Chapter Text
it was cold out, but inside the hearth was burning
She was the eccentric academic type who frequented the dingy S*bucks to study or work somewhere relatively quiet. From what he had learned, from their tiny exchanges at the counter, she was studying for her Masters in Neurology at one of the local universities (typical academic nerdy type). Neurology had been her second degree, her first love being Behavioral Sciences. She was chatty, and energetic (of course she would be; her usual was a tall brewed coffee drowned in sugar and milk), and a bit flighty, but she was one of the nicer regulars. At least she always had something amusing to say.
From what she had gathered, he was a perennial grouch, always teetering between frowning with a crease between his brows, or looking bored to death. He never snapped at customers though, he just sighed and went back to cleaning cups too vigorously or punching the keys on the register with just a tad bit too much force.
She had initially thought that he would bite her head off the first time she talked to him (something about the how the sunlight streaming into the shop could have an influence on a person's brain activity thus affecting their work energy, a bit of a newer study but she thought it interesting to mention). Instead he just sighed lightly and made a noncommittal noise and some snippy comment about how he wanted to spend the rest of his shift under the counter if that was the case. This earned him a fit of laughter from her, and she could see as she left the counter that the corners of his mouth weren't that pulled down anymore.
After that, they'd have short conversations and snappy back-and-forth's at the counter before she settled down to work and he cued up the next order. From time to time he would stop by her table to chat some when he did his regular rounds sweeping the shop. Sometimes she would jostle awake to a light tapping on her shoulder and he would ask her if she was alright and that they still had a few hours till closing. She would tip generously because she knew how nasty some of the people could be towards baristas. He'd give her some extra foam, or a bit more cinnamon, or buy her a cookie if she looked particularly exhausted. It was a small, special thing they had, although they never really paid much attention to it.
"Hey, you ordered two of these, right?"
"Yep."
"Lots of work today?"
"Nah, not really."
"Expecting company then?"
"Yeah. You're having your break in a bit, right?"
"What?"
"Have a coffee with me."
He stared. She still couldn't really read him that well.
"You look like you could use one, and I could use the company."
She smiled. He gently laid down the second cup on her table.
There was small silence between them. Then he called over to his co-worker, stowed his tray back at the counter, and pulled up a seat.
She was starting to say something about something she read about how light deprivation could alter sleeping patterns and metabolism in different organisms. He tried to hide his almost smile behind the cup of coffee.