La Squadra - ONE SHOTS

Made with love - Illuso

Like every other morning, you went to the small coffee shop near your house before going to work. Having something sweet for breakfast cheered you up before work, although it meant you had to go there very early.

The shop opened at 7am and you got there only about 5 minutes after. It was hard to go out so early but the taste of their coffees made up for it. The sweet aroma was something you never managed to equal through your few failed attempts at baking.

You walked inside the empty shop and went straight to the counter, ready to order the usual and chat a bit with the barista before going off to work. However, you were surprised to see a man at the counter instead of the cute blonde girl who usually greeted you.

He was clearly a man, but he gave off a pretty feminine vibe. His long brown hair was styled in 6 long ponytails flowing on his apron. As he looked up to you, you noticed that his eyes were red like rubies. The small badge attached to his apron had his name written on it, "Illuso".

"Uh, hello I- do you want to order anything?" He asked awkwardly.

It's definitely his first day on the job.

A familiar face came from behind him, making the both of you turn to her. The blonde woman you were used to seeing came to the rescue of the new employee standing in front of you, Illuso.

"Sorry Y/n, he's new- it's his first day, I didn't have time to train him. You want the usual?" She asked cheerfully while her counterpart turned his face, clearly embarrassed by how much he stuttered before when talking to you.

"Yeah, thank you", you turned to the brunette, "So you're a new employee? It's nice to meet you, I come here quite often so we might see each other a lot." You told him with a small laugh, making him relax a bit. He looked to you, studying your face for a second before talking.

"I'm only a part timer actually. My name is Illuso, nice to meet you too." He said with a smile. He was pretty cute when you looked at him this way.

Soon enough, he was called to the back and you sat down in the corner as you usually did. The coffee shop had a relaxing atmosphere; flowers were carefully put on the tables, and all kinds of plants were placed both inside and outside of the small building. You had gotten so familiar with the cafe and its people that it was almost like a second home for you, the place you went to relax in the morning.

Illuso came to your table carrying a latte and a hot croissant taken right out of the oven. You recognized your blonde friend's touch on the latte by the small drawing on its surface. Art was something you had always loved, and it seemed amazing to you that some people could use something like a cup of coffee as a canvas.

You smiled at the cup before thanking the new employee, who left soon after.

You drank your coffee while reading the book you had taken with you, then promptly left to work.

~ 3 weeks later ~

You had grown closer to the brunette who worked here part time. Although you didn't talk much, you enjoyed his presence and he now brought your usual order as soon as you got there.

This morning, you got to the cafe a bit early and decided that a bit of small talk would be nice- after all, if you're going to see each other every other day, you might as well learn some things about him. You were pretty close to the other employees but you didn't know anything about him apart from the few random stories you were told or overheard when you came by.

He brought your order as the both of you walked to the small table you usually sat at. As he was about to go back to the counter, you stopped him.