Chapter Text
It was a quiet evening in the Sugar and Spice Café. College kids were starting to pack up their water bottles and laptops, ready to head home at last. Elaina hummed to herself as she began to wipe down the emptying tables.
“Bye Ells, I'll see you tomorrow.” Tristian waved as he hung up his apron.
“Say hi to Marc for me,” Elaina called after him.
Tristian and his boyfriend had been regulars at the café since it had opened so when Tristian asked Elaina if he could apply, she had practically hired him on the spot. The three-year-old little café was doing swimmingly. The location lent itself to the local college community and the business people on their commute to the many offices that scattered area. Right across the street was Horde Technology and Sugar and Spice was the go-to for close to everyone who worked there.
It was getting close to 6 o’clock which was Elaina’s favorite part of the night. The reason being that at this time, every weekday, her favorite customer would come across the street. She smiled as the bell over the door rang. Right on time. Looking as frazzled as ever was her best friend, who was an intern at Horde Tech.
“Ells please tell me you have some tiny scones left! Oh, and the usual for the feral cat I have for a boss.” Kyle crumpled on the counter top looking up with his wounded puppy expression.
“I’ve got you, the quad shot iced americano and some tiny scones coming right up.” Elaina laughed and rang up the order. “Does the PA want anything? She normally wants a white hot chocolate.”
“Oh yeah-wait you memorized my boss's personal assistant's order?!”
“Kyle you come here every day. And she usually orders the same thing.”
Kyle shook his head, “I don’t know how you work in such a people-y job; I’d lose my mind trying to remember my own name much less someone’s order I've never even met.”
“Give yourself some credit, you work under Catra Michalka, who from what you’ve told me, is rather high strung.” Elaina began to put the tiny scones in a carryout bag. “You also do things for anyone who asks, like the eccentric tech genius who wants to eat all my tiny scones.”
“You’re not wrong,” Kyle laughed as he picked up the americano and reached for the scones. “I feel like the office punch bag. At least Lonnie, Rogelio and Scorpia are there too so it's not always on me.”
“Speaking of Scorpia, here’s her white hot chocolate.”
“Oh! I’m sorry she said she didn’t want anything; I think she was having a rough day.” Kyle look apologetically at Elaina.
“Oh, well then this ones on the house, maybe she just needs a little pick me up.” Elaina snapped the lid on the cup and rummaged in her pocket for a marker. Taking the red sharpie, she drew a little heart and wrote ‘You’re a star!’ on the cup.
“You’re so nice Elaina,” Kyle put the cup on the carryout tray. “I’ll let her know a cute girl made her coffee with looove.” He fluttered his eyelashes and made kissing noises.
Elaina rolled her eyes and squished his face, “First; I’ve never met her. Second; if you’re going to tease me about girls, I get to ask how hot Rogelio is.” She grinned evilly as Kyle proceed to turn red as a tomato.
“Wha..n-no that’s..that’s not f-fair..you cheater!” He stammered and look indignantly at her, “I’m leaving now. Goodbye forever.” He turned and march out.
“Awww I love you too, bye!” Elaina called after him.
*************
“...the contract expires next week so we’ll have to move fast if we want to keep this all from those princess-y bitches at TRUE-Etheria...Scorpia are you listening?”
Scorpia flinched any nodded quickly, “Oh yes! Absolutely! Very on board with this plan. But I um thought that Dryl was already under contract with Horde Tech?”
Catra pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned, “No, we’ve been over this. Dryl was under contract with TRUE-Etheria 10 years ago and that contract is expiring THIS month. We need to have a contract already under way with Dryl before the princesses try to negotiate a new one.”
“Gotcha, solid plan,” Scorpia stood from her chair and stretched. “I’ll go see if Kyle is back.”
“Yes! Where the hell is he? It’s been almost an hour!” Catra turned sharply and march out of the office. Scorpia followed slowly catching sight of the ‘group’ huddled by Kyles desk. Entrapta seemed to have gotten a small mountain of tiny scones. She hung back for a couple minutes till Catra had snatched her drink and stalk to Hordak’s office.
“Hey Scorpia, here’s your drink,” Kyle gestured to the last cup on the tray.
“But I didn’t get anything?” Scorpia wrinkled her brows and walked over.
“No but you seemed like you were down earlier and so Ells said that it was on the house.”
“Wait what? Who’s Ells?” Lonnie squinted at Kyle.
Kyle frowned, “She like, one of my best friends.”
Lonnie gave Kyle an incredulous look, “You have other friends?! Since when?!”
Kyle socked her in the arm.
Scorpia was still confused. “Who’s Ells?”
“Elaina owns the Sugar and Spice Café. She practically memorized everyone's orders by now.” Kyle explained and squawked as Lonnie nailed him in the shoulder.
Scorpia looked at the little heart on the side of the cup. Next to it written in red like a definitive statement, ‘You’re a star!’ stood out boldly on the white paper. Scorpia breathed in the sweet smell of white chocolate. She was rather touched that a stranger even cared enough to write a personal note. Scorpia had never actually been in the café before. It might be worth waking up a little early tomorrow to stop in before work.