Work Text:
Narrator's POV:
It was a slow day at "Apotheosis". The strong aroma of freshly-brewed coffee and fresh-baked goods wafted through the air as a catchy, ear worm of a tune played from the café's radio. Dot was brewing up a decaf coffee for a customer, until, she spots somebody who looks familiar strolling into the cafe. It was Audrey, Dot quickly hands the customer their drink before turning her attention to Audrey.
"So, can I get you the "usual" ?" Dot asked before Audrey flashed her a warm smile, Dot could feel her cheeks warming up as she looked into Audrey's iridescent, light green eyes. "Yep!" Audrey responded in her usual chirpy tone as Dot whipped her up a chocolate frappuccino before topping it with extra whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles. Dot then wrote "Aud" on the plastic cup with a sharpie and scribbled a little heart beside her name, "Here, Aud!" Dot said as she handed Audrey her ice-blended beverage. "Thanks, Dot." Audrey beamed as she swooped her messy fringe aside.
Dot looked at Audrey with warmth and affection swirling in her dark brown eyes — sometimes she'd wished that she could caress Audrey's ruffled, fluffy light brown hair. Cause god, if Audrey was the sun, Dot would be the sunflower — and man, did Audrey's smile sparkle as bright as the sun.
As Audrey drank her chocolate frappuccino, she couldn't help but appreciate the way Dot looks when she doing... Well, anything. She adores the way Dot's ebony curls shimmer when the sunlight hits them — making her look almost, angelic. As Audrey stared into Dot's dark brown eyes, she swears that Dot's magnificent eyes could cast a spell that bewitches anyone who looks into them.
Suddenly, they were both snapped back to reality by the ringing of a bell followed by the creaking of the café door being opened by a slightly taller teen boy with a jet-black undercut and a bright orange paper crown, Melvin. Dot couldn't help but frown as Melvin gave Audrey a kiss on the cheek.
Melvin was a reminder that he has something — well, someone that she doesn't have, Audrey.
Melvin and Audrey's relationship was like a giggle, a taunt to Dot.
"Hey babe." Melvin greeted Audrey, Dot could feel her blood boil as she scowled at Melvin — but even in Dot's jealous rage, she felt as though something was off about the way Audrey and Melvin have been acting around each other. "Hey Mel." Audrey greeted Melvin.
For the past few weeks, Dot could sense some sort of dreaded feeling and tension between them — like a bomb on the brink of detonating.
"Yo Dot, can I get a Cappuccino?" Melvin asked, snapping Dot back to reality. "Sure." Dot replied whilst trying her best to not sound angry, as she was preparing Melvin's cappuccino — she could hear Melvin and Audrey bickering with each other... Again. "This is the problem with you! You don't listen, Melvin!" Audrey ranted, "You don't either!" Melvin spat back.
But unfortunately, Audrey just kept on saying "It will get better soon!" Or "So? People in relationships always argue! Right?".
After Dot was done preparing Melvin's cappuccino, she stretched her arm out to pass him the piping-hot drink. "Flash news Melvin: You're a selfish bastard!" Audrey raged as she slammed her fist on the wooden counter, catching Melvin and Dot off-guard. "What the hell is your problem you bitch?!" Melvin snapped back.
Dot darted her eyes at Melvin and Audrey as they continued their bickering. "Melvin? Your cappuccino's ready." Dot said but to no avail. The "couple" were too busy throwing under-the-belt insults at each other to even notice Dot was standing there. "Melvin?" Dot called out while slightly raising her voice, no response from him.
Dot isn't the type to lose her cool, however — these two sciolists were testing her patience.
Dot then took in a deep breath before slamming her fist hard onto the wooden counter, Audrey and Melvin then stopped arguing and looked at Dot in shock. What followed was the deafening sound of awkward silence, "Here's your coffee, Melvin." Dot told in a feigned tone as she handed his coffee to him. "Thanks..." He said before quickly walking out of the café.
Once Melvin left, Dot shot Audrey a look. Dot raised her eyebrow, "So?..." Dot started as Audrey sheepishly rubbed the back of neck. Almost everybody knows how this exhausting cycle goes, Audrey and Melvin have an argument, they probably insult each other instead of talking it out and then they make-up with each other — then repeat this constant, toxic and frustrating cycle again.
