#cafe coffee pods

[vixonspixels]

Ocean View | Cafe Download

The Ocean View boats some of the most breathtaking views that Sulani has to offer. Grab a coffee and a croissant while pulling up a seat on the terrace, rumour has it there a large sized pod of dolphins near by..

Placed on a 40x30 lot in sulani

More information available over on my patreon page here

[unhingen]

If the midnight burger pod ever release merch, one of them should be a cook book that starts off like a regular cook book that focuses on diner staples (burgers, fries, sandwiches etc) but then it transitions to mexican recipes (im thinking chile rellenos, pozole, cafe de olla). But then it transitions to weirder recipes like how to not burn coffee and how to make moonshine. Then Like the end of the cook book is like diagrams of quantum machines and math notes calculating the universe.

[drarry-lets-play]

🎮 DLP 2024 | Fic Master List 🎮

🎮 The road to Baldur's Gate 🎮

16th september, by @gnarf

Rating: Explicit Word count: 19.360k Warnings/Tags: Alternative Universe - Baldur's Gate, Abduction, Tadpole | Illithid Parasite Powers (Baldur's Gate), We'll fuck because we'll die mindset, Blow Jobs, semi public blowjob, Rimming, Bathtub Sex, Fast Paced Enemies To Lovers, everyone is horny, Poisoning, Ambushes and Sneak Attacks, Explosions Summary: Waking up in a fucking pod on a fucking Mindflayer ship with a worm dangling in front of his eye was one of the weirder experiences Harry had during his short life. Twenty-one years of absolute fuckery made him immune to most of the bullshit happening around him, but this must have made it into the top five immediately, making it into the top three the second the Mindflayer attempted to put a parasite into his eyes.

🎮 A Boyfriend Among Us🎮

17th september, by @Skotini

Rating: T Word count: 6,636 Warnings/Tags: Impostors to lovers, Humor, Getting Together, Flirting, Secret Crush, POV Harry Potter, Characters Playing Among Us (Video Game) Summary: There's something sus about one of the players in Harry's new game. And Harry's got to work it out, even if it means tailing Eltanin all over the ship. Repeatedly. He’s just doing it because he’s dedicated to justice… right?

🎮Gems 🎮

18th september, by @definitelynotafanficwriter

Rating: M Word count: 20,413 Warnings/Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, Getting Together, Crime Fighting, Metaverse (Persona 5), Palaces (Persona 5), Guns, Masks, Fights, Infiltration, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Pining, Mutual Pining, Flirting, Cafe Leblanc (Persona 5), Banter, Kissing, Justice, Past, Fluff, Coffee Shop Owner Harry Potter, Shop Owner Harry Potter, POV Harry Potter, Games, Teasing, Good Draco Malfoy, Sassy, Partners in Crime, Post-Second Wizarding War with Voldemort (Harry Potter), Fans, feathers - Freeform, Harry Potter loves his life in Japan Summary: Harry Potter was done with the war. He packed all his stuff, said his goodbyes to his friends, and left for the muggle world... in Japan. It was a last minute decision, just like opening a coffee shop was. Good thing he found a last-minute supplier. Then, one fateful morning, everything went crazy and it had something to do with Draco Malfoy.

🎮 Lesson Learnt, Vault Dweller 🎮

19th september by @xrvge

Rating: E Word count: 6,343 Warnings/Tags: Post-Apocalypse, Kidnapped Draco Malfoy, Fallout Video Games References, Gun Violence, Smut, Virgin Draco Malfoy Summary: In the post-apocalyptic wasteland, lone wanderer Harry Potter happens to stumble upon a vault dweller trapped within a raider camp.  Well, there's rarely any stumbling when Harry is involved. Maybe he just loves running head first into danger. 

🎮 Mnemosyne 🎮

20th september by @thunderfiction

Rating: Mature Word count: 20,442 Warnings/Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Department of Mysteries (Harry Potter), Unspeakable Harry Potter, Unspeakable Draco Malfoy, Pensieves (Harry Potter), Memory Magic, Ancient Greece, Glamour Charms (Harry Potter), Secret Identity, Identity Porn, Identity Reveal, simulated character death, Blood and Injury, Grieving Someone Who Isn't Even Dead, Presumed Dead Character, Demisexual Harry Potter, Demisexual Awakening, Swearing, POV Harry Potter, POV Third Person Limited, Past Tense, Inspired by Assassin's Creed, Drarry Let’s Play Fest 2024 Summary: Deep within the Ministry of Magic lies the Department of Mysteries — and within that, the Animus Chamber. When Harry gets recruited as an Unspeakable, he embarks on a quest into his ancestor’s memories, searching for a mystical weapon that could wreak havoc in the wrong hands. What he does not expect to find inside the Animus, though, is a mentor, a companion, a friend and a lover — especially not all wrapped up in one prickly coworker whose true identity he can never know.

[elliebyrrdwrites]

AU Dramione Drabble

The night was dark outside the cafe window. Only the glare of street lights and the occasional headlights of cars reflected off the wet asphalt provided a glimpse of what lay outside. Punctuating the whirl of a blenders or the soft growl of the espresso machine was the usual blare of sirens as an armored truck rushed by. Lightly blanketing it all, jazz music that belonged in a different time. Sometime before Hermione was born. Before the world turned into this. Sometime.

Just not this time.

It was one of those nights where life, simply, felt surreal. As if, perhaps, she could pluck herself from existence and let herself go off into the ether. Floating, floating, floating…until she could drift just outside of the atmosphere, stuck within the gravitational pull of the world. Stuck in orbit. 

There was no more rain predicted for the rest of the night, but the cafe never filled up. One, two, maybe three or four people occupied the tables at a time. When there was only a half hour left until closing, she was all alone. All alone and floating as she ran through the mechanics of cleaning behind the bar. Wiping down tables long ago left vacant. Rings of coffee and tea pressed into the pores of the wood and she didn't want to erase them. 

To her, the stains were pretty. To her, the stains were normal. 

With a sigh, she rubbed the damp, sanitized towel in a circle, mimicking the circular memory of a cup left alone while someone absorbed themself in something else. Something good, or something sad.

They vanished when she picked up the towel, just as the bell to the door sang out, pulling her attention to the entrance to find a tall figure ducking inside. Some of the cool warm glow of the cafe lights bounced off his pale blonde hair, but the rest was absorbed by the dark coat around his sharp, broad shoulders. 

His pale blue eyes met hers as he began to unbutton his coat, starting with the one at his throat. But paused when he saw the rag in her hand as she straightened. 

“Are you closed?” His eyes narrowed in, causing the rest of his features to pinch with them. 

Hermione shook her head. “Not yet.” Forced a smile. “You’re just in time.”

One of his brows lifted as his lips pulled into a frown. “I’ll have a double espresso with an inch of steamed whole milk.”

Masking her own frown, she went behind the counter, tossed the towel into the sanitizer bucket and quickly washed her hands before drying them on her green apron. She moved to the machine as he approached the counter. She eyed him over the large espresso machine. One he towered over as he watched her hands uncap the jug of milk. 

She glanced at the clock that sat over the swinging door that led into the backroom. It was nearly midnight. “Got a long night?” 

The man’s eyes kept watching her hands. Watched as she lifted the pitcher to the steam wand and pulled the lever. This machine was one of the easy, quick working kind. The espresso beans were automatically ground and packed into pods, all with the press of a button. Single. Double. Decaf. 

