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𝔖𝔬𝔫𝔤: ℭ𝔬𝔣𝔣𝔢𝔢 - 𝔟𝔢𝔞𝔟𝔞𝔡𝔬𝔬𝔟𝔢𝔢
⚜ ————- ⚜Ѽ⚜ ————- ⚜
It had been a rather slow day in the cafe, but not the bad sort of slow. It was just the sort of slow that Y/N liked best. The sort of slow where there was a steady stream of customers, no mass group arriving, no waves of people that left blank spaces between them, just... steady. The sort of slow that melded perfectly with the music drifted quietly around the room, lulling the customers into a sense of relaxation, even for those who used the cafe as a place to get their work done. Y/N could see many who were working on laptops, others scribbling away on paper as they tried to finish their last assignment. But some had come to simply enjoy the music and coffee. They were those who sat by windows and stared out at the bleak day around them.
Fall was always one of Y/N's favourite times of year. Leaves of red and gold that fell around the cafe and bakery, decorating the worlds in their own magical way, with leaves that shone like gems, and beams of sun that shone brighter than any spotlight. It was the sort of beauty that Y/N could only dream of making, though she knew that she never could.
Humming quietly with the music, Y/N wiped her hands on a towel, having just rinsed off the whipped cream that had managed to splash out of the hot chocolate that she had made. The little girl had been so excited about the hot chocolate, that Y/N had put on one of her special whipped cream roses on top, free of charge. The mother had looked so grateful that it had made it all worth it.
Y/N glanced over at the small list of orders that she had yet to complete. She headed over to the baking display and reached in with a pair of tongs, pulling out one of her famous blueberry scones, drizzled with a cream cheese topping, and put it on a small plate. She shut the door as softly as possible and walked over to the small counter where she handed out the orders. The drink had already been made and was waiting in a small white cup, decorated with a black rim around the edge, with specks of red and gold.
The man who had ordered caught Y/N's eye and she waved to him, not wanting to disturb the peace of the room. He quickly got up from his seat and walked over to her, taking the cup and plate, thanking her with a small incline of his head, before returning to his seat. Y/N waited for a moment, watching as the man took a bite of the danish. She always loved seeing her treats, enhanced with her special magic, calm those who ate them. As if the man could feel her watching him, he waved at her, waited for her to return the wave, and then continued working, his fingers much more relaxed as they danced across the keyboard.
Y/N smiled and waved her hand, erasing the order from where it sat on the counter. It would appear in the inventory book for her father to see once he got around to counting out the inventory for that week. For now, Y/N could hear him whistling away in the bakery with her sister, working on creating their special bread that they would sell in the bakery half of the cafe.
The next order for Y/N to make was an Enchanted Latte. Y/N smiled as she read the specifics of the order. It was the regular drink for one of the customers who always came in on Friday afternoons. Y/N had grown accustomed to typing out her order as soon as she entered the cafe, and sometimes, she had given it to the woman for free before she could even pull out the standard change that she kept in her pocket. Today was one of those days.
Y/N picked up the tin and poured in some of the milk, swaying slowly as she danced to the music. She lifted the wand and placed the tin underneath. Once everything was in place, she pressed the button and allowed the machine to work its magic. As it was steaming the milk, she grabbed one of her usual ceramic mugs and headed over to the other side of the counter where a long line of syrups was waiting for her. With a wave of her hand, the rose syrup drifted off the shelf and landed in front of her. Y/N pumped in three shots before sending it back up onto the shelf with another wave of her hand.
The bell above the door rang and Y/N looked up from the espresso machine. She smiled and greeted the newcomers, who, strangely enough, were people that Y/N had never seen before. Two seemed almost identical, though a black streak of hair hung on opposite sides of their head, and their dual-coloured eyes seemed to be the reverse of each other. They were both extremely tall, almost terrifyingly so, but Y/N had met many a stranger working in the cafe, and she quickly managed to push down the instinctive fear. The boy standing in front of them seemed to be their leader. White hair with a hint of lilac, dressed in a suit jacket that hung over his shoulders, along with a scarf that he unwound as he walked deeper into the cafe.
"Welcome," Y/N said, pressing down the espresso grounds with a small mallet. She hooked it up to the espresso machine and pressed the button to allow the espresso to dispense. Before she left to attend to the new customers, she placed a small bar of chocolate atop the cup, balancing it just underneath where the espresso would pour. Then she quickly washed her hands and headed to the register.
