Chapter Text
It’s the worst order he’s ever had to make.
All five flavor shots, split between five flavors: vanilla, hazelnut, caramel, coconut, and white chocolate. Vanilla and White chocolate steamed with soy milk. The other three with almond milk. Four shots of espresso line the bottom of the drink before half the milk is poured in, in the aforementioned order. Stop halfway with the caramel steamed milk, add another double shot before finishing the milk. Should any extra foam get in that drink, so help you god. Top with whipped cream with a crosshatch drizzle of chocolate in one direction, caramel in the other direction and sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Let it all be added that it needed to be prepared extra hot, unless it was the summer and the drink needs to be extra cold, and ready in five minutes, but it can’t be watered down and don’t you dare let there be excess. He paid for that entire drink, and there’s not a chance in hell that
you
are going to try it.
To make it worse, the guy is there every morning. Without a single days reprieve. As far as anyone knows, he comes on days he’s sick, on holidays, weekends -- no one can vouch for him ever skipping a day.
Link has been there eight months. He’s made this drink now, 243 times. He knows it by heart, and from what he recalls, he’s the only one who this problem customer deems to make it right. Or as close to right as ‘that old barista’ used to make. Thankfully, he’s never experienced the misfortune of having to ring in the drink. But if he knows how to read that cup well enough, he’d be able to figure it out should he ever be required to.
He hopes he never has to.
He’s eternally grateful to know Mipha, the opening shift manager, is typically the one to take the order. Link doesn’t know much about him past his face and name and something about being the founder of some local business. His name’s Barty. Despite his drink order being the most convoluted thing he’s ever had to partake in creating, he doesn’t seem to be the worst guy on the planet. Just the sort of guy who expects everything to be done, exactly as he wants it in the fastest manner possible. He always leaves tips, nothing extravagant (although Link thinks he should), he always raves about how he’d love to buy the place, and how it’s a shame he can’t.
Mipha is a sweet girl, a few years Link’s senior. She’s been with the cafe, Drinks Awakening, for a few years now. And it shows. She knows the cafe better than anyone, including the regulars who sometimes vanish for a few months at a time, and return to go back to their old standby. She’s a small girl, next to Link, around five feet tall with long, dark hair often pulled into a braid and sometimes styled upwards with bobby pins. She and Link had their dates, never really going anywhere, but they were enjoyable. Very much so. Every morning when she comes in, Link has typically been working the overnight shift by the time she arrives, and no matter how early, she greets him with a smile and a few words of encouragement. Nothing quite like her brothers words, but positivity clearly runs in their family.
Mipha always arrives at six in the morning for her shift, and her brother comes in at eight, when Link usually gets to leave for the day. He often has to come back later for the closing shift again. Mipha’s younger brother, Sidon, dwarfs Link. Whatever height may have run in their family, Sidon inherited it all, reaching well past six and a half feet. He shares the same, dark red hair Mipha has and keeps it pulled into a ponytail, which management continuously suggests he cut off. He clearly has no intentions to do so, and lets it sway behind him as he walks. Link enjoys his company, and the rare shift they share together. Sidon usually works on the bar like Link does, so their overlapping shifts are infrequent. Just a little bit of time with him, and Link feels unstoppable. A shift with both Mipha and Sidon is a surefire way to make sure no one feels insecure.
When Sidon comes in, it’s Links cue that he can relax for the day. Barty has already come and gone, and he knows he doesn’t have another nightmare of a drink to make. Sidon clasps a friendly hand on Links shoulder, smiling brightly before he begins to tie on his apron. “Calm morning as usual, yes?” he asks, as Link nods curtly. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you did great today --”
“Excuse me,” The jingle of the bell above the door interrupts the employees. There’s a soft snapping sound following up with the bell and the chiming voice that demands to be listened to. In the doorway of the cafe stood a crisply dressed young man, hair slicked back with shark, piercing green eyes. “My father directed me here to supervise the lot of you, and to determine whether or not you’ll be worth my time.”
Should grimaces make noises, the three staffers would have made such a sound. Link suspected it would’ve been a wet, squishing sound manifesting in unison of three individuals who experienced the same disgust at the same moment.
The employees of Drinks Awakening weren’t unaccustomed to the pompous regulars. They happened more frequently than they’d like, and this new guest was an indication of someone they could either willingly shove away by giving poor service to, from the sounds of it. Or someone they could either have a good laugh over.
“There’s no way he’s Ganon’s son,” Mipha whispered, almost nervously to her brother and Link as the young man approached the register. “He doesn’t have a son, does he?” Despite their huddling, the young man leans against the counter, tapping on the fake marble for a moment.
“No, not Ganon, who I’m aware is the owner -- Bartholomew. He’s my father, and he’s been raving about this little hole in the wall for years. Constantly tells me that someone here makes the best coffees he’s ever had, so I thought --” He shrugs momentarily before sweeping a hand through his already brushed back hair. “Name’s Revali. Since I’m about to follow in his footsteps professionally, why not do the same in regards to his tastes. Pick up whatever it is he drinks every day. So, if you don’t mind.”
