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"You know what would go really well with this, Boss?"
Sojiro just raised an eyebrow at Anne. "Okay, I'll bite." He shook his head. "What is it, Anne-chan?"
Anne giggled, setting down the cup of coffee that Ren had brewed for her. "Okay, so your coffee is a-mazing. Buuut…" She looked at him, straight in the eyes. "Have you ever thought of adding sweets to the menu? You know, like tiramisu? It tastes like coffee, so it'd fit well!" Then her eyes brightened. "Ooh, and strawberry shortcake would be great too!"
Ren just grinned at her from the other side of the counter. "Looking for one place for all of your cravings, huh?" he couldn't help but ask, leaning one hand on the counter.
"Oh, shush!" Anne huffed, sticking her tongue out at Ren for a second. "But seriously… sweets and coffee go together like… peanut butter and jelly! I bet you would get some more customers if you perfected an amazing cake recipe and put it on the menu!" Her pigtails bobbed up and down for a moment as she leaned forward. "Think about it, Boss!" she added, blinking imploringly at him.
"LeBlanc's thing is coffee and curry." Sojiro frowned at her, before he turned to Ren. "Come on, back me up here," he demanded.
Ren just shrugged at him. "Anne's got a point, Sojiro. Some variety would be nice. Variety's the spice of life."
Sojiro side-eyed him for a moment, before throwing up his hands. "Of course you'd take her side," he grumbled out.
Ren tried not to stiffen at his guardian's words. Haha… Guess that he wasn't being subtle about his feelings for Anne. He still remembered how Sojiro had flippantly said: "She's apparently never had a boyfriend." Sojiro had then wiggled his eyebrows, all while wearing a smarmy grin, as to say… Get a move on.
Anne blinked several times at the two of them—this time in confusion—before tilting her head. "Whatcha talking about?"
"Nothiiiiing…" he drawled out, before shooting Ren a knowing look.
…Dammit Sojiro. Was this revenge for all the times Ren had been a little shit to him? Then again, there was their little conversation in Mementos, not too long ago…
"You know…" Anne swallowed the chocolate bar in her mouth. "There's something really sophisticated about coffee. It goes so well with sweets!"
"You really need to cut back your sugar intake," Makoto chided. Even though Ren was focused on the road, he could hear the frown in her voice. "You could always eat fruit if you're craving something sweet."
"Aw, come on, Queen!" Anne huffed. "Besides, we're fighting Shadows today! I'll burn off the calories no problem!"
"But you know…" Ryuji interjected. "Joker always smells like coffee."
"Oh yeah, I've noticed that!" she exclaimed. "Joker always smells so nice."
In the moment Ren whipped his head towards the back to give Ryuji a STFU look, they crashed into a Shadow.
That really hadn't been one of his best moments… Makoto and Morgana had both given him an earful for not paying attention either. But that hadn't been the worst part of the mishap. It had been Ryuji's knowing grin.
Anne's eyebrows furrowed for a moment, but to Ren's relief, she didn't question it.
There was just… no way that Anne would ever look at him in that light. She was waaaay out of his league. Sometimes he wondered how she hadn't minded when he had gawked at her like an idiot at their first meeting. So he kept quiet about his feelings—even though he had wanted to desperately hug her when she had felt so alone after saying goodbye to Shiho—because he didn't want to risk their friendship.
"So…" Sojiro shook his head. "Sorry, Anne-chan, but I have to say no."
"Aw…" But then she took one last sip, letting out a happy sigh as she set down her cup. "Well, if you won't consider sweets… at least you have phenomenal coffee!" She then picked up her bag resting at her feet. "Come on, Ren, let's get cracking on studying!"
Anne bounded upstairs, making him smile. She was just so managed to find energy so easily. It cheered him up just from seeing her smile.
…God, he had it so bad for her.
Anne plopped down in a chair, pulling out her textbooks. "So…" she leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table, "where should we start, Mister Top Ten?"
Ren just laughed, sitting from across of her. "Okay, what's your weakest subject?"
Anne pulled a face. "Math. Definitely math." She groaned, digging the heels of her hands against her face. "Seriously, screw math. I don't even need math!"
Ren chuckled, reaching for his math textbook. Shujin was a pretty advanced school, so they were studying pre-calc. So, he didn't blame Anne entirely for not being thrilled with having to tackle math. "Let's get started then. The sooner we begin, the sooner we'll done, yeah?"
