Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

it was cold.

extremely cold.

in hindsight, wearing another layer would have proved to be extremely helpful in the middle of negative temperatures. it wasn’t that ann was horrendously underdressed. it was quite the opposite, really. she donned a thick puffy jacket, and as many underlayers as she could without appearing like an overstuffed marshmallow. a neat christmas-themed scarf that was a gift from her parents when she turned 20, which she had sworn to wear religiously every winter. (ann took pride in her handiwork.) 

on the bright side, the crisp air and cold breeze served as the dose of caffeine she so desperately needed. although ann wouldn’t consider herself a particularly optimistic person, contrary to popular expectation, dying for an entire minute in a meteorite explosion has certain impacts on your character.

ann buried her hands deeper into her pockets at an attempt to preserve what little warmth she had left from her office. growing up, ann had always had cold hands. good for summer, downright terrible for winter. leaving her toasty desk for a warm cup coffee was a necessary evil. curse the broken coffee machine. the thought of simply returning to her office empty handed had crossed her mind, but was quickly erased. ann was too far in to give up. (she was very close to giving up.)

4:23pm, her watch reads. an awkward timing for most. not early enough to be considered afternoon, yet not late enough to be considered evening. 

and then, ann finally spots it. from the corner of her eyes, she spots a tiny cafe, tucked away in a corner, hidden from the world. alice in latteland, it reads. picking up her pace, ann takes bigger strides and tugs open the door of the coffeeshop, immediately embraced by the warmth and bustling atmosphere.

ann scans her surroundings, eyes finally landing on the barista at the counter.

ann doesn’t realise herself that she’s staring. mouth slightly agape, eyes widened and a fluttering feeling in her stomach. there’s a strange recognition, a strange feeling of home as she openly gawks at the girl. there’s a great deal of familiarity as she stares into the unnamed barista’s gentle doe eyes. her eyes settle on the raven’s toothy relaxed grin as she bids goodbye to another customer. 

“welcome to alice in latteland! what can i get for you today?”

it takes a few seconds for ann to register that the smiley barista is walking up to her, and a few more to register that she’s actually talking to her. ann’s breath hitches. before she can make a fool out of herself, she clears her throat.

“a double shot espresso.”

“please.” she finds herself adding.

the smiley barista hums softly in response. ann thinks she could die any second. “name please?”

her eyebrows unconsciously shoot up. what does a typical person do when a pretty girl asks you for your name? the raven haired girl seems to notice the visible hesitance on her face and slips a soft giggle. 

she raises the cup and marker in her hands, and supplies helpfully, “for the cup?”

ann is truly prepared to die now.

“ann.”

“anything else?”

ann doesn’t trust herself to mutter a single word and potentially embarrass herself (again) and opts for the subtle shake of her head. she barely tunes in the smiley barista’s smooth voice, (bowing slightly in response) and awkwardly shuffles away. fuck, she thinks, as she can physically feel her own control slipping away.

she steals another glance at the unnamed stranger. an uncharacteristic yearn forms within her. the want to hug the girl as if she were an old friend. but that’s impossible. ann stopped doing friends when she turned 19.

she heaves a sigh. taking a deep breath, she inhales the strong aroma of coffee wafting through the air. she supposes this place isn’t so bad.

“a double shot espresso for ann!”

this time, on the barista’s face lies a wistful expression as ann finds her gaze already focused on her. the smiley barista’s lips tugged into a relaxed grin upon eye contact. at this, ann can feel another pang of emotion in her chest. a shade of blush covers her face, as she grits her teeth and makes her way to the counter yet again. 

she does another scan of the girl, and a glint of metal catches her eye. kuina hikari, the nametag reads. wordlessly, she gingerly grabs the warm cup of coffee, her fingertips slightly brushing against that of kuina’s. the physical contact sends another tidal wave of emotions flying towards ann in a second, causing her to jerk away lightly. if kuina notices anything peculiar about her reaction, she doesn’t mention anything of it. the hot cup of coffee brings immediate relief to her freezing hands, and she cherishes the temporary warmth before taking one last look at kuina.

