Chapter Text
It felt strange walking to the bakery at this hour. Your internal clock struggled to register why you were doing a morning activity so late in the day. The nightlife in the city wasn’t the best, but it definitely wasn’t dead either. Sliding past groups of friends heading to the local bar and dodging the occasional creep was proof of that. Because of your job, Martha usually saw you in overalls and a stained T-shirt. You didn’t have anything fancy, so you settled for the cleanest pair of jeans on hand and a green sweater. To avoid making your crush too obvious, you opted for coming empty-handed but did consider bringing some flowers.
Once the bakery came in view, you stopped a couple of stores down to check yourself in a window. You took a few moments to smooth out your clothes and refresh your hair. Why am I making such a big deal out of this? I see her practically every day, so why would this be any different? She did say it was a date, but it’s not like I was explicitly asked out. A ping from your phone broke you out of your thoughts, and you took it out of your pocket. You didn't even bother to read the notification once you noticed the time: 9:33 PM. With a start, you jogged to the entrance and ran inside, almost tripping over the doormat in the process.
“Oh my gosh, Martha, I am so sorry!” Before you could finish what was going to be a long stream of apologies, your voice caught in your throat once you took in the scene. Martha was sitting in a corner booth with her hair free from its usual braid. The loose waves cascaded down her shoulders and perfectly framed her face. Multiple candles were placed on the table, their light reflecting beautifully off her reddish-brown hair. She was still in her work uniform, but it was noticeably smudged more than usual. Her eyes were wide with shock at your sudden and very loud entrance. Suddenly feeling very silly, you began fidgeting with the sleeve of your sweater and gave a shy smile. Martha returned your smile and patted the spot beside her on the booth. Trying your best to remember how to move your limbs, you stiffly shuffled over to the booth and plopped down on the edge.
“You look really pretty with your hair down like that. Erm, not like you don’t look pretty with it braided.” Wow, real smooth. Martha’s hand gently slid over the small of your back and pulled you closer to her. This was the first time you had sat down with Martha without having a counter or table separating you. She removed the hand on your waist and placed it over your clammy ones. The prior embarrassment that prickled at your skin began to subside, along with your elevated heart rate thanks to her kind gesture.
“I’m so happy that you could make it. I closed shop a bit earlier than usual to prepare for our date.” You glanced at her messy apron. A slight blush dusted the bridge of her nose when she noticed what you were looking at.
“I remade the same cake three times because I wanted it to be perfect. By the time I finished, it was already 9 and too late to change.” Now it was her turn to look embarrassed as she rubbed her fingers on your hand absent-mindedly. Her admission was like fireworks in your mind as a warmth blossomed in your chest. Taking the initiative this time, you took Martha’s hand and held it tightly in yours. She gave you a small smile and squeezed your hand in response. Recovering from her lapse, she straightened and continued to speak.
“For you, madame, I have prepared a Sacher Torte. It’s an Austrian chocolate sponge cake with apricot jam in the middle and on the outside, then topped with a chocolate glaze.” You couldn’t help but find her enthusiasm cute as she delved into the cake’s history and her baking process. Once she had finished, her elbow gently nudged into your side. You picked up the fork and cut a small slice. The utensil slid into the cake with a clean cut, with the jam oozing out from the center. Martha stiffened as you brought the fork to your mouth. Immediately, your taste buds fell in love upon chewing on the bite. The dense dark chocolate was perfectly balanced with the tart yet fruity apricot jam. The glaze provided a nice crunch to break up the slightly dry and compact sponge.
“Martha, this is amazing! I always knew you were a great baker, but this is next level. I think I have an even bigger crush on you now.” The relief on her face from your praise was quickly replaced with surprise. The heat beneath your skin came back with a rush once you realized your slip-up. Your first instinct was to try to recover and pass it off as a joke, but something stopped you. Martha was looking at you with that expression that for so long you couldn’t understand. But in this moment it made sense.
“I-I’ve liked you for a long time, Martha. You’re so kind and understanding and, not to mention, beautiful. Meeting with you every morning has made me so happy, and it’s the highlight of my day.” This is it; no going back now. Martha’s eyes widened as she listened to your confession, her blush slowly coming back to cover her face. She grabbed your hand, then brought it up to her land gently kissed your calloused knuckles.
“I like you too, dear. I’m surprised you didn’t notice when I opened up early just to be alone with you.” She gave a cheeky wink at the end of her sentence. You blush, but her admission swept away any embarrassment you might’ve felt.
“That… that makes a lot of sense now that I think about it.” Laughter fills the empty bakery, and you take the opportunity to lean against her. The smell of chocolate, cinnamon, and fresh bread wraps around you like a blanket. Martha places her hand on your torso and holds you against her. You close your eyes and sync your breathing with hers, feeling at peace in her embrace. The cake sits long forgotten on the table as the minutes tick by. You were about to fall asleep when a soft voice spoke.
”Does this make us girlfriends?” You look up to meet Martha’s gentle gaze.
“I think it does.” You smile in response. A couple of beats pass before you lean up and kiss her cheek as she kisses yours in return. The candle’s flames grew weaker as they began running low on wax. You were both hesitant to separate from the other. But as the full moon crested the sky and shone through the window, it was time. Martha put the rest of the cake slice in a to-go box while you snuffed out the candles. After your respective tasks were done, you faced each other in the dim light of the bakery. Martha wrapped you in a tight hug, then handed you the box.
“See you in the morning?” Her eyes searched yours even though she already knew the answer.
“See you in the morning.” With a final hug, you exited and stepped out into the quiet street. As you started down the sidewalk, the moon illuminated something on the box.
Upon closer look, you noticed a handwritten message and smiled.
Made with love for my beautiful girlfriend - Martha