Steaming the milk was less automatic. She pulled the lever down once the steam wand was pushed to the side of the pitcher and the soothing whirl of steam frothing milk filled the space between them. 

With his eyes finally flicking up to hers, he replies. “It’s always a long night.” Despite his drawl, there was something about it that told her he came from money. Raised taking etiquette classes. Raised to roll his shoulders back and keep his chin up. She was raised by herself, just like the rest of those who were just like her. 

As she stopped frothing the milk, he went back to unbuttoning his coat and shrugged it off before folding it over his forearm to reveal the black uniform of the regime. On his lapel, the cobra was printed in charcoal gray. It was because of the glare of lights that she could even make it out. But she knew it well, regardless. She knew it was there. 

She lifted her chin as the shots of espresso poured into the waiting shot glasses. She reached for a paper cup. 

“For here.” His voice cut in, forcing her hand to snap back and instead grabbed a small mug from the top of the machine, where it was kept warm. With a nod, she poured the two shots of espresso into the mug before pouring the inch of steamed milk. 

She carried the mug to the counter and set it down. 

He tilted his head and eyed the perfect layer of foam. “Could you add some honey?” 

She obliged. Added a teaspoon and stirred it in. When she returned to the counter again, his eyes pinched up as he chewed on his lower lip. “Cinnamon?”

Hermione had to fight the roll of her eyes as she forced a smile created just for men like him and dusted the top of his drink with cinnamon powder. 

When she returned for the third time, he nodded in approval. 

“Anything else?” She asked as she punched his order into the computer screen. 

He curled his left hand around the mug and lifted it to his lips. “Your name.”

Her eyes jumped from the screen to find him smirking at her. It was playful and so unlike the look he had when he entered the cafe. His eyes were scanning her face. She could feel heat crawl up her neck, into her cheeks. Did he, somehow, sense what she was? His pale eyes settled onto her eyes and clung on. 

“Hermione.” She was surprised to find her voice unaffected. 

“Hermione.” He repeated it back to her, slowly, his lips kicking up a little more. “Charming.” 

She had to duck her head to hide her blush. She had to hide the shock that she was unable to hide. An officer was openly flirting with her. It was unheard of. She had always worked so hard to go unnoticed. She didn’t need any extra attention. Especially not from another man. 

He ducked his head to try and catch her gaze again. “Don’t you want to know mine?” He won and pulled her in, forcing her to shake the hair from her face and put her manufactured smile of cordial transactions back on. 

“Of course.” 

The officer tilted his head as he straightened his shoulders. “I’m officer Mafloy.” He took a sip of his espresso and hummed in appreciation. His pale gaze kept her rooted to the ground. He licked a dollop of foam from his lips and said, “but you can call me Draco.”

She knew the name, but had never put a face to it. He was the son of the notorious General Malfoy. A cruel man who sought out people like her, throwing them into jail cells and were never seen again. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Draco.” Her voice was much less affected this time. 

But Officer Mafloy looked pleased as he nodded and slid a Gold Mark across the counter for her. He said nothing as he walked away, leaving the change for her to add to the tip jar. Hermione watched as he went to a table near the window. 

He gazed out at the window while she cleaned the milk pitcher and shot glasses. Stared out at the cold, dark world that had accepted people like him, only to toss people like her aside. She lived like a sewer rat, disguised as someone like them. 

But she wasn’t even close to someone like him. 

She was born with magic in her veins. Her parents never registered her as a witch when the new regime demanded that all magical folk get organized into a new demographic. Her parents must have sensed what was to come. They must have sniffed the lie when it was announced. 

But there were others like her who were less fortunate. Many of them were her friends, growing up down the street from her. Her parents were caught sneaking one of them onto a train headed for Mexico. Many disappeared. 

Including her parents. 

Now, Hermione didn’t just live her life in fear, but in constant grief. She lost too many people. But not all of them. 

The regime was terrible. They didn’t just want to control the magical population. They wanted to control everyone. They wanted to determine who you would marry and how many children you could have. 

Hermione had plans to run away, eventually. One day.

It was time to close the shop. She approached Officer Malfoy and cleared her throat. “Did you want a refill before I shut the machine down?”

His eyes slowly dragged away from the window, and for a moment, she thought he looked lost. Like maybe he could also pluck himself from existence and float away. 

But with a blink, his eyes brightened as he shook his head. He didn’t smile, as he declined her offer and stood from his seat. She reached for the mug that was now empty. 

His hand reached out, and gently wrapped around her wrist. Something charged sparked between their skin.

Her eyes lifted from where he held on to find him staring down at his hand. She wondered if he had felt it too. Was it her magic, reacting to him? Was it the anxiety that has been slowly building inside of her chest, forcing her magic to respond? To lash out?

Officer Malfoy licked his lips and slowly dragged his eyes up to meet her. “Will you be working tomorrow night?” His voice was cool, similar to the drawl he had when he had first entered the cafe. 

She was working tomorrow. Hermione didn’t get many days off.

She nodded. 

His eyes hesitated, as if trying to root out any dishonesty in her response, before he slowly pulled his hand away. “Okay.” He stood, forcing the wooden legs of the chair to drag across the stone tiles. He avoided her eyes as he shrugged his coat back on, fastening each button with quick, deft fingers. He kept a watchful eye on the street outside as he did it. When he was done, he shoved a loose lock of hair back and turned for the door. 

She watched him, his mug still in his hand, as he paused and looked at her over his shoulder.  “I’ll see you tomorrow night, Hermione.” 

She couldn’t respond as he pulled the door open and disappeared into the night. If it wasn’t for his pale blonde hair, the night would have swallowed him up completely. 

Her eyes fell to the table where he had sat. A small curricular stain was left behind on the wood. She couldn’t bring herself to remove it. Not this one. 

She didn’t know why.

Instead, she slid her hand into her apron pocket as she walked away and thumbed the slender engagement ring tucked inside, reminding herself what it was she had to fight for.

Also posted on AO3

[wehangout]

hiii. for the kiss list, 6 or 30 😊

Send me a number and I’ll write a gallavich kiss 👄

Thank you! I went with 30 because 6 is just not my thing 😊

30. - - as comfort (I've struggled with this one, but was inspired by the to shut them up kiss here, so this continues from that.)

You took the L to the clinic just because you know Ian likes the walk from your apartment to the nearest L stop. You have to pass a bunch of little shops that sell crystals or coffee pods or customised dog accessories. Ian calls them boutiquey. You call them bougie.

The little shops don't seem to help - even on the walk home when he's seen the doc and got his meds adjusted, been given the usual don't-worry-Ian-this-is-incredibly-common-and-things-will-settle-soon speech. Even when you casually remind him of how long the last set of meds lasted which "is really fucking awesome, Ian". None of it seems to work.

Which. Obviously.

But you'd hoped it might have at least put a smile on his face.

And when he pauses outside the vegan cafe he convinced you to try once (and there was no talking you into it, but he sure as hell used his mouth), he looks at you with a look you know and hate. A look you haven't seen since he tried to give you a fucking promise ring.

You open your mouth, but he gets there first.

"Just another version of me, huh?"

You stare at him, so many thoughts and feelings running through your head that you don't know what to say. Finally, you step closer and reach up to cup his face.

"Look at me, Ian." He does, but you can tell it's grudgingly. "Clearly my vows weren't enough to make you realise I'm in this for the long haul, sickness and fucking health, so listen up. You're fuckin' stuck with me."

He sighs. "Mickey."

"Every single goddamn version of you is stuck with me, Ian. And not a single one of them will ever succeed at pushing me away."

