

"You know," Sakura said a week and a half later, "I have a room in the dorms."

"You live there."

Sakura shrugged. "I can stay at Kakashi's for the rest of the month. He won't mind."

"Are you just trying to dump your bitch of a roommate on me?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and looked back down at her book. "No," she said, tracing her finger along some diagram of some body part reacting to some disease Temari had no interest in ever learning about. "I'm trying to help you out. Though my roommate really is a bitch."

"You'd be distracted at his place. I can't force you to sacrifice your exams for me."

Sakura raised her brows, though she wasn't paying much attention. "Trust me, it's harder to concentrate when living with Karin. At least Kakashi understands the need for quiet."

"Don't worry," Temari said, stacking the last of the dishes from the drying rack. "My first exam is in one week. All I need to do is hold out until then. Kankuro and his girlfriend aren't that bad. And during winter break I'll look for another place on my own."

"Temari—"

"Thanks, but I don't need charity Sakura."

"It's not charity, it's a favor. You'll have to repay me in kind."

Temari turned to face Sakura and narrowed her eyes. "I'm not sure I want to owe you a favor."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Remember when we met? Ino and I both had the afternoon shift and one day she asked you to cover for her in return for a favor and her tips?"

"That's a bad example."

"You made her run your errands for three weeks."

"I wouldn't do that to you."

Temari shrugged. "Not going to risk it."

Sakura waved her hand. "It's an offer."

When they walked back into the front of the cafe, the man was back, sitting in his usual booth. She had seen him two more times since the night he asked about her to sit with him, and both times, neither of them had deviated from the usual. Taking a menu in hand, Temari walked over.

"Hello," she said, watching him carefully and handing him the menu. "Can I get you anything?"

He removed his scarf and, without looking at her, ordered a coffee, black.

Temari came back to the counter where Sakura was preparing a fresh pot. "Anyway," Sakura repeated, "think about it." She handed Temari a clean mug and then poured in the new brew.

"Is that all I can get you?" Temari asked as she placed the coffee in front of the man.

Still looking out the window, hair in his eyes, he licked his bottom lip, reaching out and taking the handle of the cup and lifting it to his mouth. "No. Thank you." Temari gave a short nod and was turning around to go back to the counter when he continued. "You can live with me."

"What?"

He looked up at her. "I have a bed, if you need one."

"Fuck!" Temari snapped. "Stop listening to our conversations! And jesus, what, are some kind of pervert? Inviting your waitress into your bed? Ew. Fuck!"

The man sighed and leaned back in the booth, rubbing his eyes and looking altogether exasperated. But Temari's heart was pounding and her face was flushed and she couldn't believe some guy was asking her to move in with him. "I'm not inviting you to share a bed... ugh, you're such a pain," the man ground out, sounding both tired and pained at the same time.

Temari said nothing, still surprised and still quite unsure how to react. A moment passed and then the man scooted out of the booth. He stopped before Temari, who was partially blocking his way, but she didn't move and he was forced to take her shoulders and physically adjust her placement to grab his scarf.

He then placed his usual twenty-dollar bill on the table and, from another pocket, pulled out a small pad and pen. He ripped out half a page of paper from the pad and scribbled something relatively illegible before putting everything away except the note, which he left on top of the money next to a mostly-full cup of still-steaming coffee.

"My name is Shikamaru Nara, by the way." He comment, offhand, as though unimportant, and then he stepped past her, walking away without turning around. The bells jingled on his way out.

Temari uncrumpled the slip of paper in her pocket. It wasn't the one the man — Shikamaru — had written her. She hadn't been able to read that copy, and so Ino had written down his address for her the day before.

239 East Street, apt no.4

Temari stood outside a whitewashed door with chipped paint. A black 4 hung below the peephole. The neighborhood wasn't particularly nice, but it was quiet; and across the street from the east side of campus, which made it coveted and expensive.

She wasn't sure whether it was really the best idea to come here — nevermind, she was positive it wasn't the best idea. It was probably the third or fourth best option she could think of, if pressed — but it was the only choice she had at the moment.

Temari took a long breath, biting her lip. She set down her duffle and shoved the piece of paper in her coat pocket once again. One more sigh, and then she raised her hand and rapped at door. Twice.

There was a long pause and she wondered if he was even home. Perhaps she should have gotten his number and called instead. But then, right as she decided to suck it up and leave — the street was better than this — she heard shuffling from somewhere inside and, moments later, the doorknob turned.

thank you for reading!