“thank you! please come again, ann!” if possible, ann swears she sees kuina’s grin become even wider. she musters a tight lipped grin, burying herself back into her puffy jacket, and steeling herself for the cold once again.

the frosty wind greets her, like an old friend, and she’s immediately brought out of her trance. it didn’t take a lot to realise that years of practice over controlling her facial expressions had been washed down the drain. her mask was slipping — melting, in the face of kuina hikari.

kuina. who are you, and what have you done to me?

at once, the answer hits her like a bullet train. a lightbulb goes off in her head. rizuna ann never disappoints.

r/relationship_advice

u/RizunaAnn123

[26F] I think I am allergic to the smiley barista at the nearby coffeeshop.

Today I decided to visit a cafe and met a barista who took my order. Upon contact, I had displayed symptoms of an allergic reaction. I was wondering if it was possible to be allergic to a specific individual. If there were to be a medical professional who could help to clarify my understanding, it would be greatly appreciated. 

(Please do let me know if there is a cure for such an allergy. It is urgent. I would like to revisit the cafe for unspecified reasons. Truly unfortunate.)

(15 upvotes)

u/cheshirecat - 37 min

i am a medical professional who could clarify your understanding. what sort of symptoms did you display?

u/RizunaAnn123 - 12 min

Fastened heartbeat, warm body temperature and blushing, and electricity coursing through my veins when we made physical touch. There was also an unrecognisable attractive force pulling me towards her. A sort of recognition that brought about an uncharacteristic sense of want to make more contact with her. Do allergic reactions tend to be so extreme?

u/cheshirecat - 3 min

exposure therapy is the best way to directly confront your allergies. i recommend revisiting her daily as your case is rather severe.

u/RizunaAnn123 - 3 min

Should patients not avoid prolonged contact to potential allergies?

u/RizunaAnn123 - 1 min

Please respond immediately.

u/RizunaAnn123 - now

It is urgent.

u/RizunaAnn123 - now

Hello?

ann scoffs, slamming down her phone. should’ve known better than to be a slave to technology, she figures. a quick glance at her schedule tells her that she is in fact free from the shackles of work from 4pm to 5pm the next day. not that she was planning to visit kuina during her shift. definitely the last of her worries.

ann nestled back into her rather worn out, yet snug office chair. she sinks into the soft cushion and delves back deep into her thoughts. her attempt at being productive earlier proved to be futile, with every single coherent thought she had formed being related in some way or another to kuina. 

“kuina.” she whispers to herself, chewing on her bottom lip. the name rolls off her tongue easily, like that of a past lover. it’s a fleeting thought, one that ann brushes off easily. (that’s a lie. ann cannot stop thinking about her relationship, albeit nonexistent, with kuina.) her mind drifts off. she wonders what its like to hold kuina’s hands, and if they’re as soft as they look. she wonders if they fit perfectly with ann’s large ones. she thinks about kuina’s nails, glittered with colours of nail polish ann would never even consider covering herself with, as well as the bracelet with the assorted colours, pink, white, orange, and red. she wonders what it means.

6:34pm. ann finds herself rising from her chair the nth time that day. she thinks that for once, it’s a delight to have coworkers that are constantly on edge around her. she has a ‘resting bitch face,’ as what they would call it. ann figures staying cooped up at her desk had no benefits, seeing as she wasn’t getting much done anyway.

she picks up the cup on her desk, intent on throwing it, its contents finished long ago. ann savours the lingering warmth on its surface, when she notices the name scratched onto the cup in cursive handwriting.

who the hell is Arm?

it sounds similar to ann. there’s a high chance that it was just a mistake. she tells herself.

ann never cowers in the face of adversity. which is why she finds herself brisk walking back towards the cafe with a slight skip in her step the very next day. it’s because the coffee is good. and because everybody deserves a second chance. even at spelling 3 letter names. she convinces herself, not taking mind of the voices in her head screaming otherwise.

she releases a shaky exhale into her hands, pressing them against her neck in an attempt to transfer warmth. she pays no mind to her untied shoelaces. if anything, they prove to be an accelerant in her pace and more of a reason to escape the cold to go back into the warmth of kuina’s arms the homey coffeeshop. 

the clock strikes 4:31pm upon ann being engulfed with the familiar fragrance of freshly grounded coffee beans. this time, ann is mentally sober enough to take notice of the distinct jingle of the bell at the door. today there’s noticeably less customers, a handful scattered around the tables of the cafe, and an empty queue. she casts a weary look at the counter, please be ther-

“welcome to alice in latteland!” kuina. her brain helpfully supplies. 

ann can feel her throat constricting, and doesn’t realise how she’s holding her breath until kuina is directly in front of her, only being separated by the counter. 