The breath he lets out is shaky. "Shit, Mick."

Maybe outside the vegan cafe wasn't the best place for your declaration of love if the shininess of his eyes is anything to go by, but you push on, making sure he's still looking at you.

"Love you, man. And you signed that marriage certificate, so fuck you. You're stuck."

His laugh is wet and weak. "Stuck, huh?"

"Forever."

His eyes close, and for the first time that day, he looks somewhat peaceful. You lean in, smooth his hair away from his face with your other hand, and kiss his forehead, his nose, his lips. You don't give a fuck what pretentious douchebag is around to witness it, you press your mouth to Ian's in a short but lingering kiss.

He sighs into your mouth and murmurs against your lips. "Every version is stuck with you? All of them?"

You smirk into your next kiss. "Every fucking one of them."

[bluestrawberrybunny]

First time posting here in the SMG4 fandom-

Anyway, I made an Apprenticeship AU where SMG3 and SMG4 are basically forced (volun-told) to mentor 2 new meme guardians: SMG5 and SMG6.

But the thing is, when 4 was told about them, SMG1 and SMG2 didn’t exactly know where these new guardians came from, or why their pods were so damaged. So, while 1 and 2 try and figure out more about these two new guardians, 3 and 4 are basically stuck babysitting and training them.

Some basic information about the two new guardians:

SMG5 is a lot more timid, but very eager to learn all they can from 3 and 4 to be the best meme guardian they can be. They got the nickname Bunny from SMG6 because their 5 logo looks like bunny ears. He technically does have a YouTube channel and Twitch, but he never uses them, instead preferring to draw and write fanfiction with Boopkins. He does post animations to his YouTube channel every once in a while. Due to the damage to his pod, his left eye is badly damaged, causing him to be blind in that eye. Also, they got into calling 4 “Scrub” because of SMG3 and he gets a kick out of it. SMG3 has also basically adopted them as his younger sibling and is absolutely fine with 5 calling him “Brother.”

SMG6 is the one who calls 3 and 4 “Sensei,” mostly in a sarcastic manner. He’s a lot more impulsive, usually dragging 5 along with whatever crazy stuff he does. He also has a YouTube channel, which mostly focuses on gaming and let’s plays. Due to his clothes, he doesn’t show it, but he actually has 2 robotic arms due to losing them both in the crash. SMG1 and SMG2 gave them to him, but didn’t tell SMG3 or SMG4 about the arms because they didn’t deem it as vitally important. He has been banned from 3’s Coffee & Bombs due to a love for fire and explosives, which may have caused a reconstruction to be needed- He also refers to SMG4 as “Dad” whenever it is just him and 5. He has accidentally called 4 Dad to his face and wanted to bury himself in a hole immediately after. 4 is still confused about it to this day.

The two are basically inseparable, and are best friends. They also act a lot like siblings, twins to be more exact. 5 mainly attempts to keep 6 out of trouble, but he does encourage him sometimes. The two care about each other a lot, despite not seeing eye to eye on everything, especially when it comes to 3 and 4. While SMG5 looks up to their elders and wants nothing more than to make them proud, SMG6 keeps saying they’re better than their mentors, mainly due to SMG1 and SMG2 congratulating them on using their powers so well, and better than their mentors had their first time training.

Some information about SMG3 and SMG4 in this AU:

Since this takes place after “SMG4 Doesn’t Meme For 1 Second,” SMG4 is kind of still in recovery, especially since I’m adding that the whole “removal of the meme lobe” caused some nasty physical side effects for him because a meme guardian has to meme. SMG4 takes his mentorship role very seriously, but does treat 5 and 6 more like kids. He gets easily annoyed with them, specifically 6. He also puts a bunch of pressure on the two without realizing. it, which causes an… “incident,” as SMG3 calls it.

Because 5 has such a drive to make his mentors proud of him, he decided it was a good idea to head into Peach’s castle. Alone. The crew went down there to get him back home safely. But SMG3 is far more protective of 5 after that.

SMG3 also has a very… rocky relationship with SMG6. He sees a lot of his villain self in 6, which is why he is very avoidant of him, and it got worse when SMG6 blew up his cafe.

Both SMG4 and SMG3 have scars from IGBP, and 4 suffers from PTSD from the event still, but he’s gotten better at hiding it as time goes on.

And yes, there is SMG34 in this AU. 5 and 6 are working with Mario to make it canon throughout the AU.

Fic for the AU is in the works, and I might make an ask blog if people like this enough-

[wolfofcelestia]

@lisharchivez

I like my coffee pretty sweet so I'm going to assume his preferences are similar to mine

For regular brewed coffee, I usually take mine with 3-4 spoons/packs of sugar so I'd say he'd lean towards 4 sugars

But I'm willing to bet he'd be more into custom espresso drinks where he can choose different flavours to make his caffeine-intake more interesting. He always works long hours so there's going to be a lot of coffee involved. Having a plain latte every day is going to get boring fast, so he's going to have a mocha one day and a hazelnut caramel macchiato the next day

He's probably gone through the entire menu of the hospital's in-house cafe and started requesting unique combinations to the point where the staff even started putting some of his custom drinks on the menu

"Dr. Zayne's drink of the week" probably helps the hospital cafe bring in customers who aren't patients there but know him as that hot young super surgeon who's always on the news or on youtube/tiktok or memes floating around social media

Despite all that, he probably has a small espresso machine in his office, probably one that uses pods instead of a standard machine because he doesn't have time to prepare proper espresso shots when it's 3am, the cafe is closed, and he just needs a boost to make it through his last surgery

In those cases, he'd probably just drink the espresso as shots with a pack or two of sugar in it, or as espresso con panna (with just whipped cream)

He has a mini fridge/freezer in his office too, though. So when MC comes in for an appointment or just to visit him on his break, and she mentions being tired, he can make her affogato - ice cream with espresso poured over top - and they can chat for a bit

Coffee gets him through the day, sure, but coffee with MC gives him more of a boost than any espresso ever could

[str4ngr]

two peas in a pod [ isagi yoichi ]

cw: none, gn! reader, pro player! isagi

The cafe was crowded, popular locally, but business was booming today. And not without warrant, because so-called genius football player Isagi Yoichi made the idiotic choice to choose the booth seats beside the window. Hence the crowd of people outside waving and screaming at your boyfriend. Your boyfriend kept up a smile, waving and saying hi back, as fans flooded the cafe, begging for autographs and photos. 

You didn’t like how invasive his fans could be, you were proud of him, of course, but not a moment of your time could be spent with him without someone else. His manager, his team, and now his fans. A polite smile graced your face, contradicting the boiling irritation building under your skin. It wasn’t long before the crowds dwindled, from the impatience to get into the cafe for the informal meet-n’-greet, to the cafe managers own impatience with the crowd, shooing the people with his broom. 

To Isagi’s dismay, your coffee had gone cold, and the whipped cream on your pancakes deflated,

“Oh, I’m so sorry, baby, I got too caught up with my fans,“ His eyes exude regret, sadly glancing between you and the deflated whipped cream. You couldn’t help but soften, your pursed lips squeezing into a smile, one that you resisted. 

“What did you think would happen if you chose a window seat.“ He opened his mouth, but was quickly cut off by you, “in the city, too?” his face turns pink and his head turns away. 