"What can I get for you today," she asked in her usual gentle tone.
The boy in the front glanced up at the chalkboard menu that spanned the burgundy brick wall behind her, detailing everything that they offered. It was a pain and a half to change if they ever decided to change the menu, but it was oh-so worth it because it brought the entire cafe together. Plants hung from the brick walls, bringing a sense of freshness to the cafe, the gentle jazz music that floated about, and the wood and iron tables. Everything had a rustic feel to it, including the Edison bulbs that Y/N's brother had strung up recently around the back, mixed in with the faux ivy that now surrounded the menu. And of course, the large windows that showed everything that went by outside, whether that was the iron streetlamp turning on as the sun disappeared, or the rain that chased people indoors.
The boy turned away from the menu and tapped the counter, as if in contemplation. "I was told by an acquaintance of mine that this establishment is known for its enchanted drinks." He chuckled softly. "Sadly, I have little experience with ordering simple cafe drinks, so we will take whatever you think we would like best."
Y/N quirked an eyebrow. "Did your acquaintance also tell you that I have a special gift when it comes to figuring out what people want, even if they don't?"
The boy laughed, though not quite loud enough to disturb the other patrons. "Yes, indeed he did."
"Trey Clover," Y/N said with a sigh, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "Very well, I shall get you your drinks." She typed a few things into the screen in front of her. "Would you like anything to eat? It will be a moment or two for your drinks."
"I want the cupcake~," one of the twins declared, displaying a row of sharp teeth as he grinned at Y/N. He pointed to one of the cupcakes that had been decorated with bright red icing and Y/N nodded, typing it into the screen.
"May I have some lemon poppy seed loaf," the other twin asked.
"And I would like the raspberry cheesecake muffin, please," the lead boy said. He pulled out his wallet and handed over the money. Y/N finished typing in the order and took the money, putting it into the till and handing the change over to the boy.
"Can I have your names," Y/N asked, pulling out three napkins.
"I am Azul Ashengrotto. These are my accomplices, Jade and Floyd leech." Azul pointed to each twin respectively, giving Y/N time to write down their names on the napkins.
"Perfect," Y/N said with a smile. "Now if you would like to take a seat in the booth over there, I will bring over your things once they are ready for you."
The boys thanked Y/N and headed off, though Azul continued to watch her as she diligently worked the cafe by herself. They had paused outside the attached store on the other side of the cafe, and Azul could see resemblances between the woman working behind the counter there, and the young girl working behind the counter here.
Y/N finished with the latte she had been making and waved her hand over the drink, a small shimmer of magic fluttering from her fingers down onto the foam. It shone a light f/c sheen for a moment before disappearing, and Y/N placed the drink on a tray. She also picked up a few other drinks that she had to pass out and balanced them all on the tray before lifting them up and balancing them on one hand. She stepped out from behind the counter slowly walking around and handing out the orders, making sure to clean up the empty tables as well. Most people were kind enough to leave at least a few cents for her on the table and she smiled every time she saw that someone had done so.
With all of the orders done, Y/N returned to the counter and started working on the orders for the three boys. She started, of course, by getting their treats. She placed each one on a plate, which she then put on the tray, and headed over to the booth where they sat, quietly talking to each other.
"Here you are," she said, drawing their attention. She gave Floyd his cupcake, trying not to flinch as he bit into it eagerly, the icing smudging all over his lips, and then handed the two other pastries to his friends.
"Thank you, Miss Y/N," Azul said. "If you don't mind me asking, the bakery next to this cafe... is it also run by your family?"
Y/N nodded proudly. "Yes, it is. My mother and brother work there, while my father and sister work down in the back. They're the ones that make the pastries most of the time, though I always add my own little touch to them." As she said this, she waved her hands over Azul's muffin, allowing the blue sparks of her magic to float down onto the food, enchanting each little crumb.
"So this is what Trey was talking about," Azul hummed, picking up his food to inspect it. He bit off a corner and nearly melted on the spot at the heavenly taste. It was absolutely divine.
"Aw," Floyd pouted, staring at the wrapper of his cupcake. "I didn't get to taste N/N's magic~"
Y/N placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and winked. "I'll go and get you another one, okay? Just don't tell anyone?" She held her finger to her lip and winked. Before she left, she made sure to enchant Jade's food.
