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Anakin was leaning against the front counter when the bell went off. Immediately he stood up taller, not wanting to appear bored in front of customers. Regardless of how bored or tired he was when he took early morning shifts he still took them with a smile on his face and books carefully hidden under the desk. If he was up early, and alone for the first couple of hours before Padmé came in, then he was going to use that time to study before the morning rush.
He didn’t need to worry though as it was just Padmé. Even though it was early (well by now it was five to seven but her apartment was at least twenty minutes away) Padmé still looked gorgeous. Her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail and she had her favourite weekday skinny jeans on under her coat.
“What happened to the purple one?” Ani asked as she drew nearer and opened the employee latch on the counter to enter the serving area.
“Damp from yesterday,” she said as she hung up her jacket on the coat hangers on the corridor the the storeroom. “Also it has a loose thread and I’m scared the button pops.”
“How dare it!” Anakin exclaimed with only mock indignation.
“That’s how I know you’re not straight, sweetie,” she said as she pulled on her work hat and apron and kissed him on the cheek. Their uniform was simple: charcoal grey aprons and a white top with any dark pair jeans or trousers. It wasn’t too much to deal with - especially when you had to get ready early in the morning. Anakin was never going to get used to being up at 5am, no matter how many times he did it. She came over and stood beside him and looked down at the paper in front of them as she tied her apron.
“What’s the news?” Padmé asked, polite enough not to turn the page off the one Anakin was reading.
“Nothing much really. Traffic, construction, bills. You can have it once I’m done with this page.”
“Sometimes, Ani, I think you only buy the paper so I can have something to read in the mornings.“
“That’s not wholly true, it’s also for me when i’m charging my phone.”
“If you say so,” she leant under the counter and picked up the cloth to wipe at a spot she’d just noticed. “How busy has it been?”
“Fairly quiet. Mainly regulars, a couple of new faces who looked half dead and one lady who came in and ordered an espresso and barely waited for it to cool before she downed it in front of me.”
“That’s a little terrifying.”
“It’s more terrifying to see it happen in front of you. Especially when she’s about my mum’s age and drank an espresso like a damn shot.”
“It’s slightly impressive as well.”
“Mainly terrifying,” Anakin reiterated as he stole the cloth from her hands and threw it back under the counter. Padmé smacked him on the arm before picking it back up, going over to the espresso machine and wiping the counter under it.
“Hey, stop obsessively cleaning spots that are fine.”
“There was a spot.”
“There was a tiny dot of coffee but thank you for cleaning up.”
“It’s too early for your sass.”
“It’s too early to clean obsessively.” Anakin gave her a quick hug, looping his arms around her waist and pressing a kiss to her head. “Just read the paper with me while we wait for the rush. It’s nearly ten past, it’s probably about due.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll chill.”
Anakin grinned and let her go and turned around in time for the bell above the door to ring. His grin almost faltered when he took in the man coming into their tiny coffeehouse.
Simply put: this man was too gorgeous for Ani to deal with considering he’d had only fours hours of sleep. He was of average height, with brown hair curling past his ears and he had a thick layer of stubble in the same golden hued colour. The man was texting with one hand while he opened the door with the other.
The coffeeshop wasn’t too big but by the time he got to the counter both Padmé and Anakin were staring and almost forgetting to look like professional baristas in the process.
The man looked up when he reached the counter and locked eyes with Ani. “Flat white and whatever pastry you’d recommend to go.”
Ani set to work getting the coffee ready while Padmé rang the order through the till. Padmé bagged up a fruit scone: simple and suitable for breakfast, and handed it to the customer along with the coffee. He was back on his phone again, texting with both hands now, fingers flying over the keyboard. He looked up when Padmé gave him his items and smiled at her. It was just a rise of the corner of his mouth but he turned and gave Anakin a quick flash of white before he thanked them both and headed out. As he got to the door he held it open for the first gaggle of students that heralded the start of the morning rush.
