Lemon Muffins for 2
Summary: A Hermitcraft fanfic. Grian works at a café, and one day a handsome man by the name of Scar walks in. They can't seem to keep their eyes off each other, but will they ever admit it? Grian/Scar, appearances made by Mumbo & Cleo. A little birthday present for my sibling because they challenged me to write fluff.
A/N: Hello again, everyone! So sorry I haven't published anything in ages; real life has been catching up with me. Eugh. But anyway, I have finally started finding more time to write stuff, so with any luck I'll start publishing a little more often (I promise I am getting quite a lot done, but I don't like to publish any stories until I've finished them – that way I won't lose motivation partway through and leave you guys hanging)!
Here's my first ever attempt at a fluffy, sweet, romance story. I know it says in my bio that I don't like romance, and I don't, but it's my amazing sibling's birthday (who I'll call Z for privacy reasons), and they love these sorts of stories, - aka gay café fics - so I decided to try my hand at one, as a bit of a present!
So, here you go Z, and please never ask me to write romance again.
Grian frowned slightly as he heard a crashing from inside the café he worked at. He was currently unlocking the door before it was even open, so no one should've been in there except for…
"Mumbo?" Grian called in a concerned tone as he walked in, shutting the door behind him.
"Oh, uh, hi Grian! It- uh- it's all fine! Nothing's going wrong and it's all perfectly fine!" Answered a voice from the direction of the kitchens. Which was about the least convincing thing Grian had ever heard.
As he walked in he saw Mumbo scrambling to right all the pans which he had apparently used to unintentionally cause a sort of domino effect.
"Oh Mumbo." Sighed Grian, trying desperately not to laugh, and only half succeeding. He quickly went to help Mumbo clean everything up before they had to open, which was in about 15 minutes, he realized, glancing at his watch.
"I'll go get everything ready out front."
It was about half an hour after they had opened, and Grian was serving the few customers out and about at this time of the morning, when he walked in.
He was quite tall, with short brown hair and emerald green eyes, and was just about the most attractive man Grian had ever seen. Realizing he was staring, Grian quickly posed the question he asked hundreds of times every day.
"H-hi! What can get I you?"
"Good morning! Ummm… I'm not really much of a coffee guy, you wouldn't happen to have any hot chocolates available, would you?" The man questioned uncertainly.
"Sure! I'll have one for you in a jiffy." Grian smiled warmly.
"That'd be great thanks, Grian." The guy said gratefully, reading his nametag and smiling back. Grian blushed at the use of his name, quickly turning to start preparing the hot chocolate.
The man stood patiently as Grian worked, turning once he'd finished it.
"There you go, that'll be $3.90." The man pulled out a five dollar note and handed it over. Grian quickly counted his change and gave it to him along with the hot chocolate.
"Here you are! Have a nice day, Mr…?"
"Call me Scar."
Scar felt his cheeks heating up as he walked out of the café with his hot chocolate.
Scar had decided to try somewhere new, after the coffee shop he used to go to closed down, and he had not expected for it to leave such an impression. God, that server, Grian, was hot.
Wow, wait a minute! Where did that come from? Scar groaned, realizing it had happened. He had a crush.
"Sooooo, who was that?" Asked Mumbo tauntingly from behind him. Grian jumped, not having realized his friend was right there.
"His name's Scar, why?" He replied after getting over the near heart attack.
"You've been smiling since he came in, anything I should know?" Mumbo asked slyly.
"Wha- no! It's our job to smile and be friendly, remember?!"
"Yeah, I bet you wanna be real friendly to him." Grian spluttered indignantly, cheeks heating up.
"Ooooh, you're looking a little red there, buddy!" Mumbo teased.
"Shut up." Mumbled Grian, having accepted his fate.
The next morning, Scar glanced in the window as he passed the café.
Seeing that Grian was serving, he found himself veering towards the door, wandering in before he really knew what was happening. Grian glanced up as the bell rung, awarding Scar with a vibrant smile.
"Hey, Scar! What can I get for you today?" Scar couldn't help smiling back as he realized Grian had remembered his name.
"Well, I loved the hot chocolate you gave me yesterday, and I must say I'm in a bit of a muffiny mood! What would you recommend?" Grian chuckled.
"I'd be happy to get you that hot chocolate, and we've got a delicious lemon muffin at half price today, if you'd like it?"
"Well, if that's not fate I don't know what is! I'll grab a muffin, why not?" Grian turned and quickly mixed up a hot chocolate as Scar hummed the tune to 'Criminal', which had been stuck in his head all morning.
As Grian turned back around and opened the glass display containing the muffin soon to be in Scar's possession, he began singing quietly.
"He's a bad boy with a tainted heart, and even I know this ain't smart-"
"But mama I'm in love with a criminal, and this type of love isn't rational it's physical!" Scar joined, before both of them stopping and looking at each other for a second, before laughing together briefly.
"Oh, damn it; that'll be stuck in my head all day now!" Cried Grian in despair.
"Sorry, but you've got to admit that it's a good song." Scar replied, still giggling.
"Well, it would be if I was in love with a bad boy!"