"Don't look at me like that, Dot." Audrey grumbled as she looks away with her arms crossed. "Audrey, listen — I don't know how many times me or Lotta are going to have this conversation with you... I know it's your relationship, but, you and even Melvin don't seem happy." Dot sighed. "Look, Dot!-" Audrey raised her voice before cutting herself off, "Sorry, for doing that." Audrey apologised as she had an apologetic look on her face, Dot shot her a soft, assuring smile before stepping closer to her.
"It's just that... Me and Mel have been fighting with each other more than we usually do..." Audrey confessed as she too step closer to the counter, "Look, everything gonna be okay! I know it is..." Audrey said defensively as Dot quirked her eyebrow. "You and Melvin have been saying that for a pretty long time — What if, it's time for you two to actually talk it out?" Dot said, "Well, maybe we don't have to talk about it? Maybe it's better if we just leave it be." Audrey said as she slid her hand across the wooden counter before Dot quickly accepted it.
"It's nice to see that we're still doing this, remember when we'd walked to school and hold hands with each other?" Audrey diverted as she let out a small chuckle. Dot nodded as Audrey and her admired each other in blissful silence. Perhaps, everything was going to be fine?
A week later, Dot was wiping down the tables as the café was about to close up for the day, someone then barges into the café as the bell rang pitifully. "I'm sorry but we're close for today-" Dot insisted before she saw who walked in, Audrey.
Audrey had eye bags under her eyes and dried and peeled lips with a bit of dried blood stained on them. She looked like she had all the life drained out of her, "Audrey, are you okay? What happened?" Dot asked as she pulled out a chair for Audrey to sit in. "Did Melvin and Audrey go on a "break" again? No wait, it can't be..." Dot thought as she looked into Audrey's eyes — her blood-shot, tired eyes.
Dot knelt down to Audrey's level and held her shaky hand, "Melvin broke up with me..." Audrey confessed. Dot was slightly taken aback, but at the same time, she kinda saw it coming. "It w-was a m-mutual thing... So it's o-okay-" Audrey lamented trying to keep herself together, tears welled up in her eyes as she trembled.
Before she knew it, she was sobbing her eyes out as Dot pulled her into a tight, warm hug. Dot felt her heart shattered as her once energetic, childish "friend" was now sobbing in her arms. "Do you want me to sleepover at your place tonight? We can watch a few things, alright Aud?" Dot whispered in her ear. Audrey then pulled away from the hug and look into Dot's eyes, "S-Sure." She whimpered as Dot stood up. Dot then wiped Audrey's tears away before she cupped Audrey's cheeks.
"I know everything is not exactly good... But it's going to be over soon, Aud." Dot assured Audrey, "Well, once I'm done cleaning..." Dot says before she bit her lip. "Can I help?" Audrey asked as she stood up from her seat while she wiped some of her tears away, Dot look at Audrey and gave her a soft smile. "Sure." Dot responded.
Once Audrey and Dot were done cleaning up the place, Audrey was waiting beside a lamppost whilst Dot was checking to make sure that she had locked the Café door. "Alright... And we're done!" Dot said as she walked up to Audrey, "Finally." Audrey moaned in an exaggerated manner. "C'mon let's go." Audrey says as she stretched out her arm to Dot. "You wouldn't mind holding my hand, Dottie?" Audrey asked as her face turned red. "No, not at all." Dot affirmed as she held on to Audrey's hand.
As they were walking to Audrey's apartment, Dot observed the vast night sky. Bright, twinkling stars decorated the dark sky as the pale crescent moon shined like a silvery claw. Audrey then looked at Dot, the moon light bounced on her black curls making her look like an angel sent from the heavens.
Audrey doesn't know why does Dot looks so breathtakingly stunning right now — not that she thinks she looks ugly it's just that, now... She looks just like a dream. Dot then felt like someone's looking at her, she turned her head to the left only to see... Audrey looking at her. Audrey then quickly looked the other way as she could feel her heart pounding out of her chest and her cheeks turning red. Dot felt her heart pound as she cracked a small, gentle smile.
And then she thought, "Wow... Audrey's such a good "friend"."
When they finally reached Audrey's apartment door, Audrey unlocked her door and welcomed Dot inside before walking in and locking the door behind her. "Welcome to my humble abode!" Audrey said sarcastically as she flipped on the light switch. Dot was slightly terrified at the sight of a pile of laundry the was shoved into the corner. "Oh yeah! That." Audrey noted, Dot then shot Audrey a worried look before accidentally stepping a crusty off-white sock. "Audrey... When was the last time you did your laundry?" Dot questioned as worry laced her tone.