“ann! you decided to come back.” kuina’s curious gaze lands on ann. the latter revels the way kuina says her name. ann. has her name always sounded so pleasing to the ears?

a pause.

“yes. i found the coffee to be sufficiently adequate.” carefully choosing her words. it was at times like these where ann cursed her rigid and monotonous way of speaking. socialising wasn’t something she was exactly adept at. 

“same as yesterday?”

“yes.”

“name for the cup?” there’s a smile in her tone, like a giggle threatening to break out.

it earns a small frown from ann. “just teasing you.”

kuina meticulously moves around, making the drink, sneaking a few glances at ann. ann wore a hat today, she notes. it’s a dark shade of navy, and is hand knitted. she ponders over the possibility that ann had made that herself, and ponders over the even smaller possibility that one day, ann would make her a hat too.

snapping the lid shut, kuina’s fingers dance over the cash register, punching in a few numbers. she picks up the marker lying conveniently near to the cashier and speedily scribbles on it, a habit she had picked up due to the monday morning rush.

“double shot espresso for you.” kuina holds out the familiar beige cup for ann to grab. it takes all of her willpower for ann to suppress the strong urge to grab kuina’s hands and intertwine them with her own for the rest of eternity. 

reality is often disappointing, so ann opts to grab the coffee cup at an awkward angle to avoid making physical contact with kuina. she doesn’t trust her bodily instincts to not betray her. 

she mutters a short “thank you,” making haste to leave. her interaction with kuina had reached a climax. she had little faith left in herself not to embarrass herself.

“ann,” kuina breathes out. ann turns back. she’s surprised to see kuina’s confident, smiley, bright demeanour replaced by a more shy, more hesitant, and more raw one. seeing her close up, ann notices the slight curve of her eyes when she smiles, and her porcelain skin. blame the staring on the drowsiness from work, she reminds herself. 

“stay warm outside today!” kuina’s signature toothy grin graces her lips. (one that she reserves for ann.)

one thing was for sure. ann was completely enamoured of kuina.

a light smile makes its presence known on ann’s lips, all the way back to her office. it’s only then she realises the writing on the cup.

Aunt :)

sooner or later, they fall into a routine, it’s simple. 

kuina greeting ann with the cafe’s catchphrase. the latter watching kuina while she makes her coffee. the short chitchat (occasionally long, depending on how drained ann’s social battery is on the day.) that follows. exchanging goodbyes. ann reading kuina’s horrible spelling of her name for the day. it’s simple, really. yet why is it that her heart is sending her the most complicated signals?

it’s because her lack of spelling skills makes me agitated. ann chants like a mantra in her head, denying any thought that suggested other ideas.

rizuna ann was not subject to emotions. 

r/relationship_advice

u/RizunaAnn123

[26F] Smiley barista keeps getting my name spelt wrong.

It appears that the barista at the nearby coffeeshop is facing extreme levels of difficulty in terms of spelling my name. It is highly disruptive to my day and ruins my mood completely as she is the only thing I can think of, which puts a halt to my productivity at work. The cup sitting on my table is a constant reminder of the upsetting events.

Perhaps I am unclear in my pronunciation. However I find it difficult to understand how someone could struggle to spell the name Ann multiple times with different spellings each time. 

Arm, Aunt, Onne, Anne, Amplifier, and most recently Anna. 

As a result, I am forced to revisit the cafe until she gets my name right. Do you think I should tell her about her misspelling my name? I do not want to hurt her feelings. 

(138 upvotes)

u/aliceinmountain - 15 min

i think it’d be good to clarify with her. at least she has a concrete name to remember you by!

(8 downvotes)

u/cheshirecat - 3 min

dont

(5 upvotes)

u/tattapputtapu - 18 min

Anyone else think she is doing this on purpose? [Deleted response]

u/heiyter - 2 min

sht the fk up

(13 upvotes)

u/rabbitsan - 21 min

who is forcing u to revisit the cafe?

u/RizunaAnn123 - now

Self obligation. Pity. The last few strings of kindness in my heart. Nothing else.

the incessant buzzing of her cellphone causes ann to switch off the ringer. she already had a certain raven plaguing her thoughts and productivity. she didn’t need another distraction. 

it wasn’t her intention for her post to gain traction on the website. initially, it served as just an outlet to dump the thoughts that had been surrounding her for the past week. now ann had found it slightly entertaining reading the replies under her posts. not that she would ever admit it.