“We can gush later. Rush now,” Padmé said firmly but she looked at Anakin with a twinkle in her eyes before she started taking orders.
For the next hour they were rushed off their feet. Padmé took orders and did the prep work and bagged food if necessary while Anakin made all of the teas and coffees. The rush was steady and consistent as they were close to a college and provided a good, quick caffeine fix to bleary-eyed students heading to early classes.
By half eight the rush had slowed to a momentary trickle and Anakin only had six cups in front of him instead of an expected sixteen. He was so busy getting two Americanos for the couple in front of him that he didn’t notice Ahsoka until she bumped his hip. “Hey, loser, how’s it going?”
“One of these days we’ll get you to start at seven instead of nine and you’ll never need to ask us that again.”
“But I’m too beautiful to risk losing beauty sleep.”
“You’re too vain is more like it.” Anakin placed another drink on the counter before resuming the next one.
“Hey!” she laughed, throwing her braids over her shoulder and topping up drinks with milk. “We can’t all be goddesses like Queen Padmé here.”
“That’s true,” Anakin laughed as Padmé blushed and resolutely kept working as though she hadn’t heard them.
With the combination of both Ahsoka and Padmé’s banter and wit the rest of his shift passed fairly quickly. Yet by the time 2pm rolled around both Anakin and Padmé were grateful to get more than just a 15 minute break and were eager to leave. As they did Ahsoka waved goodbye to them so enthusiastically that she almost hit Mace Windu in the face; who had just come in for his shift and was less than impressed.
“Do you want to go get lunch?” Anakin asked as he held Padmé’s coat for her to put on.
“Do you want to get lunch here or somewhere else?”
“Somewhere else. I don’t need those two listening in.” Padmé laughed and linked her arm with Anakin’s, saying one last goodbye before heading out.
“What are we thinking for lunch then?”
“Whatever you want.”
“What a gentleman! Greasy pizza it is then.” Padmé led them down the street to a hole-in-a-wall pizza place she was fond of due to her allegiance to local businesses’, fondness for a quick, greasy slice of pizza and the customer friendship she had with the owner. Galen Erso always smiled and remembered names and faces and always gave the piece with the most toppings on it to Padmé. She always tipped well for it and Anakin found the whole thing rather amusing. Sometimes Galen’s two year old daughter would be in the shop and she’d smile at them and wave her pudgy arms about as she giggled at customers.
Today she wasn’t there and the shop was without her meaningless chatter. They went to the counter and placed their order before sitting in their favourite little corner.
“So,” Padmé said, having finished her first bite before Anakin had taken his, “That guy.”
“Are you going to let me eat first?”
She laughed, loud and sweet and Anakin used the time to eat a huge chunk of his pizza. “I just want to know what you were thinking. I don’t think I’ve seen you that stunned over a customer in a long time.”
Anakin swallowed his bite and retaliated quickly, “You were just as bad!”
“You were definitely worse.” She chewed thoughtfully for a moment, “He was really gorgeous, wasn’t he?”
“Oh hell yes.”
“Man, I’d love to wake up and see that everyday.”
“He probably won’t come in again.”
“I’d love to be optimistic about it but you’re probably right.”
Except this time Anakin was wrong.
Two days later and he was back. He came in at the same time as before and Padmé nudged Anakin when she saw who it was. Anakin turned to see, hoping that it was the same customer and trying not to smile too wide when he saw his hopes had been met.
He managed to get his smile under control by the time the man looked up from his phone.
“Flat white and a fruit scone, please.”
Anakin nodded and started preparing the relatively easy coffee while Padmé rang up the order. It was ready all too soon and the Handsome man was out of the door again.
“One of these days I’m going to get you to talk to that man.”
“You’re not much better. All you do is ask for his money.”
“Yes well I’m not the one he directs his orders too, despite the fact that he’s technically meant to place them with me.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“How about ‘okay?’ Or ‘just a minute’ or any of the other numerous things you say to other customers?”