Audrey knew the answer to that, the last time she did her laundry was a week — but she was to embarrass to admit it to Dot. "Uh, Two days ago-" Audrey lied, Dot could smell something veil which was coming from the pile of dirty laundry — it smelt like a rotting, dead body.
"Well do you have a laundry basket?" Dot asked as she look around for one. "Yea, why?" Audrey questioned, "To do laundry?" Dot answered back. "But the laundry room is closed at 10pm?" Audrey says as she checks her phone, "10:00pm." It read. "Well then we will do it tomorrow!" Dot declared as Audrey passed her a big, white laundry basket.
"Wait, we? What do you mean "we"? " Audrey queried, "Maybe we should wash laundry together, tomorrow?" Dot suggested. Audrey felt her heart melt as the word "together" rang in her ears. "S-Sure!" Audrey responded sounding a little too excited, Dot then stuffed the dirty laundry in the laundry basket and put it aside.
Dot and Audrey snuggled under the warm, furry blanket and fed each other "Neapolitan" ice cream. "Heartstopper" played on the television as Dot fed Audrey ice cream, some of it getting on Audrey cheeks. Audrey adored how adorable Dot looks in her sweater — well she pulled it off better than Audrey. But then Audrey remembers something, she remembered who bought that sweater for her... Melvin.
"Hey Aud?" Dot called out to Audrey, snapping her back to reality. "Um, yeah?" Audrey responded. "What's wrong?" Dot asked as she put the tub of ice cream on the coffee table in front of her. Audrey despises how nice Dot can be, she bloody hates and loves it at the same time.
"Wait, hold on — you got some ice cream on your cheek." Dot says. As Dot attempted to wipe away the ice cream from Audrey's cheek, Audrey looked into Dot's eyes — her enchanting dark brown eyes. Dot adores Audrey's tomboyish charm, her messy, untamed hair charmed Dot. She never told Audrey this but, she thinks "You're so handsome-" Dot blurted out. She then realised what she just said as her cheeks started to get warm, Audrey froze as her heart started to race.
"I'm sorry for taking it too far!-" Dot apologised as her words came out in a garbled manner, she then covered her face as her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Audrey then felt her heart fluttered, she then took Dot's hands off her face. "It's okay, Dottie." Audrey assured Dot as she caressed her cheeks. She smiled at Dot, revealing her two missing front teeth. "Can I tell y'a something?" Audrey asked before she took in a deep breath, Dot nodded as she started to calmed down.
"I kinda had a small crush on you since we were kids..." Audrey confessed, those words dripped from Audrey's lips like sweet honey to Dot's ears. Dot was left in awe as she felt her face heat up as hot as the sodding sun . "Well, I guess that makes us equal." Dot said as she smiled at Audrey, "So... You like me?" Audrey asked. "Yea, no shit" Dot thought before feeling the need to face-palm herself. "I don't like you — I love you, Aud." Dot admitted. Audrey giggles at Dot's cheesy-ass confession before noticing Dot slightly cringing from her own cheesy sentence. "It's okay, I've heard worse." Audrey said before grinning at Dot, they tenderly pressed their forehead against each other.
"So, we're going to do my laundry tomorrow? Is that considered a date?" Audrey asked as she smirked, "It is... If you want it to be, sweetheart." Dot responded as she smiled back at her best friend — wait no, her girlfriend.
Updated ending:
Dot loving gazed into Audrey's eyes before focusing on her dry, inviting lips. Dot looked back into Audrey's light green eyes, "You know? You can if you want to..." Audrey trailed as she bit her bottom lip. "Yes, please." Dot responded as she cupped both of Audrey's cheeks and pulled her into a deep kiss. Audrey's lips felt so dry and sweet, Dot ran her fingers through her messy brown hair as Audrey savoured the taste of Dot's lips. Dot didn't mind that Audrey's lips were dry, what mattered to her was this very moment.
Dot tasted like mint and freshly-brewed coffee, whilst Audrey tasted like freshly-baked cookies and energy drinks. They both felt as though their problems were gone and weren't there anymore as they melted into this kiss.
Their lips were almost dancing in a beautiful and graceful (yet, desperate) choreographed sequence. Dot has been waiting — no, yearning for this moment for years. And now, that dream finally became a reality. A sweet, beautiful and wonderful reality.