Work Text:
Bernadetta only likes working in the back or sometimes making drinks when it's slow. She doesn't mind cleaning or baking or making the drinks but she refuses to work the register, and her shift partner is usually more than happy with that division of labor. Dorothea doesn't like to take advantage and she tries to help, but she always ends up making a mess or burning something, or overbrewing the coffee. Bernie has realized some people just weren't meant to be in the kitchen. Or the cafe, as it were.
They don't have a lot of regulars. They do, but not people who sit to read the newspaper and things like that. Bernie thinks it's because the owner is an older gentleman who doesn't see the point in adding internet to the cafe, that or he hasn't figured out how, and their coffee isn't even that good. Actually? Their coffee is awful. Not the worst she’s ever had, but definitely not worth three dollars for a cup.
But they are open late, later than most people like to have coffee. She honestly doesn't even understand how they make money because they rarely get more than a handful of customers that late. People don't like to have coffee at night, right?
Which is why she's surprised when a tall man in a black coat begins to come in every day at 7:00 PM on the dot. It's almost as if he has an appointment at that time or something, but no one else ever shows up. He could come in earlier, Bernie doesn't know since she rarely opens or works in the morning, but she doesn't think so.
He seems to make a small nook for himself in the cafe. He never takes his coat off and he never stays for too long to be uncomfortable. He tends to read books on public policy or environmentalism or something. Or sometimes the newspaper, but then he gives up easily and mutters and closes it. Bernie thinks he has carpal tunnel or something because his hands always shake when he picks up his coffee cup.
Not that she's noticed! Um...what he's wearing or reading or- or anything like that. Or that he always gets a pourover of their darkest brew. But she had noticed that he had a soft, smooth voice, when Dorothea rang up his order.
But maybe sometimes...sometimes she wonders about the mystery of it while she grinds coffee beans and puts fresh pastries into the display case. Maybe part of her does want to know why Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome always drinks coffee so late.
A throat clears in the distance.
"Excuse me." She shrieks. He's right in front of her. Oh no, oh no. While she was thinking, he'd come into the shop and he was now standing on the other side of the counter.
Summoned like the devil.
She stands there, trembling for a good minute.
"I see I have startled you. I can come back later." He looks haggard and exhausted and Bernie's eyes slide over to the clock. It's 7:09. Four whole minutes after Dorothea started her break. No wonder today's disaster was so poorly timed.
She never talks to customers and never works the register, but today he's more than eight minutes late! Usually Dorothea's brought him his drink by now.
He leaves to go sit down awkwardly and Dorothea returns dutifully at 7:20. Bernie has the man's usual order ready and she feels so mortified she adds a slice of coffee cake and slips the money for it under the register.
"Please take this out to that man." She loudly whispers to Dorothea. "Awwww can you tell him I'm sorry?"
"Oh dear." Dorothea's mouth falls open looking at the state of her. She grabs Bernie's hand. "Did something happen while I was gone?"
"Oh," she whispers, "He tried talking to Bernie but Bernie didn't say anything to him."
Dorothea's expression smoothes. "Ahh," she brushes Bernie's bangs off her forehead. "That's no big deal. I'll take this out to him, no problem."
Bernie takes a look at the poor, haggard man. He's wearing a disheveled suit and a ridiculous festive tie, and he looks completely harmless.
"Um." she whispers. "Actually, I can take it."
"What?" Dorothea exclaims, eyes wide.
"Bernie should say sorry." She tarries for a moment, then gathers the courage to take both the plate and the saucer with the coffee cup out to the man, and he peers at her over his book wearing a bewildered expression.
"Um..." she starts "well I just wanted to apologize because I didn'tsayanythingearlier when you came to give me your order. So I’mreallysorry!" she almost slams down the coffee and the cake. "Also, here's some cake. I thought you looked a little tired so maybe you were hungry. Sorry!"
He doesn't seem to know what to say at that. They stare at each other for a good minute and then she scurries back behind the counter.
He waits until the coffee seems to have gone cold, then drinks it in silence, and picks at the coffee cake. He doesn't particularly seem to like it but he eats the whole thing, then walks up to the register and deposits $20 on the counter (oh no, she forgot to ring him up!) and leaves. It's 8:00 which is the longest he's ever stayed.
Bernie can't look directly at him when Dorothea thanks him for the huge tip, but she watches him leave. She's pretty sure it's the last time she'll ever see him, which is probably for the best because she embarrassed herself badly enough she wants to sink into the floor.