"Chocolate?"
Ren just quirked an eyebrow at her. "I thought you were doing well with your diet."
"I can have cheat days!" she huffed, still holding the chocolate bar out to him. A little pout was on her face. "Besides, sweets give you energy! And we still have to get through two more subjects!"
Ren wasn't as big of a fan of sweets as Anne was, but he wouldn't turn down a good bar of chocolate. So he took it from Anne. He was unwrapping it when Anne pulled out another chocolate bar—because of course she didn't have just one on her.
"Really craving sweets, huh?" Ren asked, before taking a bite.
Anne held up a finger as she chewed. She then swallowed. "I've been really craving sweets lately. God, diets suck." She let out a little moan, pressing a hand against her cheek. "Soooo good.." she cooed, before she frowned. "I don't know why Boss is anti-sweets."
Ren couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Anti-sweets? That's a bit extreme, don't you think?"
"I mean, how else would you explain that?!" Anne exclaimed. "And seriously! Sweets taste soooo good with coffee! The bitterness really enhances the sweetness!"
"Unless you're Ryuji," Ren snickered.
Anne scoffed, rolling her eyes for a moment. "Yeah, well, Ryuji's like a little kid about coffee. And I bet with how well Boss brews coffee and makes curry… he'd do so well with coming up with cake recipes! Ooh, and biscottis would be great too, I think?" She then faltered as Ren started to chuckle at her rambling. She then puffed her cheeks out at him. "Hey! Stop laughing at me!"
"I'm not laughing at you, Anne," Ren quickly reassured. "You're just… enthusiastic."
"Hmph!" Anne turned her nose up at him, before viciously tearing into her chocolate, making him laugh even harder.
Even when she was annoyed at him, she was just too cute.
"Why don't you convince him, then?" Ren asked.
"Huh?" Anne said through the mouthful of chocolate. She quickly swallowed and spoke again. "Huh?" She frowned. "What do you mean, 'convince' him? I did just tried down there!"
"I meant more…" Ren said, "give him an example. Actions speak louder than words. Show him how well sweets and coffee pair together." He leaned forward. "I can help you if you want."
"Really?!" Anne's eyes lit up with excitement. Ren couldn't help but smile. Her enthusiasm was just so contagious. "My Nana Takamaki learned a bunch of great desserts from my Grandpa Takamaki's mom after they got married. She taught me when we lived in America. I'd have to dig out some of the recipes she wrote out for me…" She then let out a happy giggle. "This will be great."
Ren grinned at her. "I'm glad that you like the idea."
"Oh, we should go to my house if we're gonna bake! LeBlanc doesn't exactly have an oven…"
Honestly, he has never visited any of his friends' homes, unless you counted Futaba's. But he figured that Anne probably lived in a pretty nice place, given how she mentioned that her parents can afford a caretaker for her.
"Oh, and we should brew some coffee after we're done! So we can see how well it pairs! What do you think, Ren?"
Though he hated to burst her bubble but…
"That sounds great but…" Ren tapped his textbook with his pencil. "We still have a lot to cover."
Anne hung her head at that. "Aww…"
"So… what exactly are we making?"
"Well…" Anne rocked on her heels for a moment. Then she put her hands on her hips. "I was thinking of a lot of options, actually! I thought of vanilla scones first, because you can dip it in tea or coffee! But I thought that wouldn't really wow Boss, so I thought maybe red velvet cake! It'd be really vibrant too! It'd totally catch customers' eyes. I also thought of chocolate lava cake! Chocolate and coffee go really well together and-!"
"Whoa, whoa!" Ren laughed, holding up his hands. "Calm down, Anne!" He then smirked at her. "I think you've been dreaming of sweets a little too much."
"I'm not cheating!" Anne said indignantly. When Ren looked at her knowingly, she smiled sheepishly. "…Much." She rocked on her heels for a moment. "…Don't tell Makoto. She'd get mad, especially after she drew up that diet plan for me."
"Hey, your secret is safe with me." Ren winked at her. "But chocolate lava cake…" Ren tapped his chin for a moment as he mulled over the options that Anne had given him. "I think that would impress Sojiro," Ren said slowly. "Do you know what ingredients we need?"