“You’re such an idiot.“ You sigh, grinning at the magenta that burned his face, his ears tinted a matching colour. Nervously, he looked back up to you, irresistibly forming into big, round puppy eyes. Without missing a beat his turns back, grabbing his fork and knife to cut into his, now cold, pancakes, too flushed to even look you in the eye. you chuckle as you rest your chin in you palm, watching as his recklessly yanks his knife through his blueberry pancakes, and pouring far too much syrup, even for his extensive sweet tooth. 

“C’mon baby, you know that I can’t really control that...“

“Sure, but you can definitely can control how you use a pancake machine.“ His ears turn bright pink once more, 

“Oh, shut up about that for once! I swear I didn’t mean to break it!“ You laugh at his response, the pout on his lips, and his attempt at a glare, even though you knew he could never bring himself to glare at you. 

“I’ll shut up if you give me a piece,“ You wave your fork in his direction, grinning at his childish possessiveness to his plate. 

This is what you loved, the dates where it was just quiet giggling, just the two of you, forcing yourselves to whisper as you made stupid choices and stupider jokes. You loved and you missed it. So never will this moment leave your memory, every minuscule detail of this moment engraved in you head as you laugh with Isagi when he breaks away from his childish demeanor, shoving the syrup-lathered slice of pancake in your mouth. 

“You are such and idiot” you repeated, mouth laced in sugar as you finished you piece, he replied, beaming, 

“Maybe, but I’m your idiot.”

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

i’ve got so many bllk fics in my drafts omg

karasu next☺☺

ao3 - ScarletEvening

[nightlilly0110]

Phantom Thieves (and Sojiro) Coffee Preferences

Morgana: Milk. That’s it.

Ryuji: Hot chocolate. His hatred for coffee outweighs his dislike of sweets. You give him coffee, even with cream and sugar, and he will accuse you of trying to poison him. He’s lucky Boss likes him.

Ann: Probably flavoured coffee. Which flavour? Any of them, with whipped cream and some sort of drizzle on top. Drinks tea lattes like they’re going out of style. Prefers boba but will not admit that to Sojiro for as long as she lives. Doesn’t hate actual coffee but not her absolute favourite.

Yusuke: Whatever he can afford/is being offered to him.

Makoto: Her and Sae have one of those pod coffee machine and are constantly in debate as to which brands are the best. Often have this conversation when Joker is right there. Literally will drink whatever will keep her awake throughout the day. Doesn’t care what’s in it or how good it tastes.

Futaba: Her mom’s favourite blend and nothing else. Will drink it black or with cream and sugar, it doesn’t matter to her.

Haru: Didn’t like coffee at first but since she’s planning on opening a cafe, she needs to figure out what blends go with certain foods. Her and Joker are working their way through Leblanc’s various types of coffee, to Sojiro’s dismay. Cream and sugar are a must in her opinion.

Joker: Became a coffee snob after Sojiro taught him how to make coffee. Has a list of all the types of coffee in Leblanc organized from favourite to least favourite, further broken down into categories no one else has the attention span to follow. After explaining it, please do not ask him if he likes his coffee black or with sugar and cream - he has a whole separate presentation for that. Has very big Opinions and is constantly seconds away from breaking out The Chart TM.

Akechi: Leblanc house blend. Black. Preferably brewed by Joker. If there is so much as a single grain of sugar in it, he will Know.

Sojiro: Will give you a very obscure brand/blend. Will also inform you of the exact date, time, and coordinates he last drank it, and forever has a vendetta because the seller of those particular beans told him he would not sell to “some janky cafe in the middle of an alley.” Is of the opinion that flavoured coffee is okay “as long as you do it right” but also claims to have never had a good flavoured coffee. Suspicious.

[oldfarmhouse]

Coffee is such a massive part of life for so many people, but it can be incredibly unsustainable in many ways.

Here are 5 ways you can be more sustainable in your coffee consumption:

☕ Choose sustainably sourced beans for home and support local cafes who do the same

☕ Opt for reusable coffee filters

☕ Try a French press or Moka pot

☕ Grab a reusable pod if you own a pod machine

☕ Keep a reusable cup in your bag for cafe trips

Do you have any other sustainable coffee tips to add?

📷 @thequickjourney via @coffeesock

[persepinas]

It’s like a sucker punch straight to my heart: chapter 9 (Loustat coffee shop au)

Firstly, I want to thank everyone for the incredible comments you have left. They're so kind and well-meaning, and I literally adore every single one of you. Thank you for consistently coming back and indulging in this little caffeinated universe I have created for myself. I always mean to respond, but I become overwhelmed. Anxiety is not my friend! I will let you know I do interact and respond more at my tumblr so if you ever want to come on over and send me a message, I'll reply. My tumblr is linked at the end notes of every chapter.

Secondly, it took me longer to update because I lost half this chapter. Losing it pretty much devastated me, and I wasn't able to write for a while. Thankfully, I finally pushed through, and now I love this chapter more than the original I had written.

Thirdly! This chapter is explicit. Basically, happy birthday, Lestat. Enjoy all the sex. You too, Louis.

I would also like to add that I have updated my Cafe du Lac playlistappropriately and you should begin with Rihanna's song Birthday Cake to get into my headspace while writing this chapter.

Also, I did create a series for Suckerpunch because I wrote a one shot set in this universe.

And finally, here is my coffee recipe:

White chocolate peppermint mocha (it is tastier than what I get at Starbucks.) Use your machine of choice! I used my Nespresso. Double espresso pod (you can use however much you want. I just prefer more caffeine) Place white chocolate on the bottom of your mug Brew the espresso into the mug until it has finished, then mix together. I use my handheld mixer to do this because I never do it right with a spoon. Add in milk of choice. I use oat milk and shake it up real nice because it tastes creamiest this way. Add in 2tsp peppermint syrup I then make some frothed oat milk, pour it on top. If you would like, garnish with crushed up candy canes. Enjoy! <3

here it is:

suckerpunch (Lestat’s version): Part four. (6730 words)

[lieblingspulli]

Need Something? - SKZ

W.C: 2.3k

Seungmin x Reader

Summary: Two days converge into one as you and Seungmin unwind for the day!

Masterlist!

SKZ Masterlist

Note: Hey! It’s been a while but I got inspired by my extreme procrastination of my schoolwork to make something. I’ve been just itching to write about super mundane things tbh, I’ve been just so busy, I’m appreciating the mundane much more lately. Hope you all like it <3

Seungmin was extremely relaxed after his daily coffee run. If there was anything to start his morning peacefully, it was nicely flavored americano and an empty cafe. Today would be a good day, Seungmin resolved to himself. He would get his choreo memorized, sing some demos for Chan today and maybe even go live for a lunchtime mukbang session. Today would be a great day in fact. He felt so at peace that he felt he could do anything today, even the laundry that had been sitting in the corner of his room for like a week at home. Today would be good. 

You personally felt victimized today. Nothing like sleeping through the most important meeting of the quarter to start your morning. You spent all of last night typing out your important charts and notes, Seungmin couldn’t even lure you into bed with warm cuddles and extra attention.

Despite this, Seungmin had kissed you to sleep endlessly when you did join him at an early 3 in the morning. You felt so bad for keeping him awake, but Seungmin didn’t have an important quarterly report to type, you did. Resigning to a stern lecture from your coworkers, you let the morning do its thing. You used the last of the coffee pods that Seungmin left you and fed your tiny, old dog before hurrying out the door. Let’s get this day over with, you thought. 

-

Right before you left work for the day, you sent Seungmin a text.

Just getting out of work. When do u get home?🥲-Y

Almost immediately Seungmin answered. 