"Are you? With anyone, I mean." Grian paused, looking uncomfortable for a second.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- That was really- I can go if-"
"Scar, slow down! It's fine, really. I'm not dating anyone, and there's nothing wrong with you asking." Grian reassured him instantly. Scar sighed with relief, glad he hadn't just blown his shot.
Grian smiled again and handed him the hot chocolate and a bag containing the muffin.
"There you go, that's $5.90, with the muffin half price." Scar got out his wallet and paid, before taking the bag, getting up from the stool he was seated on and grabbing the hot chocolate as well.
"Thanks, Grian!"
"The muffins aren't half price today, Grian." Pointed out Mumbo, who had been watching the whole exchange.
"I know, the rest is on me." Grian replied as he placed some money into the till, acting as though it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Oh, you really are smitten!" Grian's cheeks flushed.
"Stop it!"
The next morning Grian was keeping an eye out for Scar, a huge smile spreading across his face as he noticed his crush heading towards the shop.
Alright, this is it. I can do this! Grian thought, hyping himself up.
"Hey, Scar! How are you today?" He asked as the tall man walked in the door.
"Oh, hi Grian! Yeah, not too bad, yourself?"
"I'm pretty good, thanks. Let me guess, a hot chocolate?" Scar laughed sunnily.
"You know me too well! I'd love one, and throw in another lemon muffin, why not?" Grian quickly got his order ready, handing it over the counter and announcing the price, before taking a deep breath and just going for it.
"Hey, my shift ends in ten minutes, mind if I join you once I'm off?" He held his breath nervously. Scar smiled.
"Sure! Yeah, come on over." Grian sighed in relief, smiling widely.
"Okay, see you in ten!"
Scar felt his heart pounding in his chest as he walked towards a small table in the corner.
Sitting down, he quickly pulled out his phone and shot a text to Cleo;
The Good Time Guy: Grian asked to sit with ne in 10 mins wen his shift is ovr!
Zombie Gurl: OMG RLY? U should ask him out!
The Good Time Guy: What?! Frik no! Were just chatting, nothing like that!
Zombie Gurl: O come on
Zombie Gurl: Uve been going on abt how CUTE h eis for DAYS! Askig him out is the LEAST u can do!
The Good Time Guy: Mayybeeeee… idk. I"ll think abt it, but dont inteerupt us wth ur spamming!
Zombie Gurl: Ok, have fun!
The Good Time Guy: I will!
Scar put his phone back in his pocket and turned to his bag, taking out a notebook and pen.
He began munching on his muffin as he doodled, savouring the taste. These lemon muffins really were something!
Engrossed in his drawing, he didn't notice Grian was standing behind him until he spoke, startling Scar into almost spilling his hot chocolate all over the table.
"Nice picture."
"HOOoh, oh my god! Oh, I uh, I didn't see you there, Grian." Grian chuckled, before plopping himself down in the seat opposite Scar, a coffee and his own lemon muffin in his hands.
"Evidently. But seriously, that's a really good picture." Scar looked down at his doodle, a picture of a mother panda watching her child play.
"Yeah, I guess so. Pandas are just so cute!" Like you, he thought, but didn't add.
"They so are!" Exclaimed Grian excitedly. "They've never been my absolute favourite animal, but they're definitely up there."
"Yeah, no, they've just always been the best for me. Like, tell me to pick an animal, and the first word out of my mouth will just be panda." Scar explained, emphasizing the word and widening his eyes to demonstrate what he looked like when saying it. Grian laughed heartily.
"Oh my god, Scar! Why did you say it like that?!"
They continued on like this for about half an hour, conversation flowing easily, as though they'd been friends for years.
That night when Grian got home he quickly snuggled up on the couch with his cats and pulled out his phone, searching online for what he wanted.
Finding it, he smiled and clicked the 'order now' button, glad that he had paid earlier in the year to get quick delivery on this website.
After that he wandered around, doing his normal afternoon chores and waiting impatiently for tomorrow, when his package would arrive.
Two days later, Scar was in the café ordering his usual hot chocolate and muffin and chatting amiably with Grian, when he saw the barista pull something out of a drawer, grinning when he saw what it was.
Grian carefully held the cocoa stencil still as he shook the dark powder on top of it, handing the hot chocolate to Scar when he had finished. Scar raised his eyebrow at him and looked down at the panda sitting in his hot chocolate.
"You do this just for me?" Grian blushed slightly.
"Um, well… yeah. Yeah, I did." Scar gave him a radiant smile and Grian blushed harder.
"Thanks Grian, I love it!" Grian took a deep breath, seemingly preparing himself.
"Hey, uh, Scar?"
"Yeah?"
"Will you, uh, I- I mean, would you…" Scar frowned, confused as to what Grian was asking.
"Would I what?"
"Would you like to… get dinner with me?" Scar's mouth opened and closed a few times, shocked.
"As in, like, a date?" Grian's face was now tomato-level red.
"Uh, yeah, I guess so." Scar's face broke into a huge grin.
"I'd love to." Cheers erupted from the waiting line behind Scar as both of them blushed profusely, having forgotten where they were.
The End!
Happy Birthday Z!