There’s a moment amongst the workers where they have to process what it is that he’d just said. Barty? Their regular with the most asinine drink on the planet? He had a son. None of them had ever heard about him before. This was their first time learning about the guy, and here he was, barging in, insisting on a second creation of their most lamented beverage.
“Th-the exact same?” Mipha asked quietly, a little surprised that she had to type in the order for a second time that day. Exchanging looks with Link, his shoulders sag and he opens the cooler to retrieve the soy and almond milk that he had become so familiar with.
The young man flashes Mipha a playful smirk. “You heard me; what’s the damage.”
Sounding a little startled, Mipha punches in the order and looks toward Link who has already pulled out several cups to begin portioning the different syrups. “$9.68, please.” She says, waiting for the guest to retrieve a card or his wallet, or some indication of payment. But instead, his expression falls, his sharp eyes narrowing upon standing upright. He clears his throat, adjusting the navy blue blazer that wrapped cleanly around his torso.
“I’m sorry?” he says, sounding displeased. “Are you trying to tell me my father pays nearly ten bucks everyday for a drink ?”
Link is midsteam when he hears the guests tone of voice, offering a glance to Sidon who has already begun to position himself behind his sister.
“W-well, yes.” Mipha begins to squeak out. “He pays for several different add-ons. His drink is very elaborate.”
His lip twitches, and a sneer becomes evident upon his face as he rather begrudgingly reaches within his jacket to retrieve his wallet. As if to add insult to injury to the staff for the price of his drink, a very noticeable lump of cash peeks from within the leather folds. “You’re lucky I make that much in a minute, or I’d be pissed.” Hastily, and with some fumbling, Mipha swipes his card before handing it back.
He doesn’t tip.
Instead, he stands at the bars end, watching as Link continues the chemistry required to make such a beverage. “What
are
you doing?” he asks hotly, brow quirked as Link pours the second doubleshot into the drink before layering the various flavored milks. Link simply looks up to him, makes eyecontact with Revali and continues. “Hey,” Revali barks. “I asked a question, answer me.”
“Making your drink.” Link replies, his tone even, despite wanting to raise it to silence the guest. He pulls another doubleshot and resumes the drink.
“But why like that ?” Revali gestures at the multiple cups. “There’s no way my father was that particular.”
“Oh, but he was.” Sidon intervenes, knowing his coworkers preference for working in silence. “He was very picky by how we prepared his drink, and often cited that this man making your drink is the best we have.” He offers Revali a bright smile as Link continues his silent construction. He might not say it, but he is grateful for the intervention.
There’s a moment longer of Link’s construction before he tops the drink with whipped cream, and its final fixing before he lifts it to the edge of the bar. He doesn’t wait a second more and instantly pulls his apron off, not even sticking around to hear Revali’s reaction to the drink. It’s past eight in the morning and he’s ready to snag a couple of hours of sleep.
Of course, he can’t ignore the sputtering and the angry declaration of “What
is
this crap?!”
Link’s back hasn’t even turned to face Revali before he has to turn around to examine the face of the annoyed customer at the bar. His mouth is now covered by his hand, wiping his lips aggressively with a napkin. “This has
got
to be wrong. There’s absolutely
no way
my dad would drink this crap.”
Sidon is behind Link, prepared to defend him already, but there’s no need. Link lets him rave for a moment, complaining about the drink.
“Your dad drank it and liked it.” Link says quietly as he grabs a rag to clean off one of the steaming wands. “I don’t know what’s wrong then.”
“You’re just making it wrong because I’m not him, that’s all it is. Obviously.”
Revali turns after that. He turns and Link drops his apron on the counter, heaving out a sigh. He’s not one to use coarse language, but he’s never wanted to tell someone to go fuck themselves so much in his life.
As it were, this would not be the last encounter with Revali. Just the first of many. And as it were, Revali would prove to be not as much of a jackass as previously thought.
As time would progress, Revali would worm his way into the lives of the employees of Drinks Awakening. He would learn how to flatter Mipha, complimenting how easily she wore a smile in the morning. He’d be charmed by Sidon’s overwhelming positivity, agreeing with it entirely as a means of stroking his own ego. He would meet the cafes other employees, the night manager who lived in the apartment next door with her far-too-many dogs for one person. The two of three triplets who often liked to secretly trade shifts with one another without anyones realization. And the regulars who would defend the cafes staff to the death.
But what would draw Revali back time and time again, was that silent, but sharp-tongued barista who had apparently perfected his fathers drink. Revali would find himself spilling juicy stories about himself, his family and everything in his life to the quiet man behind the bar. And it wouldn’t be long until he realized how much the boy behind the bar knew about him.
And how he didn’t know a damn thing in return.