Maybe around 7. :( Srry bby -S

Can you squeeze out an early send off from chris??? Tell him I broke my finger -Y

You’re funny. Let me work my magic ;) -S

Lmk how that goes, if not just tell my chrissy I said hi and he still owes me some nachos from when he ate mine -Y 

Some time went by as you waited for a reply. You watched the fall colors of the trees pass you by as the bus took you to your homestop. Something about fall calmed your nerves. Luckily, the quarterly meeting had been postponed because the division manager had a cold, which totally saved your butt. You sighed and felt a vibration from your phone. 

Chan$$ venmoed you 10 usd 

You grinned and sighed. Opening up your messages with Seungmin, you shook your head and laughed. 

Why did chan send me 10 dollars in usd 🤔 -Y

bro???? -Y

He said because you keep pestering him for an american dish -S

Tell him I’ll enjoy it very much thxxx  -Y

He also said you have to share with him when you get them -S

Why dont you just text him urself omg -S

You just sent him an emoji with your tongue sticking out. 

Oh hey did he let you out tho? -Y

No -S

We have a weird schedule today bc of the morning show tm -S

Srry bb -S

Its OK. have fun xoxo -Y

You pulled the bus signal and gathered your stuff. The time on your phone read 4:26. Technically speaking, you should be at work, but was let out early due to the manager being gone and the meeting had everyone done with work. Maybe you would cook some lasagna according to your mom’s recipe. Or take Luna (your fossilized age dog) out on a walk. You didn’t really seem to know what to do because of this peculiar on-edge feeling. 

It was peaceful around you as you hopped off the bus. An ajumma was reading her book on the bus stop bench. A 16 year old student and his friend were arguing over a bag of chips. A business man was walking presumably home from work. 

You pulled your coat a little tighter around you as you started to walk in the direction of yours and Seungmin’s place. The cold air had picked up in a bit of a breeze as you passed the corner store which was next to the salon that was owned by your neighbor down the hallway. Eventually you made it to your building and walked into the warm main hallway. 

Seungmin’s schedule was unexpectedly busy today. Despite his peaceful start, the choreographer made some changes to the new dance they were learning for a unit video with Leeknow and Jeongin. Leeknow, being the particular dancer he always was, made the choreo hour seem like 3. Afterwards, Chan said his demo tracks still weren’t ready but he could send one of them over for a listen. This left Seungmin a bit of freetime before lunch, so he decided to walk to the new chocolate store that opened down the street and buy you some mocha and espresso choco bites. With his goodies in hand, Seungmin proceeded to go about his day as normal, except for the fact that Jisung was freaking out when he met with Seungmin for lunch over how his recording session went terribly and he needed to reschedule soon because the tracks needed to be edited soon. All of Jisung’s stress made its way to Seungmin and started to give him an icky feeling. The best he could do was offer some comfort to Han by offering to help him on the vocals when he had a chance. This seemed to help him a bit. Not soon after, You texted Seungmin and this put him at ease. Running off after lunch, Seungmin found Chan in his studio working on the aforementioned demos. Trying to guilt trip his most loyal leader, Seungmin found himself getting an apologetic “Sorry min but the schedule is packed after 3:30. It's best to stay the day I think” from Chan. Welp. 

From here on, it was utter chaos. When Seungmin got to the group meeting room for a debrief on the morning schedule, no one but the manager was there. Everyone was late, Hyunjin didn’t have anything but a coffee and his phone because he forgot his laptop at home, Jeongin was sniffing because he was recovering from a cold, Leeknow was late because of a dance practice, Chris and Changbin were late because of the demo fixing, Jisung walked in with a second lunch, and Felix just lost track of time. Who knows what happened after that.  

In between song rehearsals, Seungmin replied to your text and apologized for the continuing schedule. He sensed your day hadn’t gone according to plan but he really couldn’t do much at the moment. Jisung was pestering him to help him with some vocals and he reluctantly agreed to a bit of help after the rehearsal. So much for going home early. 

After he grabbed his bag to head to Jisung’s studio room, he texted you again to make sure you were okay. 

Are you bored without me yet -S

Seungmin swung the door open and started slowly heading down the dimly lit hallway to let Jisung catch up. 

No Luna decided to spit up her lunch. Also the coffee machine broke -Y

My beloved coffee machine 🙁 -S

Seungmin got startled when he felt some hands on his shoulder. Jisung had caught up. 

“What did you think about that rehearsal huh?” Jisung chuckled and readjusted his hoodie over his head. “Personally, I don’t know if I’ll survive tomorrow.” He shook his head and grimaced. 

“Ah, it's fine. It’s strange because everyone was late but tomorrow won’t be that bad. I need a vacation after though.” Seungmin chuckled and stuffed his phone in his back pocket before heading into the elevator after Jisung. 

“Bro I’ve got so many tracks to finish and turn in, it’s insane.” 

“Tell me about it, I’ve got a bunch of people asking me for help.” Seungmin laughed and nudged at Jisung teasingly. Jisung got a bit embarrassed and slapped his arm playfully.

“I’m looking forward to the weekend.” Jisung sighed. 

“Me too.” Seungmin agreed wholeheartedly and followed his companion into the studio hallway.

-

Finally, 7pm hit the clock. You quickly set the table and hopped in the shower. All the unease in your stomach had made you do odd chores around the house to get your mind off of the feeling. You made your homemade lasagna, did 2 loads of laundry, vacuumed the whole house, and cleaned out the fridge. Still, you felt unfinished. The whole day at work, people had been asking for your assistance on different tasks and now that you did jobs for yourself, it didn’t feel satisfying enough. Additionally, you tried making your favorite caramel latte but the machine broke. You sighed as you washed your hair. After you got out and was on step 3 of your skincare routine, you heard the front door open and close, signaling the return of your boyfriend. 

Seungmin took the choco bites out of his bag before setting it on its designated hook in the hallway. Luna ran up to Seungmin and excitedly pawed at his shoes for pets. Suengmin smiled and crouched down to pet her before talking sweet nonsense despite her being a dog. 

You walked out from the bedroom, careful not to startle Seungmin and snickered a bit. 

“And here I thought I was the one going to get extra attention.” You teased. 

Seungmin stood up and waddled over to you with arms open wide. 

“Babyyyyyyyy. I missed you so” He said in his best baby voice. You adored Minnie. “Don’t strangle me Min.” You pouted. 

“I’m sorry, I just had a weird day.” You could hear his visible pout and you rubbed his back.

“Did you need something then? A kiss? Some food?” Seungmin held you out at arm’s length and got suddenly very serious.

“That is the first time someone has asked me that all day.” You giggled at his distraught face, knowing he was pouting about not getting enough attention. 

“Aw, my poor baby boy didn’t get enough love from his friends did he?” You smiled teasingly. He dramatically nodded yes and then seemed to have an epiphany. 

“Oh! I have something for you!” He ran over to the table and picked up a fancy yellow pastry box before opening them and stretching them out to you. 

“Aw, baby, you didn’t have to.” You picked up a chocolate cookie looking thing and bit into it. You expected a cruncy texture, but got more of a caramel bite of brownie spongieness. You sighed in pleasure and closed your eyes to savor the taste. 

“Mmmm! This is so good. Where did you get these from?” You opened your eyes. 

“There’s a new pastry shop by the JYP building! I thought you could use a pick me up today.” He stared at you excitingly, happy that you were happy. He happily walked back to the table and set down the box before sauntering to the kitchen. 

“Thanks Min, I really appreciate it. I needed the surprise.” He looked back at you and curiously asked what was wrong. 