"Yep!" Anne nodded enthusiastically, before rummaging through her bag. She pulled out a crumpled piece of paper triumphantly. "Here we go! It's pretty simple actually… chocolate, butter, vanilla… the basic stuff you use for baking. Oh, and my nana always added a little bit of cinnamon to them, so it'd be great if we could find a little jar of that!"
As she continued to ramble, Anne suddenly grabbed his wrist and dragged him down the aisle. Ren could barely stop himself from tripping over his feet. Wouldn't that be embarrassing after with how nimble he was in the Metaverse?
But it was weirdly… domestic, as Anne dragged him through the store, picking out the ingredients. (He could dream, couldn't he?)
Anne even ended up picking up some ingredients for cooking… something Ren didn't know that she could do. He couldn't help but comment on that.
"Oh yeah, my caretaker taught me some things here and there…" she explained. Then she placed a hand on her chest. "I don't mean to brag, but I think the stuff I whip up is pretty good!"
"You are bragging, Anne," Ren quipped.
Anne rolled her eyes at him, before poking him in the chest. "Yeah, like you can talk, mister."
It didn't take long for them to pick out the ingredients and buy them. Ren was just glad that there were just one bag. Anne had taken him shopping before. And of course… he had been stuck as the pack mule.
Anne hummed a little ditty as she unlocked the door to her apartment. She then pushed the door open. "Here we are!" she said with a nervous laugh. "Um, I know it's a bit of a… jump from LeBlanc."
Ren couldn't help but blink as he took in his surroundings.
Pristine is what immediately came to mind as he surveyed the area. The furniture were all white. Most of the walls were painted white as well, with one red wall—for contrast, he supposed. Paintings hung on the wall, but they were all of picturesque landscapes. They were pretty but… kinda typical. He preferred what Yusuke painted.
"Come on, let's head to the kitchen!" Anne tugged him towards the kitchen.
The stove, oven, and even the fridge were all state of the art. Ren was pretty impressed with how he was used to LeBlanc's but…
"It kinda seems… over the top to have all of this, when they aren't even here," Ren remarked. "Doesn't it get… lonely?"
Anne's smile faltered at that. "Well… Shiho would sleep over a lot…" She bit her lip, before forcing a smile. "I-I mean, I have you…" She then froze, her cheeks turning pink for a moment, making Ren's heart leap. Then it quickly sank, because she hastily added, "You… You guys!" She then let out a nervous giggle. "You guys really have changed my life for better, you know!"
…Right. Of course.
Anne coughed, fidgeting for a moment. "Let's get started." She then rummaged around for some aprons but the one Ren was handed had…
"Kiss the Chef?" He raised an eyebrow with her. "Are you sure you want to give it to me?"
"W-Well, it's the only one I've got!" Anne stammered out, suddenly blushing. "Unless you want this one." She plucked at the very pink apron on her.
"Okay, okay," Ren said, holding up his hands. "Show me how it's done, Anne."
"See?" Anne asked him. "Told you it was pretty easy!"
Ren grinned at her, before the whisk down. "Yeah it is." He then gave her a side glance. "So… is the mix done?" he asked.
"Just make sure it's well blended," Anne said.
Ren swiped a finger over the whisk, before sticking his finger in his mouth. He sucked on it for a moment. "Hmm… it seems perfect to me."
"Wha—Ren!" Anne put her hands on her hips. "You shouldn't do that!"
"Why not?" Ren asked teasingly.
"Because… Because!" Anne's voice then dropped to a mumble. "I wanted to lick the whisk…"
"What was that, Anne?" Ren asked innocently.
"Ugh, just help me pour them in the cups," Anne grumbled out. She then stuck her tongue out at him. "You're impossible sometimes…"
Ren swiped some more chocolate, before dabbing Anne's nose with it. "There, some chocolate for you," he teased.
"Ren!" Anne exclaimed, before her eyes narrowed on the still open bag of flour. Then her eyes took a devious light.
Ren's eyes widened at that. "Anne… don't you dare!"
"What are you talking about, Ren?" Anne asked innocently, sidling up to the bag. Her hand dove in, coming out with a fistful of flour.
Ren quickly dodged the handful of flour. "Ha! Nice try, Anne. You'll have to be faster than that to catch me—" He then sputtered as he got a full face of flour. "Hey!"
