whoop coffee shop au.

[abeyant]

[If someone were to ask Jean how he usually enjoyed spending his Tuesday nights, he would most definitely not reply with "studying my ass off for the criminal law exam tomorrow" now or ever. Unfortunately for him, that's exactly what had happened. He'd pulled an all-nighter in preparation for what he could only predict would be a giant failing grade smacked dead center on the front of his exam. He was a positive beam of sunshine and hope in that way.

With zero sleep and a bleak day to look forward to, the morning had seen Jean throwing open the cupboards of his small kitchen with the belief that coffee would surely keep him from dropping dead in the middle of class. Unfortunately for him again, there was no coffee. No sleep, no coffee, no hope.

It wasn't dramatic, it was the truth.

Desperation is what brings him here, inside of a coffee shop he'd never stepped inside before, staring at a menu he couldn't make sense out of. All he'd wanted was a cup of coffee and maybe it was his exhausted mind, but the options listed before him were excessive and needlessly complicated. With his expression dazed and weary, his hair a disheveled mess, and his wrinkled clothes obviously picked out from the floor of his bedroom, he waits in line to make his order.]

Comments

[smart]

[ a quick mind and having experience under his belt makes it so that, even with how overly complex some of the drinks on the menu might be, armin is able to burn through the line in front of his register pretty quickly. a chunk of the customers being regulars (or at least semi-familiar faces) doesn't hurt matters, either-- it's easy to ring someone up and prepare their order when they come in at the same time every day and ask for the same thing.

but, on the other hand, it could be a pretty monotonous job. aside from cleaning up the occasional mess or holding brief conversations with the more chatty customers, it was more or less a constant stream of taking orders, making drinks, and working the register.

in spite of that, he sees off a regular with a small wave, and then looks to the next person in line. it doesn't take long for him to realize that it's someone he's never seen before. ]

Good morning, sir. [ he keeps his tone light and pleasant; he had long since learned that people who came in looking like they just rolled out of bed could be touchy, and he's not too fond of garnering negative attention. ] What can I get you?

[abeyant]

[Huh. As soon as he gets to the register, his addled mind processes two thoughts: 1) coffee and 2) cute barista. And Jean, being Jean, never really learned the art of brain to mouth filter (it also didn't help that he was barely aware of what was going on around him).]

You have nice eyes, [he says in the same tone he'd use to describe today's weather or... the... color of the grass outside--yeah. Okay. He stands there awkwardly, gaze trained on the other guy before he realizes what's happening and what he just said and oh shit. He promptly flushes a bright red and stammers out his order.]

Coffee! I mean, wait. N-no, that's right. [Kill him now.] One large coffee. As strong as you can get it.

[Oh God, he couldn't even make eye contact anymore.]

[smart]

[ that's definitely not what he had been expecting to hear, and it's written all over his face. armin's eyes go wide, and for a moment he has to drop his gaze down to the counter in front of him. even if he's not the one who just made a fool of himself, there's something awkward about having a stranger shoot him a compliment out of nowhere like that.

needless to say, he's probably never been so relieved to hear someone's order in his entire life. ]

Oh, um... right.

[ and then he turns away to work the coffee machine.

the time it takes for him to fill the paper cup up with coffee-- the strongest they have, just like he was asked-- gives him a chance to relax. his cheeks feel a little warm, maybe, but when he turns back to the counter and sets the cup down, he doesn't feel quite as awkward as he had before. in fact, he can even bring himself to look up and get a better view of the person in front of him. ]

Rough morning? [ it can't be easy to run around spewing compliments at people when you look like you just woke up, he figures. ]

[abeyant]

[It takes all the strength he can muster in him not to turn and run out of the door while his order's being put together. He still needed his boost of caffeine, after all, and he'd probably never make it to the door, anyway. Not when he was running on fumes.

Jean mumbles a quiet "thanks" as he takes the cup and just when he thinks that's the end of it, he can pay and put himself out of this misery, there's more.

The question allows him to focus on something other than his embarrassment and he's grateful for it. There's a slight pause as he moves his head to make sure he's not holding anyone up before he glances quickly back at the barista, then down at the warm cup of coffee he's nursing between his hands like it's the most fascinating thing placed on this world or the next.

A small, weak laugh accompanies his answer as he asks,]

What gave it away? Besides, you know, everything.

[smart]

[ armin follows his gaze, so he can survey the state of the shop for himself. there are a few people meandering around and a few seated at tables, but the coast is clear otherwise. of course, that would probably change soon enough. ]

I think "everything" covers it pretty well, actually. [ even if his tone is a little more serious than it probably should be, he manages a small smile. he doesn't push it further than that, though; he's never been one to joke around too much (not to mention that his comment probably fell a little flat), and the thought that he's here to work and not socialize is in the back of his mind.

there's a brief pause, and then he turns his attention to the register to focus on processing the order. ]

Anyway, your total is $2.02, if all you want is coffee. Can I get you anything else?

AGAIN I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LATE

[abeyant]

[Don't mind this small wince because he hecked up, he hecked up so bad.

But right, money, paying. That's a thing he actually can do without completely screwing it up.] No, this is fine, [he replies, before digging the wallet from his back pocket and pulling out a five, the single bill he'd brought with him to this coffee obtaining business.

And then stops just when he's about to hand it over.

--On account of it not being a five. It's a one and how could this have happened, he was pretty sure he'd seen Abe Lincoln chilling in the folds of his wallet but this was Washington staring back at him with judging eyes. The same stare he was probably receiving from the barista right about now as he glances back up with dead eyes.

Because that's what he is. He is dead inside.]

Tell me this is just an embarrassing dream.

IT'S OKAY!! i'm late too, cries

[smart]

[ oh. well. it's not every day this happens-- he sees people who are short on change pretty often, but nothing quite like this.

still, the question gets a quiet laugh out of him, even as he shakes his head. ]

Sorry, it's definitely not a dream. [ though he almost wishes he could say it was, because this guy really can't catch a break, can he? it's not hard to sympathize at this point, though, so after taking another quick glance around the shop, an idea strikes him. ]

I normally wouldn't do something like this, but... this is on me, alright? [ he gestures to the coffee and, after a moment, he realizes leaving it at that might be a little weird. ] You can come back sometime later and pay me back then, if you want.

[ because even if he didn't feel bad, the coffee would go to waste if he took it back, and it's not as though it's exactly expensive, either. ]