#also arent Alex and Julie just the cutest

[tired-eyes-cold-as-ice]

MERCER'S BOULANGERIE

Chapter IV. - Julie Molina

Summary: Mondays are rough, but at least there's Julie. Alex owns a bakery and thinks he’s got everything he needs until a gorgeous skateboarder crashes into his life and turns his whole world upside down. A story full of sweet pastries, yearning, and a lot of sadness… with a happy ending of course. Read on AO3, 3k taglist in the reblogs <3 Chapter Warnings: brief death mention, implied panic attack

Monday was, unsurprisingly, extremely rough.

Most Mondays were, but thanks to the combination of his persevering anxiety from the night before and lack of sleep partially caused by said anxiety, Alex was just about ready to throw in the towel, give up on all his bakery dreams and stay in bed for at least another month, hidden away from the world and all responsibilities.

Unfortunately, the rational part of his brain was quick to dismiss that idea by pointing out that if he didn’t pay rent, he wouldn’t really have a bed to sleep in for a whole month. Cursing that rational part of his brain, Alex rolled out of bed with a deep and heavily annoyed groan and shuffled around his room to grab whatever clothes he could find before making his way out and into the kitchen. No time to sit by the window and observe the city slowly waking up alongside him, but enough time to chug at least two cups of coffee to make up for the hours of sleep he so foolishly lost.

By the time he made it to the bakery, the clock read 5:14 a.m., and just like every morning, Alex began regretting his decision to start a business whose primary customer base were people grabbing breakfast before work. Alex was anything but a morning person. It was something he actually shared in common with Luke and Reggie, except they made the smart decision of taking over a store that was rarely busy in the morning, and opened at nine.

But, just like every morning, any feelings of discontent or annoyance disappeared as soon as Alex put on his apron and got to work. The heat from the preheating ovens caressed his cheeks much like his mother used to do as he sculpted shapes out of dough and pieces of pastry, piped out swirls of batter, and mixed up all sorts of wondrous fillings—sweet and savory alike. He hummed along to the music coming out of the small radio he had set up in the far end corner of the kitchen, just loud enough to be heard but quiet enough for Alex to be able to lose himself in his own little world.

As much as he hated waking up early, he forced himself to do so every time just so that he would have those couple of hours all to himself, turning his early mornings into a ritual of sorts. He could dance around the kitchen while the first batch of croissants puffed up in the oven, and he could sing along carelessly as he filled up all different kinds of quiches and tartelettes . He wouldn’t trade his early morning baking sessions for anything.

Especially since he was rarely alone at the bakery these days.

---

Julie Molina had a vibrancy to her that very few people possessed.

It was the reason she immediately caught Alex’s eye when she walked into Merci for the very first time, all bright smiles and curly hair and big eyes that seemed to sparkle as she looked around excitedly. The girl was wearing a pair of light wash jeans that were covered in hand-painted flowers of all shapes and colors, and a simple yellow tank top that complemented her skin tone beautifully. There was also a black tote bag slung over her shoulder which was filled with records undoubtedly purchased at Peters & Patterson .

Alex was so focused on trying to figure out which records she bought he didn’t even realize he was staring. Thankfully, the girl didn’t seem to mind. Instead, her smile widened even more when Alex finally met her eye.

“The guys at the music store said this place had the best coffee and pastries in town, so I just had to come see for myself,” she grinned at Alex, who found himself feeling strangely at ease. While he was always polite and tried his best to be friendly and welcoming, Alex really struggled with making small talk with customers. It never felt natural and his anxiety always got the best of him, leaving him feeling panicked and freaked out more often than not. This girl was different, though. Not that Alex was complaining.

“I’m pretty sure Reggie is incapable of lying so it must be true,” he said in response, unable to stop a smile from spreading over his face at the thought of his friends hyping up his bakery to their own customers. That granted him a giggle from the girl.

“Yeah, he seemed like it. You’re Alex, right?”

He gave her a hesitant nod in confirmation.

“Sorry, the guys kept mentioning your name so I’m just trying to fit the puzzle pieces together. I’m Julie,” she explained, extending her hand over the counter as she introduced herself. There was something so charming and genuine about her, and judging by the way Alex’s phone kept buzzing in his pocket, Luke and Reggie must’ve noticed it too.

He happily shook Julie’s hand and took her order, making sure to memorize it as something told him this girl was quickly going to become his favorite regular. And while his hunch was right, Alex could have never predicted that Julie Molina would go from being a regular at his bakery to a close friend in the span of just a couple of weeks.