6:00pm. she sighed, glancing at the stack of unreviewed reports. 6ft underground, next she was.

Chapter Text

today marks a week since ann has returned to work. a week since she’s discovered alice in latteland. a week since she’s met kuina .  

she’s only known kuina for 7 whole days. yet why does it feel like a lifetime? 

however, at the current moment, any fleeting thoughts about kuina are temporarily pushed to the side in light of the new recruit who had messed up the order of all the documents while rearranging the files. furiously typing out instructions on her phone’s keyboard before he messes it up further, she tunes out her surroundings. this imbeci-

“ann, are you okay?”

her typing halts. when did she reach the cafe? she looks up to discover kuina’s wide-eyed look, a concerned expression plastered across her face. upon meeting ann’s gaze, concern turns to bashfulness. a light red hue paints kuina’s face. she’s not sick, is she?

it’s at this point that ann realises that kuina has been staring at her for the past minute. ann internally groans. there has to be an easier way to pursue allergy recovery without having to socialise with pretty girls. she just hopes she can find a way before she dies under the hands of kuina.

“your hands were curled into fists,” kuina points out, “it happens whenever you’re impatient or angry.” her voice becomes smaller word by word. ann purses her lips. had she always been that easy to read? it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth, thinking about how her control has slipped entirely around kuina. 

looking to soothe her worries, ann responded, her voice laced with disdain, “work has been — hectic, to say the least, during my 2 week absence due to medical reasons,” she pauses, “i was not angry,” she wasn’t. she was embarrassed to be caught in such a state. “i was simply… on a sugar rush.”

though she was never one for sharing about her life, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to let kuina in by a smidge. as long as she was able to wipe off the miserable expression from kuina’s face. she didn’t particularly enjoy seeing kuina sad for whatever reason. maybe she was just conforming to society’s standards and (for the first time) becoming a decent person. 

her response earned a breathy chuckle from kuina, whose face seemed to flood with relief, despite being riddled with the indisputable fact that ann didn’t consume much sugar. at least in her coffee. feeling the underlying tension slowly fade, kuina gained back her usual smile. 

thump.

don’t be mistaken — that was absolutely not the sound of ann’s heart beating due to her undying, eternal love for kuina. no, it was simply the sound of her heart dropping due to fear of social interaction. 

“so. your usual?”

“no.” in response, kuina quirks her eyebrows.

since young, ann had lived by routine. she had certain principles she upheld religiously, and followed the same routine daily. weekly. monthly. ann disliked any sort of change — such spontaneity left room for uncertainty and unpredictability, two things that she despised the most. (and men.) 

while some would call her preferred lifestyle boring, ann preferred the solitude and quiet that came with routine. she already had her entire life plan mapped out, brushing over the finer details. a certain barista, however, was not part of said life plan. which is why it takes the both of them by surprise when ann utters two words. “surprise me.”

a flicker of confusion flashes on kuina’s face before it lights up with recognition. ann thinks it’s time to start wearing her signature sunglasses again. she ignores the relentless thumping of her heart when kuina’s eyes gleamed with eagerness.

“ann!” there’s a slight whine in her tone which ann can’t decipher the meaning of. (based on her mental kuina dictionary, a happy whine. her dictionary tends to be 90% accurate. the 10% being ann’s inability to detect sarcasm.)

“kuina.” ann deadpanned.

“ann!” her voice doubled in volume, in only what ann can assume to be joy. kuina seemed not to falter in face of ann’s indifference, only spurring her on further. 

the corners of kuina’s eyes crinkled, as the smile painted onto her face only grew bigger by the second.

how could ann possibly say no?

“name for the cup?” 

“you already know.”

which is why ann is in her current predicament. 

r/relationship_advice

u/RizunaAnn123

[26F] CURRENTLY FACING AN EMERGENCY.

I HAVE IMPULSIVELY ASKED THE SMILEY BARISTA TO SURPRISE ME WITH A NEW DRINK TODAY AND SHE GAVE ME THE BRIGHTEST SMILE KNOWN TO MANKIND. AS A RESULT MY ALLERGIES HAVE BEEN OUT OF CONTROL. SHE IS CURRENTLY MAKING MY DRINK. I AM UNSURE OF WHAT TO MAKE OF MY CURRENT SITUATION.