“Ah, I just had a bad start to the morning. My meeting got delayed and I’ve been feeling weird all day.” You walked to the counter and began to plate some lasagna. “I did make my favorite dish for dinner though.” You felt arms wrap around you waist and a chin prop on your shoulder. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more, baby. Do you need something from me? Sometimes you just need someone to take care of you to feel better.” Suengmin said sweetly. You leaned your head back against him. 

“You’re too nice to me you know that right?” You sighed and got back to serving the food.

“No, I’m so serious right now. I feel like everyone asks so much of us that we don’t just get to take care of eachother.” He helped you carry the dishes to the table as he maintained the conversation. 

“So many people asked me for favors today. I realized how much I just wanted to go home and listen to someone ask about my day. I feel like that would make you feel better. So, I’ll do just that!” He happily exclaimed this last point and pulled out your chair for you to sit down in. You smiled and puckered your lips for a kiss. He happily obliged. You sweetly kissed him and said, “Min, all I want from you is your attention and your cuddles.” You giggled. He smiled and quickly grabbed some juice from the fridge before running to the table to sit down like a child. 

“Okay, tell me about your day. I want to know everything. I also want to know what I can do to make you feel better. Think of it as a master plan. Plan Y/N: Make Y/N feel loved and appreciated for all they do for everyone.” He motioned with his hands across the space in front of him. 

You shook your head and began from the very beginning. Seungmin listened the whole time and attentively ate while making agreeable sounds. Watching you be so animated about a normal day was so attractive to him, he thought to himself that he would spend all his days like today if he could return to you and listen to you speak. As dinner winded down, he held your hand across the table and spoke about his schedule that day. Although he was being pestered all day with favors, he felt that this one task that was given to him by you would never be an annoying one. He would gladly ask if you needed something from him if it meant giving you extra love and attention.

[writersbloxx]

Home

Where the people paint their houses different colors so they can pretend they aren’t all built the same way. One is blue, another a faded yellow, or even a dull green. But the roofs all slope in the same spots and the windows line up in the same rows.

Where the trees stand thin and sparse and the leaves can’t decide whether they want to be green or brown. But if you look at the front lawns of each house you can see the expensive and meticulously arranged shrubs and flowers. Freshly manicured grass so green it looks like they were watered with paint cans. Their trees are neatly trimmed and proudly wear their branches heavy with leaves green down to the stem. The trees in town look sick in comparison. In the fall, leaves plummet in clusters blown through the streets by the cold wind. They crunch and crumble into dust under our feet.

Even the clouds seem to line up in an orderly fashion. Large chunks laid out next to each other with the occasional white wisps stark against baby blue. In the morning it’s dark. The sky isn’t as dark as it would be at night, but it looks as if someone reached out towards the sun and dimmed the lights.

The stay-at-home moms don their bright tracksuits and their visors and speed walk in small pods. They almost-jog just off the sidewalk enough to not be in the street but keeping mind to still be an inconvenience to the drivers on their way to work or to drop off the kids at school. Once they feel as though they’ve worked up a sweat they walk to town to get coffee and bagels while gossiping about other moms and their children or complaining about the ugly new flowers planted in front of the school. I always made a point of avoiding walking by the nail salons or cafes at this time even on weekends. Before school lets out at midday they head home to keep an eye on the nanny who keeps an eye on their children.

[heleenss]

Script

Two friends, Jess and Chloe, are sitting at a table by the window of a cafe. Both girls are sipping on their coffees and have a conversation. 

Jess: This place is so nice oh my god, I can’t believe I’ve never been here I’m going to come here all the time now.

Chloe: Oh really, you say that about every place we go. But it is cute! Definitely our new spot - I mean the fall vibes are everything.

Jess: Speaking of fall vibes, I think I’m going to dye my hair red tomorrow. It’s fall and I’m just feeling the urge - plus, I want to cut it a little. Maybe just a few inches. 

Chloe: Red!? That would look amazing on you! Are you thinking like full-on fiery red or something more auburn?

Jess: I’m thinking something subtle but still bold, you know. Here let me show you my inspiration. Jess pulls out her phone to show Chloe a picture of the red hair she wants. 

Chloe: Do it! Fall is the perfect excuse to change things up. You know I’m always down for a hair transformation.

The next day after Jess dyes her hair. Chloe visits to see the new hair and to catch up. 

Chloe: Knocks on the door. I’m here! Come quick open the door I want to see.

Jess: Opens the door and creeps behind, hiding her hair. It's bad I don’t want to show you.

Chloe: Oh come on! It can’t be that bad. You have to show me, I didn’t come all this way for nothing.

Jess: Fine! But don’t laugh. Steps out from the door to reveal her hair

Chloe: Jaw drops. Well….

Jess: It's bad. I knew it.

Chloe: No… I mean yea it's bad but not unfixable. The red just did not want to stay subtle in your hair. Laughing. Wait you know what would cheer you right up. Olive Garden unlimited pasta right now!

Jess: What? Right now?

Chloe: Yeah! I just got a notification - today’s the last day for the unlimited pasta deal.

Jess: But… we have work. I don’t know.

Chloe: Work? We can squeeze pasta before work. We’ll be fine. 

Jess: But you know how we get. Once we’re there, it’s like... three hours of endless carbs, and then we’re in a food coma. Last time I could barely function after. Remember?

Chloe: True. But this week is pretty chill for me. Very calm compared to last week. I’m still recovering from that test, but I’m glad it's over. I deserve a pasta break. And you deserve it for the way your hair is looking.

Jess: You deserve pasta for surviving? 

Chloe: Exactly! Plus, I need to do groceries this weekend anyway. I’m running out of everything. Ugh. But did you see? I got new Nespresso pods, so I’m stocked for coffee emergencies at least.

Jess: You always find a way to convince me. Fine. Olive Garden it is. We’ll just be strategic about it. Small portions, no food coma.

They both get up, gathering their bags, and head toward the door with excited grins on their faces.

The end.

[stardustndreamsofsilver]

Figment

Part Three

Jake x Reader (f)

Warnings: none

Find All Parts Here

The next morning you woke up to the sound of birds outside your window. Opening your eyes, you sit straight up in bed. All the memories from the night before come flooding back. Jake suddenly disappearing. The panic and fear taking over before you blacked out. How did you get into bed? When did you change into the pajamas you were wearing the morning before? Your heart started to race. Throwing off the blanket, you rush out of bed and toward the hall. Just as you step out of your bedroom, you hear, “Hey babe?”

You stop in your tracks. “Yeah?” You answer nervously.

“Can you come here for a second?”

The feeling of deja vu courses through you. “Sure, hold on!”

Walking toward where you’d heard the voice come from, you swallow thickly. Trying to calm yourself, you take a deep breath and enter the sunroom. There he was, sitting in the same spot as he was yesterday. Confusion swept over you. What was going on? Where had he gone last night? Why had he said those words?

“Hey baby. I heard you get out of bed, so I wanted to see if you wanted to go get breakfast at that little cafe you love.” Jake said with a soft smile, acting as if nothing had happened.

“Uh, sure. Jake, what happened last night? Where did you go?” You question.

“I didn’t go anywhere.” Jake says with a confused expression. “You came home late from work and went straight to bed.”

“Did I?” You ask, raising your hand to your head. “Are you sure? What day is it?”

“I’m sure. It’s Sunday.” Jake says with a furrowed brow.

