Work Text:
Ruby was a bundle of nerves. She had never been to this particularly coffee shop before, so she was unprepared for how cute the barista was.
She felt like a deer in headlights--a squirrel, actually. A teeny tiny little squirrel about to get wiped out by an 18-wheeler.
"Um...are you ok?" The barista's gentle voice was the semi that ran Ruby over.
"Coffee!" she stammered. WHY DID SHE SCREAM COFFEE. THIS WAS BAD. DIA, WHERE ARE YOU. YOUR LITTLE SISTER IS DYING. "Uh...um...one coffee, please." She tried to steel her nerves enough to get her order out, and she thought she'd done a good job given the circumstances. Evidently she was wrong.
The barista looked at her with a bewildered expression. "Ok...just...a coffee? No cream or sugar? What size?"
WHEN DID ORDERING COFFEE BECOME SO COMPLICATED? All Ruby wanted from the get-go was a white chocolate mocha with extra milk and whipped cream. Which she would've liked to enjoy with a cookie--preferably chocolate chip.
But no. The barista had to suddenly assault Ruby with her ridiculously cute face, bright goldenrod eyes and plump, kissable--
Ruby cleared her throat. "Y-yes. One coffee...black...a-and just a small." Small and weak like her heart, which was about to stampede out of her ribcage like an untamed stallion.
Reign it in, Ruby...she told herself. Ordering her coffee black would make her seem cooler, or at the very least, less prone to screaming her beverage orders in a small, unassuming cafe on the corner. Ruby Kurosawa was the epitome of shave. Or was it sauce? Soap? Whatever the word was, she was definitely it.
"Ok, a tall black coffee...got it..."
Ruby nearly walked off without paying and there were multiple points in the transaction where she was certain she was going to just go into cardiac arrest and die. She could only thank God and also Jesus that there was nobody behind her to see all of this. Through creepily gawking at the barista, Ruby did finally manage to get her brain with it enough to process the scribbles on the name badge pinned to her apron. Riko.
"Thanks you." THANKS YOU!? Ruby was going to have to catalogue the various levels she experienced of wanting to die.
The barista giggled as Ruby tripped on her own feet and nearly killed herself on the counter as she went to go sit down.
That was absolutely terrifying. Ruby checked her pulse to make sure she wasn't at any health risk. She slumped in the chair, releasing a conspicuously audible sigh of relief. She thought she did pretty well, considering she had just ordered coffee from the incarnation of Aphrodite herself.
Ruby had seated herself with her back to Riko, but it didn't occur to her at the moment that sitting the opposite direction would make her secret, stolen glances less...noticeable. She had her whole upper body twisted around as she watched Riko pour her coffee into the little cup. Steamy...black...liquid that made Ruby's mouth dry up. If Riko noticed Ruby's blatant ogling she pretended not to, because they did not make eye contact for a moment.
Because there wasn't much else for Riko to do aside from pour the bitter lava, she finished promptly and came out from behind the counter. Ruby whipped around and scrambled for the newspaper that was still resting on the table so she looked busy and not like she was waiting her entire life for this moment.
"Um...you didn't give me your name, but since you're the only one in here it's fine."
Riko sat the coffee in front of Ruby and the smell alone was enough to make her eyes water. Oh shoot. She never told Riko her name. Well, she also didn't ask Riko for hers so now was as good of a time as any.
"I'm Ruby," she says smoothly through much effort.
"Nice to meet you, Ruby. I'm Riko and I hope you enjoy your coffee today. It's a house blend that captures the pleasant bitterness of your average cup of black coffee."
Riko might as well be speaking Greek. Ruby smiles and nods, her head bobbing a little too enthusiastically. When Riko doesn't immediately leave, Ruby realizes she's waiting for her to sample said coffee.
She could do this. She once ate an entire lemon on a dare, so how much worse could this be? Ok. Ok. The super cute barista was waiting for approval. God she was cute. So cute that Ruby was willing to ingest liquid poison.
It burned Ruby's lips before she could even taste it and she held down the sharp whine well enough that Riko wouldn't be able to hear it. Ruby didn't want to die, and especially not because of thirst. Be cool, Ruby. Be cool.
Mentally bracing herself, she took a small sip and keened as the fluid scalded her tongue and throat on its way down. She jolted in her chair as the bitterness registered and she clenched her fists in a meek effort to ride the unpleasant wave of disgust that smashed into her.
She was not cool.
Oh god it was so bad. It took all her little bird heart could muster not to start crying but when it dawned on her that Riko was standing right next to her she wanted to get up and run away as fast as she could.
No.
No, no, no, no, no, no...don't start crying, don't start crying.
...and she was crying.