(213 upvotes)

u/aliceinmountain - 4 min

are you ok?

u/RizunaAnn123 - 2 min

HOW DO I TURN OFF CAPS LOCK?

u/aliceinmountain -  1 min

https://www.wikihow.com/Turn-Off-Caps-Lock

(1 upvote)

u/rabbitsan - 4 min

go with the flow :D i’m sure it’ll turn out well.. seems like she’s happy about this too lol

u/RizunaAnn123 - 1 min

Which part of my post did I indicate that I was happy about this????

(3 downvotes)

u/cheshirecat - 3 min

for someone whose name is rizuna ann you sure have no rizz

u/RizunaAnn123 - now

I’m afraid I’m not familiar with such medical terms. 

(7 downvotes)

ann has an addictive personality and lacks the capacity to enjoy things in healthy amounts. good things should be done in routine, she thinks. hikari kuina is not something she is willing to indulge in. 

thus in the midst of the soft clinking of various dishes and cups, and the faint whirring of the coffee machine, for the first time, ann’s eyes do not find kuina, instead being glued to the phone she was furiously typing on. seriously. what was a rizz?

don’t look up, she chides herself repeatedly, don’t look up at her smile. her smile is dangerous, ann concludes. 

“drink for ann!” the cafe is relatively empty, contrary to the previous week’s busy atmosphere. ann thinks she’s been cursed blessed by the gods by giving her kuina’s undivided attention. on busier days, the smallest number of words that they had gotten in after ann had collected her drink was a total of 9 before she had been swept away by the flow of office workers.

(“double shot espresso for ann!”

“come back again, ann!” 

ann didn’t even get to mention that it was only a single shot espresso.)

ann arrives at the counter as kuina finishes slipping on the cup sleeve with unmistakably what ann assumes to be kuina’s name of the day written on it. she furrows her eyebrows at the excess words, but before she can get any further, kuina’s well kempt hands block her view. (ann thinks one day she would like to get a manicure from kuina.)

the cup is different today. from what she observes, a cold drink, due to the condensation rapidly forming on it’s surface. ann frowns. cold drinks? in this weather? there’s a limit to her understanding towards kuina. this had just crossed the line.

“it’s an iced drink.” ann states, as matter of fact, it was.

“just try one sip of it. i promise i’ll drink the rest if you don’t like it!” kuina begs. ann must’ve been lacking subtlety. her laser burning glare was probably not the most inconspicuous thing.

ann hesitantly (kuina would use the word begrudgingly) reached out to the cup, as if making contact with it would scald her. 

she takes a sip of the drink.

two sips.

three, four and many more. 

contradictory to her initial thoughts, the drink wasn’t nearly as atrocious as she thought it would be. kuina seemed to notice this too, a smug grin already nestling itself onto her face.

“well? it’s a strawberry milk iced latte. my go to drink. did it live up to your standards, ann?” 

ann eyes travel around the room. 

“don’t just ignore me!”

safe to say, ann did not like strawberry milk iced lattes one bit. 

ann scrunches her mini heat pack in the cold of winter, strolling back to her office. the cup had been long discarded in a bin on the way back. the cup sleeve however, was tucked neatly into the pocket of ann’s jacket, under her light grip. 

it reads, Ansan (mountain) :P . and in a smaller writing. It would be nice 2 travel with u 1 day. Hope you feel better :)

from that day, there was a certain shift in their — kuina and ann’s — routine. 

everyday, kuina would surprise ann with a new drink, and to her disgust, it would be a sufficiently decent drink. (though ann thinks it’s plausible that kuina’s just good at making coffee.) kuina would leave a misspelt name on a cup sleeve, coupled with small messages and doodles, and ann would keep the cup sleeve.

in ann’s office lay a stack of cup sleeves tucked into a corner, updated daily. when asked about it, she was scheming to save the environment.

r/relationship_advice

u/RizunaAnn123

[26F] UPDATE: Time conflicts. Emergency.

Today she spelled my name as Aang. There is also a drawing of a bald adolescent on my cup. How.. delightful.

I am feeling awfully dreadful. Today I was met with the appalling fact that I have a meeting which coincides with the usual 4:20pm-4:30pm timeslot in which I frequent the cafe.