“Yes, but no other customer is that unfairly attractive.”
“That is exactly why I need you to talk to him.”
“So I can embarrass myself in front of you?”
“I’m a lot fairer than Ahsoka is so at least I’m not telling you to speak to him in front of her. Besides all I’m asking for is you to say anything to him. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“He could hear me.”
She sent him an unimpressed glare. “Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
He showed up again the next day and the next day. He ordered the same coffee but he rotated his food order. First it was a cinnamon swirl and then it was a glazed doughnut. Anakin still didn’t speak to him but he got better at maintaining eye contact so at least he had that going for him.
Then it was the weekend and Anakin didn’t know if the man went into the shop or not. He contemplated going in before he realised that a) that was stalkerish behaviour that could scare off attractive customers and b) that he loved his bed too damn much to get out of it. So he stayed at home, cleaned up a bit and worked through the textbooks he’d ignored slightly. It wasn’t a bad weekend but he found himself eagerly waiting for Monday and the start of his shift, something he thought he never would get used to.
Padmé told him as much when she showed up. Her hair was up in two buns but one was unravelling slightly.
“I’ll fix your hair if you don’t tease me,” Anakin bartered in response to the pleading look she sent him.
“What do I have to tease you about? Your crush on the suit guy?” she replied cheekily, handing a spare pin to Anakin.
“Yeah, yeah, you just be grateful I know how to do this.”
“I am. You saved me from trying to do it without a mirror.”
“There,” he said a minute later. “All fixed.”
“My hero,” she gushed, kissing his cheek.
The bell rang at that moment and the handsome suit guy walked in, looking as immaculate as ever but without his phone. “Flat white and a...” he paused and Anakin paused in his actions too. “What do you recommend?” he asked, looking right at Anakin.
“Uh, well the blueberry muffin is kind of a classic and it’s got a little cinnamon kick in it today so it’s a bit different.”
“A little bit different? Go for it then.”
Anakin nodded and got to work and Padmé beamed at the customer. “Good choice,” she said and Anakin tried to pretend she wasn’t talking about him.
When Anakin managed to say, “I hope you like it,” as he handed the coffee over Padmé beamed at him and winked at him the second the customer turned away. He turned back once he got to the door and nodded to them both, an action they repeated back.
When they could no longer see him Padmé turned to Anakin, squealing, “You did it!”
“He spoke to me!”
“Ahh! This is the greatest day. Regardless of how busy the rush is today you attempting to be cool will keep me happy for hours.”
“I thought you said you wouldn’t tease me.”
“Honey, I live to tease you.”
“I’m so glad I’m providing endless entertainment for you.”
“You and Handsome Suit Guy both.”
“Should we maybe rename him?”
“Why would we? Handsome Suit Guy is an incredibly handsome guy who wears suits. It’s perfect.”
“What if one day he’s not wearing a suit?”
“Well,” Padmé turned fully towards him, an evil smirk adorning her perfect features, “On that day you ask him out.”
“What the-?! Padmé?!”
“No buts. The day Suit Guy is suitless is the day you ask him out.”
From there it became a routine. Padmé and Anakin would tease each other as usual until Handsome Suit Guy came in just before the rush and would order the same boring coffee with whatever pastry Anakin recommended. He seemed to focus more on Anakin, something that brought endless joy to Padmé and much embarrassment to Anakin as a result.
On Tuesday it was a navy suit and another blueberry muffin.
On Wednesday there was a pink tie and a slice of carrot cake.
On Thursday there was a pocket square “the colour of your eyes, Ani” and a danish with jam the colour of Anakin’s blush when he heard Padmé’s whisper.
On Friday there was a brown suit and a change to the coffee order instead of a pastry. Anakin put extra chocolate on top of the cappuccino instead. Suit Guy smiled and winked before walking away and Anakin melted into Padmé’s side.