Sunday. But Sunday was yesterday. Sitting in the chair closest to you, you run your hands through your hair. How is that possible? Jake stands from his seat and walks over to you. Kneeling beside you and placing his hand on your thigh, he looks up at you and asks what’s going on and if you’re okay.

“I— I don’t know. Maybe it was all just a dream.” You mumble.

Then you remember the journal entry you’d started before Jake called for you the day before. Practically leaping out of the chair, you jog to your office. Walking around your desk you grab your journal and open it. Everything you’d written was gone. It was if it had never even been written. Jake comes in as your flop into your office chair.

“What’s going on?” He asks, worry lacing his voice.

“I had the most bizarre dream.” You say.

You proceed to tell him all about it. About how he’d called for you the same way he had this morning. How he’d said he’d missed you because you’d been so busy with work. About the two of you spending the day together. You told him about the dinner you’d made and how you’d eaten it on the back porch. You told him the song that played as he swayed you back and forth. The words he’d said before everything started to spiral. How you’d searched for him and there was no trace of him anywhere. 

“That is some dream. I’m sorry it scared you so much.” Jake says as he pushes off the desk he’d leaned against as you spoke.

“It felt so real.” You mutter.

“Sounds like it. But I can promise you it wasn’t. I’d never not eat a perfectly good steak.” He jokes.

You roll your eyes and shake your head. “Yeah, that really should have clued me in, huh?” You chuckle.

“It really should have.” He laughs. 

Taking your hand, he pulls you up out of the chair and into his arms. “Let’s get you dressed and out of the house. We can do whatever you want today.” He says, kissing your temple.

“Sounds good to me.” You breathe. 

Leaving the office, you go and get dressed. After you’re dressed, you walk into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee before you and Jake go out for the day. Grabbing the old coffee pod, you go to throw it away. Opening the trash can lid, you freeze. Inside is a white bag. The words ‘The Baked Bear’ written across it. The bakery you’d ordered dessert from. The bag you’d grabbed from the delivery person. Your face goes pale and you feel all warmth leave your body.

The sound of footsteps jerks you out of your stupor. Putting the coffee pod back in the coffee maker, you go to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

“Are you ready babe?” Jake asks with a smile.

“Yep, let me just grab my purse.” You say sweetly, acting as if nothing was amiss.

You grab your purse and head outside. The two of you walk to the car and get in. Once you’d buckled and settled in, Jake reaches over and grabs your hand. 

“I love you.” He says. 

You smile and say it back. Jake grins and starts the car. As he pulls out of the driveway, you look out the window and rack your brain for an explanation for what is going on. Nothing seems to make sense. Shaking your head, you inhale deeply. 

“Jake, if it was all a dream, why was there a bag from the bakery we ordered from in the trash?” You question.

Jake stops the car and looks over at you. Eyes dark and cold. “You saw that?” is the last thing you hear before the world once again goes dark.

[electricaquarius]

GeRolan, this time a modern Japanese AU. Rolan is a stressed out salaryman working for an asshole boss, Geraldus works at a maid cafe, low-stakes hijinks and emotional moments ensue. No nsfw here, just soft pining vibes. Mirrored on AO3!

Rolan shifted in his seat, his arm dead from having it across his face to block out the light. Last night was the most recent in a chain of overnight manga cafe visits, after-work drinks having dragged on into the early hours meaning that even if the trains were still running he'd barely have time to go home and prepare for the next early start. He stretched and rose from his seat, bumping his leg on the table in front of him. The pod would have been comfortable enough for its intended use, relaxing while browsing the web or reading manga, but as an impromptu bedroom it was sorely lacking. He swilled out his mouth with the bottle of water on the desk and checked his watch. He'd have time to grab a fresh shirt and change before work, but that was about it. There was no time to wallow in how truly terrible he felt, eyes feeling like they'd been pushed into the back of his skull, he needed to get going. Gathering up his belongings, he mused on whether he'd be seeing Geraldus tonight. It was an odd feeling, really. They were from different worlds but geographically so close. If Rolan wasn't such a messy drunk to begin with they may never have met. But there they were, sitting in a 7-11 sharing a weak coffee, Geraldus still wearing his work uniform. He listened patiently while Rolan poured his heart out, never complaining once, even though working in a maid cafe had to be worse than being subject to even the most scathing workplace review. Lorroakan may have been many things, but he wasn't a pervert at the very least. 

Wiping the thought away, Rolan counted the change in his hand before exiting the booth. Enough to buy that spare shirt he needed. Snaking his way through the labyrinthine train station, he arrived just as it pulled into the stop. He wondered if that was going to be his only piece of good luck today as he boarded, packed in next to the other commuters on all sides. Summertime meant there was slightly more room as no one was wearing a thick coat but it also meant that the sweat crawled down his neck in a way that made him shiver. Still, only a few stops away… His phone vibrating snapped him out of his daydream and he pulled it out to see an email from Geraldus:

‘Good morning~☆ The succulents are doing well, I hope you're remembering to stay hydrated!’

He'd included a photo of him posing next to his prized miniature garden, sunlight glinting off of his hazel eyes in a way that made Rolan's heart soar. He'd thought of him constantly, of course, but the thought that Geraldus was doing the same made him positively giddy. Still, he was at a loss for words. He couldn't respond with a picture right now and wouldn't have a chance to do it once he was at the office either… instead, he simply typed out a text response:

‘Thanks, I have some water with me for the commute. Will I see you tonight?’

The cursor flickered in place for a moment while he read and reread the message. They'd seen each other every night this week so far, would it be presumptive to ask? Surely he must be getting tired of him by now. Sighing, Rolan erased the text and put his phone back in his pocket. It was his stop now anyway.

***

Having survived until lunch time, Rolan hurried out of the office to get something to eat. His phone, left on his desk, lit up with another message:

‘Did you want to get some food after work tonight? I can take off a little early so both of us should get home before midnight lol - G’

By the time Rolan was back he just had time to eat while looking through the latest set of calculations Lorroakan had him ‘double checking’ for no apparent reason. Complete busywork, but he supposed that's what happens when the son of the boss replaces him once he retires. If he were only incompetent, that would be manageable. It was the compulsive need to feel above everyone around him that made Lorroakan truly unbearable. It wasn't something he nor any of his coworkers could change though. The only option was to keep your head down and try to avoid his ire, which Rolan was unfortunately very bad at. The fact that he was a head taller than Lorroakan even without the horns probably didn't help, but it ran deeper than that. Still, ruminating on such matters wouldn't help anything and only distracted him from the task at hand. Taking a deep breath, Rolan picked up his pen and began to scan through the figures once more.

***

Rolan glanced at the clock. Well past 9pm, and Lorroakan was just now saying his goodbyes. He was starving, thirsty, stiff… Just like how he'd started the day, come to think of it. Rolling his shoulders, he finally picked up his phone to check through it before he left to go home, when a cold shiver ran through him. Geraldus. He'd meant to at least respond to his morning message but in the chaos he'd ignored him entirely. His heart turned leaden as he imagined him worriedly checking his phone, waiting for a response. And yet, he still didn't have the slightest idea what to say. He simply stared at the ‘sent: 8 hours ago’ timestamp and felt paralyzed to respond. Picking up his jacket, he exited the office and began to walk, hoping that would unfreeze his hands. Head down, he finally found his voice once more. ‘I'm so sorry, I meant to respond much earlier. I want to see you tonight. Usual place?’. Tucking away his phone once more he headed to their usual restaurant, going as fast as he possibly could without breaking into a full sprint.