This is the first instance for the past 2 weeks where I will not be able to meet her. How do I find out when her shift ends? I might be able to meet her just in time. 

For the allergy recovery, just so you know.

(234 upvotes)

u/aliceinmountain - 1 hour

wait you mean you’ve been visiting her at the same time for the past 2 weeks and you've never bothered to ask her for her shift duration?

u/RizunaAnn123 - 38 min

I fail to see how that is relevant.

u/rabbitsan - 21 min

were u seriously just.. not busy at 4pm everyday?!

u/RizunaAnn123 - now

Some rescheduling is easy work. Not meeting her is not. And for your information, the time is 4:20pm. Not 4:00pm.

u/heiyter - 18 min

anyone else notice how she js gave up on the names? lmfaooo

(16 upvotes)

u/tattapputtapu - 5 min

I think it will be okay to miss one day. After all, it is only one day!

(29 downvotes)

u/cheshirecat - now

her shift is the closing shift

10:21pm, the clock on her watch ticks. a quick mental calculation tells her that the current time is 10:20pm, seeing how her watch is a minute late. ann lugs her work bag over her shoulder, mindlessly running. the streets are nearly empty, save for the occasional employee walking home, dark, and cold. 

but safety is currently the last thing on her mind. the first being a certain barista. 

as she turns another corner, she sees the faint glow of a familiar cafe. by now, all the neighbouring shops have closed for the night, with the occasional sprinkle of light from lampposts and shops preparing to close.

from afar, through the windows of the cafe, she sees a figure hunching over the counter. ann never thought that one day she would find herself gambling on a reddit user’s last minute, sourceless, anonymous and completely uncredible reply. but here she currently is, gripping onto the small ray of hope provided by user cheshirecat. 

upon nearing, her mind registers one thing. kuina.

ann doesn’t hesitate when she sprints over to the cafe, doesn’t hesitate when she tugs open the door, doesn’t hesitate when she sees the startled nature of kuina, and certainly doesn’t hesitate running up to kuina and yelling her name. ann hasn’t been this exasperated since she was a kid.

“ann?” it’s a faint whisper, one ann would miss if she weren’t so observant.

“you’re here.” kuina states. she pauses to observe ann’s uncharacteristically messy appearance. hair strewn all over with loose ends, jacket unzipped and ann still panting for breath.

“and so are you.” a smile creeps onto ann’s face unconsciously.

what she expects to happen is for kuina and her to reconcile, become friends, and live happily ever after.

what she doesn’t expect, is to be met with the scrutinising gaze and harsh words from kuina.

“are you insane? did you run all the way here with your jacket unzipped? you’re literally shivering- ann don’t laugh at me!” 

i can’t help it, you’re just so cute . the unspoken words remain only etched into ann’s brain as a thought. a gentle smile plays on ann’s lips, when a certain cup ann is very well acquainted with catches her eyes. 

there’s no cup sleeve, and this time, it’s not a new iced drink that kuina has invented. instead, lies the cursive handwriting ann would know from the back of her head. 

Ann. it reads. 

there’s no small message, no silly doodles, no misspelling of her name and no essence of kuina’s playfulness on the cup. ann doesn’t pay much mind to the forlorn expression slowly emerging onto her face, doesn’t care much about her great deal of control at this moment, because all she can think about is kuina.

ann’s breath hitches. was she too late to rekindle her only friendship? were they even friends? did kuina even see her as anything close to a friend? maybe kuina was sick of trying to befriend ann. 

she looks to kuina to find an explanation — find out why she got tired of her — why she gave up on her — why she-

“so you noticed, huh?” kuina mutters.

what?

kuina’s eyes don’t shine with it’s usual happiness, they glimmer with melancholy and a look that ann can only describe as longing. kuina avoids her gaze, instead staring holes into the lone brown cup that lies on the counter.

“ann,” she calls.

“from the very first day that you walked in to this cafe, i didn’t know what it was about you. but with you, i felt more comfortable than in my own skin.”

“this whole time i’ve been misspelling your name to catch your attention. but you never really reciprocated my affection. until one day, you looked really angry and you were fuming, i had to resist the urge to take a picture right there and then because you were so cute! you took me by surprise by saying those 2 words. so i thought we were getting somewhere.”