Over the weekend Anakin took the trip home to see his mother and she told him that he looked happier. Ani just shrugged and told her there was no reason for it but she gave him a knowing look. “You do know that Padmé texts me just as much as you do right?” She smiled at him and took his hand. “Ani, if Handsome Suit Guy gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning then I already like him. Now just ask him out already so we can stop calling him Handsome Suit Guy.”
“She told you that part too?”
“Of course she did. She told me all of it. Now why don’t we discuss my recipe for banana bread?”
“The one that is guaranteed to make people fall in love with it?”
“The very one.”
Anakin grinned and pulled up the notes on his phone, detailing the instructions as his mother told them, hoping that Handsome Suit Guy would like it.
As it turned out Handsome Suit Guy liked it very much. Padmé gave Anakin a knowing look that was an eerily accurate echo of his mother’s when he plated up the bread on Monday.
And Tuesday. And Wednesday.
“Dude, you do realise he just had your banana bread three times in a row! He’s never had the same thing three times, let alone in a row.”
“My banana bread works wonders.”
“I know. You got this damn job because of that damn bread.”
“Mmm. Because my mother is a genius.”
“There’s no denying it. It’s significantly aiding to your little crush. Now are you holding some in case he goes for four in a row?”
Anakin just smiled, deciding not to tell Padmé he had another one made already.
He didn’t need it the next day. Handsome Suit Guy didn’t come in. Or the next day, or the next day, or the next. It wasn’t until the Tuesday after the banana bread streak that he came in.
Anakin was in the back and wouldn’t have minded the bell if it wasn’t for Padmé’s audible gasp followed by her call of “Ani!”
Immediately Anakin threw down his pastry and came back through to the front, wiping his flour-covered hands on his apron. He had to stop his jaw from dropping when he saw the sight in front of him. Handsome Guy was back, hair damp with rain and hands thrust deep into the pockets of his coat. Underneath he had on jeans that were ultimately doing too many good things for him.
“Ani, huh?” he laughed. “I always just called you Cute Flustered Barista.”
Next to Anakin, Padmé gaped too, lost for words for once but not completely stunned as she soon recovered enough to nudge him.
“We’ve, uh, kind of just been calling you Handsome Suit Guy,” Anakin confessed.
“How about we go with Obi-Wan considering I don’t have the suit today?”
“Yeah, uh yeah, that works. So Obi-Wan what can we get you today?”
“I actually came here to give you something,” he said, pulling a cloth bag from his pocket and handing it over the counter. He watched in a nervous anticipation as Anakin drew a pin of white heather from it.
“It’s an apology and an explanation. I’ve been in Scotland this past week on business - ”
“And you got me something?” Anakin interrupted to ask, looking to Obi-Wan. When he nodded Ani let out the breath he’d been holding in a long exhale. “Go on a date with me?”
Obi-Wan’s expression immediately turned as he stepped up to the counter, drew Anakin closer and kissed him on the cheek. “Yes.”
Padmé squealed as they both grinned dopily at each other.
“When do you get off?”
“Two.”
“Nope,” Padmé interrupted. “You’re leaving at twelve. I’m calling Ahsoka.”
“You’re dragging her into this?”
“Yes. Now Obi-Wan will you wait here so you can watch Anakin’s morning performance of the Coffee Rush featuring me or do you need to be someplace else?”
“I’ll stay here.”
“Great. Anakin give your damn date his coffee and the damn banana bread while I call Ahsoka. Do not charge him. We’ll call it insurance for making sure he treats you well.” With all of that said she went down the corridor, phone already in hand.
“Wow. Is she always that scary?”
“She’s my best friend.”
“That’s a yes then.”
“Here,” Anakin handed over the coffee and plate. “Do you need anything else right now?”
“Just this,” he said, leaning over the counter and kissing Anakin quickly. When he straightened up he was grinning again and Anakin had never loved his job more.