***

Geraldus sighed, resting his head in one hand as he added another sugar to his coffee. He fidgeted with the spoon, watching the door to the restaurant as people occasionally passed through. It was a little more crowded than when he usually visited at 2am and beyond, but people didn't pay him any mind as they walked by. 10 more minutes. 10 more minutes, and then he'd go home. He was sure Rolan had his reasons, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't hurt. When his phone buzzed he felt a slight pulse of anticipation and snatched it up immediately. Reading the message from Rolan he felt a certain measure of relief but was still unsure. He responded briefly. 

‘I understand if you're busy, I know your boss works you far too hard. I'll be heading home soon anyway. Another time, maybe?’

Not two minutes after he'd sent that message the door to the restaurant slammed open, and there he was. Dripping wet from the rain, breathing heavily, he stood in the doorway. But he was here, and that was what mattered. A concerned hostess bustled over to him, trying delicately but assertively to ascertain whether he was going to be trouble. Rolan explained himself through deep gulps of air, gesturing to Geraldus. After a moment the hostess nodded and led him over to their usual booth.

Sliding in opposite him, words of apology began tumbling out of Rolan's mouth too quickly to properly understand them. Geraldus caught ‘worked late’, ‘Lorroakan’, ‘no time to check’, ‘so sorry’, but it was all a jumble. Reaching forward, he placed a hand on top of his and smiled. ‘It's alright. Really, I knew you'd have a reason. You look soaked through, would you like a coffee?’ He pushed his untouched cup towards him. ‘You’re here, and that's what matters now.’

‘Why would you think that?’ Geraldus raised an eyebrow, passing him a menu. ‘I'd quite like to meet you like this as many evenings as we can. I at least want to make sure you're eating proper meals.’ He blushed slightly but held eye contact. Quite frankly, he'd hidden behind his shyness for long enough. It was time to be honest with how he felt.

Taking a final deep breath before he calmed down, Rolan took the cup from him appreciatively. ‘I just, I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you. Not intentionally, anyway. I, um… I wanted to ask if we'd be meeting tonight when you texted me this morning, but I didn't want to seem too pushy.’

‘That's a relief.’ He laughed, idly flicking through the menu pages. He knew what they'd be getting, the same thing they always got. ‘I feel the same. I… enjoy our time together. Stolen though it may be.’ Rolan leaned over to ping the bell, calling over their server. 

After that, there were drinks, gyoza, a shared pizza, more drinks, parfaits… the night flew by. Before they knew it, it was the early hours and the staff were giving them looks. They exited together, as gracefully as they could, and made their way to the station. They walked hand in hand to Rolan's platform, Geraldus ready to depart when the tiefling squeezed his hand hard. ‘Wait.’ He slurred slightly, golden eyes wide and vulnerable. ‘I, I don't want you to leave. I want to make up for making you wait for me. Come home with me?’ Geraldus paused, unsure. ‘We don't have to, um, *do* anything, but we could cuddle..?’

Geraldus laughed, squeezing his hand back. ‘Alright. I'll come with you.’ He smiled shyly. Taking out his phone he sent a quick safety text to his boss. 

‘Heading home with the guy I told you about. No judgment, alright? I'll be in for my afternoon shift tomorrow.’

***

The train ride home was uneventful, thankfully. A couple of sleeping salarymen and some young women heading home after a night out, but no one paid them any mind. Rolan's apartment was a short walk from the station and the night was clear and warm, meaning they could take their time getting home. 

Arriving at the apartment building, Rolan fumbled with his keys before opening the door and heading inside. He slipped off his shoes and his jacket and motioned for Geraldus to enter. ‘Make yourself comfortable. It's not much, but it's home.’ He mumbled, suddenly feeling a little self conscious. His furniture was simple, almost spartan, and while it didn't bother him usually it seemed inadequate now. His lack of house plants specifically seemed shameful in this light. 

Geraldus flicked the light on in the living room and spun around, taking in his surroundings. If he didn't know it before then it was clear now that Rolan didn't spend an awful lot of time at home. It wasn't messy or dirty, but any hint of personality was missing. It was no wonder he wanted some company with surroundings like this, really. 

When Geraldus turned back to Rolan he saw him almost wilting in the doorway. He crossed over and took his hand, fixing him with a sympathetic smile. ‘I think you need to go to bed. Come on, I'll help.’ Rolan nodded mutely, leading the way to his bedroom. The bed took up the majority of it, a double bed pressed against one wall. 

Rolan sat on the bed, a large yawn escaping his lips. ‘I'm, um, gonna get undressed now…’ He mumbled, starting to take off his suit pants. ‘You don't have to, if you're uncomfortable, but you can too if you want.’

Geraldus sat on the bed next to him and placed a kiss on his forehead. ‘I promise I'll tell you if there's something I don't want to do. Now, come on, I think it's bedtime for both of us.’ He chuckled, shrugging off his sweatshirt and getting under the covers. Rolan could still feel the warmth of his lips on his forehead and paused for a moment enjoying the sensation. 

Once undressed, Rolan slipped into bed next to Geraldus and lay on his side, looking at him. ‘Thank you, for staying with me.’ He whispered, wrapping his arms around him. He buried his head in his neck and breathed in the scent of his skin, immediately feeling a million miles away from anything that troubled him. Geraldus reached down and petted his hair gently, making soft shushing noises. It wasn't long at all before Rolan was dead asleep against him. He was far more vulnerable than he'd ever let on, Geraldus was beginning to realize. Not that it mattered now, Geraldus was here to look after him.

***

The sun was shining through the blinds when Rolan awoke, having slept like the dead from the moment he hit the mattress. He rolled over and found a glass of water on his nightstand, which he nearly knocked over. He took two large sips then lay back down, head pounding. He could take an educated guess that he'd been drinking last night, but not much else. Had he been with Geraldus? He remembered needing to apologize and groaned softly, hoping in vain that whatever it was could be resolved quickly. 

He jumped a little as the door to his bedroom opened, and there he was. Hair tied back neatly, wearing his apron, Geraldus appeared with a breakfast tray for him. Rolan's heart soared, feeling so deliriously happy that he couldn't control what he said next. ‘I love you.’ He croaked out through a dry throat, then clapped a hand over his mouth. The dam truly broke at that moment, tears streaming out of his eyes as he began to sob.

Geraldus, with no time to process what had happened, put the breakfast tray to one side and sat on the bed. He wrapped his arms around the weeping Rolan and rubbed his back, trying to calm him down. Rolan sniffled, pressing his face against his shoulder and blubbering out snatches of sentences. ‘You're here… you stayed the night… you made me eggs… not how I wanted this to go… I'm a mess…’ He sniffled and pulled back once he'd gathered himself. ‘I… I'm sorry. You shouldn't be spending your morning off looking after me, and now I've ruined it.’ He shook his head and wiped away a tear. ‘I wanted to do this properly. I should be able to treat you better than this.’

Geraldus squeezed him tightly and pulled back. ‘Rolan. First of all, I want to say I like you, very very much. And I had a wonderful time with you last night. Please, don't be upset.’ He held his gaze with those deep hazel eyes of his and Rolan began to calm down. ‘Now, please, eat.’ He brought the tray in front of him, adorned with an omelet and a glass of orange juice. 

Rolan tried not to concentrate on how sweet the gesture was before he started crying again but instead began to eat. There was a small heart drawn in ketchup on the plate, no doubt a skill honed from his time at the maid cafe. ‘Thank you.’ he said emphatically, patting the bed next to him. ‘Next time, I promise I'll say it right.’