The coffee shop, for whatever reason, always smells like lavender. Not that it doesn't smell like coffee, that would just be concerning. But underneath the bitter coffee smell is always the distinct scent of dried lavender.
He hands me my coffee and today he's wearing rose gold rings, dozens of thin bands stacked on his fingers. He smiles as he sets the cup in my hands and his beautiful white teeth flash at me and then he turns around and he's gone.
I sit down and move the mug off the coaster, something I find to be immensely superfluous and much noisier than can ever be practical, and flip over the napkin.
And there is his messy handwriting, as always, in the ink of the cheap ballpoint pens they keep readily stocked at the counter. He always writes diagonally on the napkin, like he's not going to have enough room for one line. Today the note says I'm worried about how much caffeine you're consuming on a daily basis with a little smiley face, and I can't help but smile along with the napkin.
And this is the routine. Every morning, he writes something on my napkin and I smile, almost like we're actually having a conversation. And then I look up to see him watching me, and he holds my eyes, and then we both go back to work.
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laying groundwork is always the hardest, hopefully it will get more interesting
this won't be a very long au, probably 7-8 chapters, just as a warning
hope you enjoy!
feedback is always appreciated