"What was that, Ren?" Anne smiled victoriously at him, flipping her hair with her clean hand.
Ren narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh you are so on."
The food fight lasted for a good twenty minutes. They eventually called a truce, and got the batter into the custard cups. And now that they were done…
"Ren, hurry up and bring the coffee over!"
"Hey, art takes time!" Ren protested. To his surprise, Anne's parents had a legitimate French press. They really didn't waste any expenses. He began to draw a rose for Anne's coffee. Sojiro scoffed at latte art, calling it extra frills, but Ren liked doing it.
"But the cake awaits us!" Anne whined.
"Patience is a virtue, Anne," he sang out.
Anne stuck her tongue at him. "But we should eat it when it's hot!"
"It's not going to cool down in like, a minute, Anne," Ren said. "I think you'll like your coffee."
Damn, he was good. Ren couldn't help but smile proudly at this. Yusuke wasn't the only artist here, heh heh. He thought it was a feat to draw a pretty heart months ago… but look at him now.
He then picked up the two cups, carrying them over to Anne. Anne's eyes went as wide as saucers. "Wow, you've really outdone yourself, Ren!"
"I try." Ren swept a low bow. "Enjoy, my lady."
Anne looked mournfully down at the coffee. "Aw, man, now I feel bad for rushing you."
Ren winked at her. "All's good, Anne. At least you appreciate my hard work… unlike Sojiro."
Anne giggled before taking a careful sip. "Almost as good as Boss's," she mused with a pleased smile. Then she turned to him. "But anyways, let's dig in!"
They ceremoniously tapped their forks together before they broke their cake. Chocolate oozed out from the cake, as they took their first bite.
"Soooo good!" Anne exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. She pressed a hand to her cheek. "Wow, it's been so long since I've actually made chocolate lava cake!"
Ren snickered at her before he tweaked a golden lock. "You're like a little kid sometimes."
"Am not!" Anne puffed her cheeks out at him.
"Are too," Ren said with a snicker. He then poked her cheek, making her glare for a moment. "You're not really helping your case, though."
"Am not!"
"Are t-" Ren began before Anne leaned in swiftly, kissing him. Her lips were sweet, and he could taste the mix of chocolate and coffee on her tongue.
Anne then suddenly broke off the kiss, another nervous giggle escaping her. "Hehe. Looks like I have the final word this time."
"I… huh?" Ren said dumbly. "Why… Why would you do that?"
She… kissed him. She kissed him!
Anne huffed, flipping her pigtail over her shoulder. "…You really can't think of why a girl would want to kiss a boy?"
"You… You like me?" Ren asked. "Since when?"
"Well…" Anne's cheeks flushed before she twirled a pigtail around her finger. "…A long time," she confessed, smiling bashfully now. "Shiho kinda forced me to address my feelings a while ago. Asked me when we were going to go out already…"
That was… nearly three months ago. Three! He could've asked her out and she would've said yes?!
"Did you plan this?" Ren couldn't help but ask.
"Wellll…" Anne looked at him, her cheeks still rosy. "Not necessarily plan… but I had hoped something would've happened…?" She licked her lips. "…I like you, Ren. A lot."
Ren leaned in, kissing her properly this time. He could still taste the chocolate and coffee on her lips. He cupped her cheek as Anne scooted closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. A breathy sigh escaped her lips as they slowly drew apart. There was a dreamy look in her eyes.
So… he did good, huh?
"Just so you know… it's mutual."
Anne giggled. "Do you want to go on a date sometime? Oooh, there's a bunch of cafés I've always wanted to try out! Are you free tomorrow? We could bring it over to Boss and then go!" She then turned to her cake. "We should finish these before—hey!"
Ren stole a bite of her cake, winking at her. "Well… if you're not interested in kissing me again…" He stuck the fork in his mouth. "I suppose an indirect kiss will do."
"That's—REN!" Anne exclaimed. "Don't steal my cake!"
"It's sweet, but not as sweet as you…" Ren teased, before he began to lick his fork.
"Ugh!" Anne groaned, pressing both hands against her face. "I've unleashed a monster."
"Guess I have the last word, after all, huh?" Ren quipped.
"Rennnn!" Anne moaned out, which only made him burst into laughter.
The chocolate cake may have been sweet, but he found out today that nothing was sweeter than Anne's lips.