"Bernie?" Dorothea questions, rubbing Bernadetta's back. Bernadetta goes in for a big hug and Dorothea laughs and hugs her tight.
Bernie goes home, completely mystified by this interaction and the man’s response.
After all that, there's no way he'll return! Or, oh no. He could come back to complain to the owner and then he'll yell at Bernie and be mad and she'll lose her job.
Dorothea's the best friend Bernie's ever had. For Dorothea's sake, maybe even for her own sake, she needs to get better about her anxious thought spirals. Dorothea is really sweet to always take care of Bernie but she needs to stand on her own two feet.
Resolute, she walks into work the next day at 6 PM with her head high. There's no way he'll come back, right?
But...he does. Bernie doesn't think he knows she can see him stand by the door and walk back and forth while he decides whether he wants to come inside. It's actually...really funny and it makes her feel a lot better. The first drops of rain bring him inside and Dorothea takes his order. His usual, a dark roast pourover, extra strong.
He looks at her, and she looks at him, and he does his best to smile. It looks kind of awful, like he's not used to smiling and that makes Bernie giggle a little bit.
Dorothea looks at both of them, and throws her apron off to go take her break. There's no chance they'll get another customer this late on a Thursday night anyway.
Mr. Tall, Dark, and H- um. The customer walks up to the counter for his coffee and she walks over to the other side.
"I wanted to apologize for yesterday." He says. His voice is even silkier up close and Bernadetta struggles not to blush.
"Um...you didn't do anything wrong! So it'sokay." She rushes to get the words out and flexes onto her toes and back down.
They stand there for a minute in the awkward silence again.
The man swallows. Bernadetta watches his adam’s apple move and then suddenly gets a little self conscious and tucks in her head. This seems to prompt him to say something.
“Yesterday, I. My...well, my boss...or colleague, perhaps. Well, her name is Edelgard. She asked me to. She said, ‘Hubert, I need to ask a favor of you.’” He falters for a moment.
“My name is Hubert.” He does a funny formal little bow. “It’s nice to meet you!”
“Um...I’m Bernie! I mean Bernadetta. Bernie is short for Bernadetta. But you...probably already figured that out, huh?” She ends a lot more nervously than she began.
“Ah, no. It’s very nice to meet you, Bernadetta.” She struggles not to melt into a pile on the floor, and he looks at the clock behind her studiously.
“I quite...um...like your hair.” Hubert says.
“Oh, thanks! I grew it myself.” Bernie says, and then slaps herself on the forehead.
“Oh, please don't do that! I only meant to say that. I like it. It's longer than it used to be.” He’s reaches out as though to reassure her and then remembers there’s a counter between them and they’re virtually strangers, and pulls his hands back.
“Yes, I. I mean, well. I’m a girl.” Bernie says. She’s been practicing this. “Well, so. I wanted to try out the longer hair! I’ve always had it short.”
She gasps suddenly. “Wait a minute, you mean you noticed my hair!”
“I meant no harm by it. Only.” He swallows again. “This is when I get off work usually and my - my boss tends to. Well, she tells me to stop being such a recluse so I attempt to. Be around people, as little as I might enjoy it. ”
Bernadetta nods vigorously, “Y-yeah, I get that. But, why come here? It’s usually deserted. Also the coffee sucks. You seem like you like good coffee, or well. You don’t seem to like this coffee anyway.”
"It tastes better when you make it," Hubert says with a blush. Then, he’s the one who looks like he wants to slap himself on the forehead.
They’re both blushing. A lot. Thankfully, Dorothea hasn’t returned yet and Bernadetta counts her lucky stars.
“To tell you the truth, I am not the best at talking to people and I have no real desire to make friends, but when I come here I feel. At ease.” He continues. “And I enjoy the quiet. But at any rate, thank you for the drink,” Hubert says, and makes to leave.
She watches his back as his boots noiselessly step across the floor and leave a neat trail of water to the outside. Tomorrow, maybe they’ll have the courage to say something more to each other. Maybe. But for now? This is okay.
But wait, she startles. “Wait! You forgot your coffee!”
She runs out after him into the rain, in her apron and all. Holding the dine-in cup since he usually doesn’t get it to-go and oh, this is so silly. Stupid Bernie!
She looks into his actually really green eyes. He looks back. He looks like Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice or something, in that one scene where it's raining. There's water plinking into the coffee cup. He smiles - a real smile - just for a minute.
Well, maybe it’s not so silly.