Seeing Julie waltz into Merci with either Reggie or Luke (or sometimes both of them) by her side became a part of Alex’s daily routine. Julie fit in so well it felt crazy to think that there was ever a time when she wasn’t a part of the group. The boys quickly learned that she was still in college (majoring in music, of course) and that she had just recently moved in with her best friend Flynn not too far from where Luke and Reggie lived. She shared their sense of humor and love for music, and Alex couldn’t help but feel strangely connected to her ever since Julie told them about losing her mom when she was a teenager.

She was the first person besides his sister who seemed to truly get it—that bittersweet feeling Alex felt every time he switched the oven on, the overwhelming sense of belonging in his chest anytime he brushed his fingers over the pages of his mother’s old recipe book. While Alex had baking, Julie had music, and strangely enough, it was this peculiar bond of theirs that led to Julie working at the bakery.

Merci ’s first anniversary was quickly approaching and Alex was convinced that the whole city must’ve figured it out somehow because the store had never been busier. While certainly great for business, the large crowds of people constantly flooding in and out were starting to take a toll on Alex. His anxiety was through the roof pretty much every day and it didn’t take long before he reached his breaking point.

It was a day like any other, peak lunch rush hour, and Alex felt like he was going to pass out. Everything was too much. The lights were too bright, the voices were too loud, his chest felt too tight, but Alex kept going on full autopilot, too focused on his tasks to stop. So lost in the spiral of his own thoughts he barely registered Luke and Julie walking in and instantly making their way behind the counter beside him.

Next thing he knew he was hunched over in the back of the kitchen, struggling to catch his breath while Julie rubbed his back in comfort and Luke took care of customers in the front.

It took a while for his heart to stop racing, for his brain to calm down, and his lungs to start cooperating but eventually, Alex was able to get back to work. In the kitchen, that is, baking stuff that was running low or highly in demand with shaky fingers and a hazy mind. Luke had decidedly banned him from getting back behind the counter after taking just one look at him, so while the guitarist dealt with customers, Alex stayed in the comfort of the kitchen, taking orders from Julie who was constantly running back and forth between the two of them to keep Alex informed on what was happening, and to help Luke operate the coffee machine.

Alex ended up closing early that day.

Luke and Julie insisted on staying and helping him clean up since they were still worried about him, and Alex did not have the strength to protest so he at least offered to supply them with tons of free coffee and any leftover pastries they wanted as a thank you.

“Seriously, guys, thank you. You have no idea how much you saved me today,” he told them once the bakery was all locked up and the three of them were standing outside on the sidewalk. Alex kept his head low while he spoke, fighting off the embarrassment that was slowly crawling its way into his head. He knew it was his anxiety working overtime, but that didn’t make him feel any less shit about the events of that day.

He was broken out of his trance by Luke, who wrapped the baker up in a tight, warm hug which Alex immediately melted into.

“I think we do, bro. Go get some rest, you need it,” said the guitarist after a moment as he pulled away, smiling up at Alex kindly although his eyes were still filled with worry. He gave Alex’s shoulder a pat for good measure and shot Julie one of his signature grins before taking off in the direction of the music store where Reggie was undoubtedly losing his mind by that point.

Once he was gone, Alex turned to Julie who was still nursing her last cup of coffee in her hands. There was a gentle smile on her lips as she took a sip, humming quietly under her breath.

“Have you ever thought about getting some actual help? I know this place is your baby, Alex, but I’m not sure how long you’ll be able to run it as a one-man show, especially after today…”

There was nothing but love behind her words, but they still made Alex groan unhappily. He knew Julie was right. He had actually been thinking of hiring someone for a while now, but the idea always made him shudder. Hiring someone meant letting someone else into his dream, into his little paradise, and Alex couldn’t imagine allowing some stranger who didn’t understand what all of this meant to him to get that close.

Like Julie said, Merci was his baby and Alex had involuntarily turned into an overprotective suburban mother who would rather smother her child in her arms than give them space to grow and blossom.

He let out a long, deep sigh as he thought, looking anywhere but the girl in front of him. He finally settled on staring at the sky above, studying the clouds as they passed by slowly. One of them was shaped like a croissant.

But what if it wasn’t a stranger?

Huh?

What if it was someone who did understand? What if it was someone who already knew?

Oh.

For the first time that day, Alex could feel a genuine smile take over his face.

“Hey, Julie? Ever wanted to work at a bakery?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

---

“How come you never dance like this when I’m around?”

It was almost as if the record abruptly scratched as Julie’s voice cut through the music, startling Alex and nearly having him drop the tray of madeleines he was carrying to the oven while absent-mindedly swaying his hips to the rhythm of an unfamiliar Taylor Swift song playing from the radio.