"A-are you ok?! Oh, oh no was it not good? I'm sorry, here let me get you a napkin!" Riko scrambled for the small table of lids, straws and paper napkins and returned with a fistful. She dabbed the corners of Ruby's eyes for her and whispered encouraging things that Ruby was too mortified at the moment to hear.
Keeping herself from fully bawling as she was more than capable of doing, Ruby settled on quiet sniffling. She pushed the small cup of darkness away from her, feeling betrayed by its contents.
"I'm sorry." Ruby felt like she had to apologize, if anything for insulting the barista's work. "I-I don't like coffee...especially not dark coffee..."
Riko giggled and for a split second Ruby felt a weird surge of calm. "Then why did you order it?"
She could be honest, after all there couldn't be a worse situation for her to be in than right now. "I...was distracted. I'm not good under pressure and I panicked."
"I'm sorry if I made you feel rushed, I didn't mean to."
Here she went. "You're really pretty." Her eyes immediately darted towards the floor.
"I had a feeling that's what was distracting you," Riko said sweetly. "You looked like you got hit by a brick when you walked in."
"I-I'm sorry!"
Ruby jumped when she felt Riko's hand brush against her back, but she instinctively leaned into the touch. "Don't be sorry, it was really cute. Tell you what, you let me know what you'd like to drink and I'll make it for you. It'll be on the house, ok?"
"Ok," Ruby said, nodding morosely. She recited her order, omitting the cookie for now even though she really wanted something sweet and chocolatey to take her mind off this horrific blunder.
Riko returned shortly and presented Ruby with a white chocolate mocha--extra milk, extra whipped cream--which Ruby consumed with gusto. The burst of sweetness had her curling her toes and simpering delightedly. Riko's quiet laughter brought heat to her cheeks again.
"This is a much better look for you," she cooed. "I take it you really like sweets."
"My sister tells me that's why I look like a baby, even though I'm seventeen. She says if I eat like a little kid I'll never grow up."
"I don't think you look like a baby."
"I passed an elementary school once and the teacher at the gate tried to pull me inside."
Ruby was prepared for Riko's laughter this time, but she still suffered a longing ache in her chest. Truth was, she did have a sort of complex about her appearance. It was especially hard having an older sister that was as beautiful as Dia, who had sharper features, a womanly figure and eyes like gemstones. Ruby sometimes felt like a potato.
Riko sat across from Ruby at her table, folding her hands under her chin. The intent gaze she was giving Ruby made her heart drum in her throat. Why was she looking at her like that? Did she have whipped cream on her lip? She was sure she had already licked every possible dollop off her face, but maybe not.
"Appearances aren't everything, but if it's any consolation I think you're pretty too." Riko lit up when Ruby offered her a shy smile. "You have a lovely smile! Does your sister ever tell you that?"
She didn't want to admit that Dia did often lavish her with affection, but not saying something in that regard would paint Dia in a negative light and Ruby didn't want that.
"She does."
"Well I bet she doesn't say it enough."
Ruby sucked at her straw nervously. She was nearing the end of her drink and the dry crackling of her efforts echoed in the cup.
"Do you want another one?"
"N-no thank you," she mewled. In truth she did, but Dia always scolded her for drinking too many sugary drinks. She'd get fat, ruin her teeth, be up all night etc, etc.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?"
Ruby shot up straight in her chair. "No, not at all! I just...I'm not good at small talk. I always say the wrong thing or embarrass myself some other way."
"You're doing fine. But...if you want me to leave I can. I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you into conversation."
"That's not...no. No, I...want you to sit with me." Ruby laughed wryly. "I still can't get over how pretty you are, I'm kind of star struck."
It was Riko's turn to blush, which she buried in her hands. "I can't handle you," she said with a giggle through her fingers. "It's rare that people find me attractive so I'm not used to it. I definitely never get a reaction like yours, so I apologize if I'm being too forward."
"Oh no, am I making you uncomfortable?!"
"Quite the opposite!"
"Oh...oh."
"W-well...I don't get off work for a while but...if you want, afterwards we can get to know each other better. Maybe have a coffee....mocha...your pick."
Holy crap. Was Riko asking her out? All of a sudden she wanted to throw up or cry again, but at least this time for entirely different reasons.
"Sure!" Ruby's response might've been too immediate and somewhat resembling an excited yelp from a dog.
"Great! I should probably get back to work in case another customer comes, but I'm looking forward to it!"
With that, Riko stood up from the table and returned to behind the counter. Ruby was beside herself and glad to be facing away from Riko this time because there was not an ounce of composure in her face. A date. A DATE! With quite possibly the prettiest barista on the face of this earth!
Maybe she was really shave after all!