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1.
The first time she walks in, Vi notices her instantly. Tall and slim with dark blue hair.
“Oh, she’s hot.”
“She looks straighter than a ruler,” Ekko says with a snort.
Vi shrugs in response. “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”
The woman’s eyes scan the menu before they settle on her and Vi notices that her eyes are a deep, piercing blue. She could get lost in them, she thinks.
“What can I get you?” Vi asks with a charming smile and a friendly tone she’s learned to master over the past few months.
“A medium green tea please.”
“Not ordering coffee at a café?” Vi teases.
The woman shrugs, looking a little bashful. “I prefer tea.”
Vi chuckles. “Your name?”
“Uh, Matilda.”
“Okay, anything else?”
“Oh, also half a dozen assorted cupcakes please.”
“Sure thing, cupcake.”
Matilda’s cheeks turn slightly red. “Do you say that to everyone who orders cupcakes?”
“Nah, just you,” Vi says with a wink, and then goes to make her drink.
“Oh,” Matilda rasps.
Vi can’t help but grin when she notices Matilda trying to sneak glances at her without her noticing.
“Come again soon, cupcake,” she says, handing her the drink and her cupcakes.
“Maybe I will,” Matilda replies with a small smile before she takes her order and leaves.
Ekko rolls his eyes. “Stop flirting with the customers,” he chides.
“When you stop flirting with my sister,” Vi retorts.
2.
The second time Vi sees her is two days later and she orders the same thing.
“You’re going to get diabetes, you know.”
The woman laughs. “Maybe, but it’ll be worth it. Not going to ask for my name?”
“I always remember the name of a beautiful girl,” Vi says with a smug smile.
“I bet you say that to everyone,” she mutters to herself.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
Instead of Matilda, she hears another worker shout, “Medium green tea and half a dozen cupcakes for… cupcake!”
All the other customers look in amusement and Caitlyn looks like she wants nothing else but to climb into a hole and bury herself in it. She shoots a glare at Vi who smirks in return.
“My name is actually Caitlyn,” she tells Vi sternly.
(Vi still calls her cupcake anyways.)
“Good, 'cause Matilda is a stupid name. No offense.”
Caitlyn sighs, though the corner of her mouth twitches in amusement. “Matilda is my middle name.”
“...Oh.”
“Nice one,” Ekko says with a snort as Caitlyn leaves.
“Shut up,” Vi grumbles.
3.
The third time Vi sees her, she’s with a man who Vi admits is easy on the eyes. He’s broad, tall, and looks like a pretty boy.
“Told you she’s straighter than a ruler,” says Ekko.
And Vi wants nothing more than to pummel Ekko at that moment.
When Caitlyn comes up to order, she asks her if the new worker with messy, chestnut hair is single.
That catches Vi off guard.
“I’m not asking for myself,” Caitlyn mumbles, and her eyes flicker to the guy she came in with.
Ah.
Then Vi grins because that means she still has a chance. “Oh, Viktor’s definitely single and into that,” she says and gives a curt nod to the man sitting down. He gives her a relieved smile in response. Then when Caitlyn leaves, she turns to Ekko and gives him a smug look.
4.
The fourth time Vi sees her, she gives Caitlyn an extra cupcake and writes a message inside the box: ‘An extra cupcake for my cupcake’ . She adds a heart for good measure.
Ekko makes a gagging noise. “Ooh, you’re down bad.”
“Says the one who built a heart-shaped music box from scratch for my sister last week.”
Caitlyn goes to sit down and opens the box. Vi beams when she notices the flush that appears on her cheeks.
Then Caitlyn turns around to meet her eyes and gives her a smile so sweet that Vi puts a tad too much syrup in her customer’s caramel latte.
Worth it, she thinks, when she has to remake the drink.
5.
The fifth time Vi sees her, she asks her a question she’s been wondering about for a while.
“Why do you come here for cupcakes instead of a bakery?”
“Jayce told me they were pretty good here.”
“Sure, but they’re nothing you can’t get elsewhere.”
“He also told me there was a cute barista that was my type,” Caitlyn mumbles, barely audible, before quickly picking up her order and leaving.
“Holy shit,” Ekko says beside her.
Vi freezes in place, her mouth gaping open. She vows to ask Caitlyn on a date the next time she sees her.
5+1
Vi always tries to make sure there are enough cupcakes for her in case she comes.
But it’s been weeks and she hasn’t come back and Vi thinks that maybe she scared her off. Or she misread the situation. Or maybe she got into an accident. She hopes she didn’t.
She sighs more than usual and Ekko is starting to get sick of her brooding all the time. It doesn’t help that all Viktor can talk about is Jayce, who is Caitlyn’s best friend.
She’s about to close for the day when she sees familiar shades of blue out of the corner of her eye.
And there she is.
“Vi,” Caitlyn says softly, and that’s when Vi realizes she’s been staring for quite some time.
“Cupcake,” Vi manages. “Where have you been?”
“Um… just busy with things. Sorry, I know it’s closing time.”
“No, it's fine. I can make you a green tea if you’d like?”
“I’d like that,” she says with a smile. A smile that Vi’s missed too much.
“Feel free to sit down, I just need to clean up some things and I’ll be right with you.”
Vi returns after some time with a green tea and a small box of cupcakes and sits down across from Caitlyn.
Caitlyn looks surprised. “Cupcakes? You didn’t have to.”
“Don’t worry about it, they’re leftovers.” (That was a lie. Vi had just made them because there weren't any left but she didn't expect Caitlyn to come so late. And Caitlyn didn’t need to know that.)
“Okay.” Caitlyn takes a sip of her green tea but doesn’t touch the box to Vi’s dismay.
It's silent for a moment and then Caitlyn speaks first. “You see, my parents want me to marry Jayce, but we’re not interested in each other. Plus, the only person I can think of is a certain pink-haired barista.” A smile tugs at her lips. “But the only time I can talk to her is when I order something and… I want to change that.”
Vi smiles so hard that she’s glad Ekko isn't here to see. “Is this your way of asking me out on a date, cupcake?”
“Yes,” Caitlyn says, cheeks tinted with a rosy pink color. “That’s actually why I didn’t come for a while. I was working up the courage,” she admits.
Vi’s mouth opens and closes in disbelief as she thinks about what to say and all she musters is, “Shit.”
Caitlyn bites her lip. “Is that a no?”
“No!” Her outburst surprises them both. “It’s just-” She sighs. “The cupcake box, open it.”
Caitlyn raises a brow but she opens the box anyways and pauses. Written inside was ‘Let me take you on a date, cupcake’ along with Vi’s number.
“You beat me to it,” Vi grumbles.
Then Caitlyn laughs, one that starts in her belly and fills the entire room, and Vi thinks it’s the best thing she’s ever heard.
“Can you blame me?” Caitlyn murmurs and plants a soft kiss on her cheek. When she pulls away a second later, Vi closes the gap and kisses her back silly.
The next day, Vi walks into work and sees Ekko and Viktor high-fiving each other.
5+1.5
“What’s your favorite cupcake flavor anyway? Vanilla?” Vi teases.
Caitlyn rolls her eyes. “Red velvet, actually. How about yours?”
In response, Vi leans forward to kiss her. She licks her lips afterwards and there’s a smirk on her face.
“Definitely you.”