The tray, thankfully, avoided its rendez-vous with the floor by virtue of Julie Molina’s cat-like reflexes, and the girl gave Alex an apologetic smile before delivering the treats into their designated oven—one of the few things she was actually allowed to do in the kitchen in regards to baking.

Even though Julie had been helping out at the bakery for nearly a year now, Alex still refused to let her or anyone else really help him with preparing pastries or other baked goods, unless they were cleaning up or moving trays in and out of ovens (and even that was a Julie Molina privilege, considering Reggie was the biggest klutz on Earth, and the one time he let Luke do it ended with a trip to the ER because the genius decided to grab the burning hot baking tray with his bare hands ).

It wasn’t necessarily about her lack of skills. In fact, Alex was pretty sure Julie knew how to bake a little already and he was certain she would pick up his know-how in no time if she wanted to. She seemed genuinely intrigued by the craft and while Alex often refused to admit it, he could certainly use an additional pair of hands in the kitchen on a day like this.

No, the problem lay elsewhere.

Baking was just too intimate. It was one thing to let Julie help out in the store but another to give her a clear passage straight to his heart. Every time Alex rolled up a piece of pastry into the perfect little croissant, every time he picked up a packet of flour or felt the heat of the oven graze over his cheeks, he saw his mother right there beside him.

His beautiful mother with her kind eyes and loving, supportive smiles that could light up the whole room. His mother, who would guide his hands whenever he felt lost or unsure, and who Alex would sometimes whisper to when he was certain he was alone. Quiet, one-sided conversations about everything and nothing that felt too familiar and made his heart ache, but ones he couldn’t let go.

It’s not you, it’s me.

Julie seemed to understand, though. She never pushed, never probed for more than Alex offered. She was patient and understanding and Alex was pretty sure she was an angel for that.

The oven door snapped shut and after a couple of seconds of watching the treats inside through the tiny window ( quality control, duh ), Julie turned back to Alex with a small smirk on her face.

“Sorry, boss, didn’t mean to scare you.”

The nickname made Alex audibly groan. Being an angel apparently didn’t prevent you from also being an annoying little shit.

“I’ll forgive you on the condition that you never call me that again,” he grumbled, receiving a grin and a mock salute from the younger girl in response before she grabbed a couple of freshly baked croissants to cut up and turn into breakfast sandwiches—one of their best selling items, courtesy of Julie Molina herself.

They worked in comfortable silence for a while, occasionally broken by Julie humming along to whatever song came up on the radio. While Alex finished up in the kitchen, Julie moved to the front of the store to wipe down the counter, as well as the three small tables near the window, and get the coffee machine ready for the morning rush.

By the time they finished, it was 7:01 and Merci was officially open and awaiting its first hungry, caffeine-deficient customers.

“So, what’s today’s special going to be? I’m not seeing anything fancy just yet,” Julie asked matter-of-factly as she made her way back into the kitchen to grab a couple of the pains au chocolats Alex had just taken out of the oven to put them out on display, making the baker stop dead in his tracks.

Today’s special.

Huh.

The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind that morning, too focused on getting everything ready in time and not falling asleep in the process. While Alex liked to change up the selection of pastries they offered every day (mainly because macarons were a pain in the ass to make and there was no way Alex was putting himself through that every single day), there were some items that were an every-day staple at Merci —croissants, rolls, quiches and tartelettes of all kinds and fillings were definitely included on that list and, among others, so was the special .

Something Alex dreamed up the night before or felt inspired to make on his way to work. Something he made up on the spot, no recipes or guides. He simply let his mind wander and every day, it created something new and exciting, something special . A habit he had unintentionally picked up from his mother, who used baking to express herself and her feelings. Alex still remembered the cake she made when they found out his grandmother passed away. Dark, heavy, and intense, with pieces of bitter chocolate, ginger and licorice.

It took him years to understand it tasted like grief .

Alex only realized he picked up this habit on the day he opened Merci  when he found himself preparing little profiterole cream puffs with tiny cat faces drawn in chocolate that were soft and fluffy just like Bonnie and tasted like pure comfort.

Alex made a special like that every single day. Except for this one, apparently.

“I, uh, I’m actually not sure. Nothing’s really coming to me if I’m being honest,” he finally said, sounding just as surprised as Julie looked. That was certainly a first.

She blinked up at him slowly, clearly still processing the information in her brain, before giving Alex a small smile.

“Well, maybe today’s special is that there is no special. That’s pretty… special,” Julie suggested, awkwardly, as she put a couple of the pastries on a platter to carry them over to the display cabinets.

“Yeah… yeah, no, totally. Maybe I’m just waiting for my muse to walk in,” Alex chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Julie simply offered him another supportive smile before turning on her heel to get back behind the counter as the little bell above the door announced the arrival of their first customer of the day.