As she was walking back to the counter, the door opened again and Y/N smiled upon seeing her boyfriend standing at the door, looking more like a soaked puppy rather than Y/N's suave and charming boyfriend. He pulled off his hat and brushed off the water drops, glaring at them as they tumbled to the floor in front of him. Y/N rolled her eyes and walked behind the counter, grabbing another cupcake for Floyd. Though she was excited to see Trey, in all of his rain-soaked glory, she would wait to greet him until it was in a more private setting.
"Afternoon, cupcake," Trey whispered as he passed, shrugging off his raincoat. He stepped to the side and allowed Y/N to exit from behind the counter, pressing a kiss to her cheek as she walked by.
"Go wait upstairs," Y/N said. "My shift is over soon, so I'll be up soon."
Trey smiled and watched as his girlfriend walked away. He was surprised to see Azul, Floyd, and Jade sitting at a table, but waved at them nonetheless before walking into the back room where he found F/N and S/N working away on the bread.
"Trey," F/N exclaimed, smiling as always. "How are you?"
"Good, sir," Trey answered. Even after having dated Y/N for a good long while, he was still terrified of addressing her father, let alone having a conversation with him. S/N, seeming to sense his plight, decided that it was the perfect time for her to get up and leave, bringing two new trays of bread to the bakery side of the family business where her brother was waiting for her.
"Are you and Y/N just hanging out around here today," F/N asked, picking up another tray of fresh bread that was ready to go in the oven.
Trey nodded, smiling as the scent of fresh bread hit his nose. A delectable scent.
"Well, Y/N's shift is almost over, so you best head up to her room, son. Make yourself comfortable." F/N wiped his brow with a towel and sighed, stretching his shoulders and groaning as he felt the joints pop. His wife would have scolded him for that, and he chuckled at the thought of it.
Half an hour later, Y/N's bedroom door opened to reveal Y/N in all her tired glory. Trey, who had been scrolling through Magicam while waiting, smiled upon seeing his girlfriend and sat up from his reclined position on her bed. He quickly shut off his phone and rose to his feet, opening his arms for a hug.
Y/N dove into her boyfriend's arm, inhaling the scent of cookies and pies that clung to him.
"How was work," Trey asked, playing with the end of her braid that stuck out from the bottom of her bun. He slipped his finger into the f/c ribbon holding her hair up and gently pulled it out, allowing her braid to fall.
"Good," Y/N muttered. "It was a slower day today, thank goodness for that." She smiled as she felt Trey fiddling with her hair, releasing it from its prison. Once her bun was gone, he set to work untangling the braid, all the while ensuring that he kept his chin rested on the top of her head, his arms still around her and holding her close to him.
"What do you wanna do?" Trey pulled out the last knot of the braid and pulled Y/N close again, kissing the top of her head.
"Can we just cuddle," Y/N asked, listening to Trey's heartbeat. She felt as though she could fall asleep right then and there, listening to the song of his heart.
Trey smiled and pulled away from Y/N. He tapped the underside of her chin as he noticed her drowsy expression. "How about you go and change into something more comfortable and I'll go make us some hot chocolate?"
"That sound's perfect," Y/N whispered. She stretched up onto her toes and pressed her lips to Trey's cheek. "You know where the cocoa is, right?"
Trey nodded with a small laugh. "Of course. We've been dating for a few years now, honey, I think I remember." He kissed her on the cheek and left her room, listening as his girlfriend started to hum a song as she looked for her comfy clothes.
A few minutes later, they were both snuggled beneath Y/N's blankets, listening to the pounding of the autumn rain outside her open window. Trey's hot chocolate was already finished, and the empty cup was now sitting on the small bedside table, allowing Trey to hold his girlfriend close as he whispered sweet nothings to her.
A sudden gust of wind blew through the room and Y/N shivered, snuggling closer to her boyfriend's warmth.
"You cold," Trey asked.
"Yes," Y/N pouted, taking another sip of her hot chocolate. She hummed. There was just the faintest taste of pumpkin.
Trey pulled up another blanket from the pile at the bottom of Y/N's bed and wrapped it around her shoulders before pulling her into him again, settling her on his lap as he leaned back into the crevice where her bed met the wall.
"Feel warmer?"
Y/N nodded. "Yes." She pulled away from the hot chocolate and kissed Trey on the nose. "I love you, Trey Clover."
Trey chuckled and returned the gesture, his lips lingering on her skin. "And I love you, Y/N L/N."