“kuina-,” the said girl almost instantly cuts her off,

“ann. i don’t know and i don’t think you feel the same way but,” kuina’s breath hitches. she’s struggling to form the words, scared of misstepping and losing ann. but ann waits. she waits for kuina. her patient and attentive gaze under her cold and grumpy exterior makes kuina think that as long as ann can be happy, she would be happier. so she continues.

“when you didn’t appear today,” she nibbles on her lips, a bad habit she’s had for her entire life. she fondles with the straps of her apron, another bad habit she’s had for her entire life. she looks at ann and falls, falls, and falls. the worst habit she’s had her entire life. “i waited for you. for a sign that you would be coming. for your puffy oversized beige jacket which makes you look even more like a chick,” a giggle escapes from kuina’s lips, and a small smile appears. it’s faint. but even with how emotionally constipated ann is, she can still recognise the fondness laced in her words, smile, and explanation.

“but you didn’t come. so i waited and waited. and you never did come. i thought it was over — that i’d pissed you off enough that you’d never come back. that i’d scared away the only person that tolerated me for me. that you left me,” ann doesn’t rush kuina. doesn’t interrupt or push her. underneath her cool demeanour, her hands are shaking in her pockets, every single part of her screaming to do something- touch her, comfort her, explain to her, but she does none of that. instead, she waits. waits for her. waits for kuina.

“i was thinking of ways to apologise, settle for just being friends if you even forgave me. then, when i was just about to close up early, i suddenly heard the jingle of the door bell. i looked up, and i saw you, panting with the stupidest smile on your face.” 

“you ran for me — literally. no one’s ever done that for me before. and here i was, moping, over one day of your absence. thinking about it, i feel kind of silly now.” 

“i’m sorry for throwing all of this onto you if you don’t like me back,” her voice trembles with fragility, and ann wants nothing more than to scoop her into her arms for eternity. “but, i wanted to tell you that maybe, if you wanted to be friends, that i would be right here in this cafe, waiting for you.” 

“i still have so many drinks i want to share with you. please,” and then in a smaller voice, “please don’t leave me.”

they exchange looks. it’s a silent piece of communication, yet the words unspoken are loud in both their hearts.

“i won’t leave you. before you start overthinking, i don’t want to leave you.” ann’s voice is gentle, sincere, and it’s everything kuina’s ever wanted. 

“kuina,” she lifts the said girl’s chin slightly, such that her glistening eyes meet ann’s own.

“i would like — love to go to travelling with you one day too.” kuina’s eyes are brimming with tears — unspoken words — but she refrains from spilling everything out.

“ann.” it’s a faint whisper, one that would usually be lost in the sea of voices in the cafe. “have you ever experienced love?”

it all feels so natural, and suddenly it makes sense. ann reaches out for kuina’s clasped hands, and intertwines them with her own. in their own way, they fit like a puzzle piece. 

“no,” ann breathes out. and kuina waits, and waits, and waits. there’s no rush, because at the end of the day, they’re still kuina and ann, and they have all the time in the world. closing up the store long forgotten, double shot espresso long discarded.

before she realises it, ann is tenderly cupping her cheeks in her cold hands. ann’s forehead softly rests against her own. there’s a different glint in ann’s eyes. long gone the uncertainty and yearning, replaced by fondness, warmth and happiness. 

“but i would like to, with you.”

that’s all it takes for kuina to embrace ann in a bone crushing hug, wrapping — clinging her arms around her neck, like a form of life support. 

a sob escapes her. nuzzling her head into ann’s neck, her tears streaming down ann’s collar bones as she feels a slender arm snaking around her waist, and the other patting her head. the three words go unspoken. but there’s no rush, because kuina and ann will spend the rest of their lives together. 

kuina is home.

she doesn’t recognise the tears streaking down her face until she’s met with ann’s cold fingers brushing them away. 

she meets ann’s gaze, eyes similarly glistening and misty. 

“why’re you crying, silly?”

“you are,” a hiccup, “too.” there’s a brief pause, and ann can see a brief expression of hesitance and contemplation before kuina continues, “these are happy tears. i’m happy to be with you.”

“that makes the two of us.”

for the first time in ages, ann smiles. it isn’t forced. it’s easy, genuine, sincere, and it feels like the only right thing to do with kuina around. with kuina, words come easy. 

for the first time in ages, ann is happy.

to outsiders, they’re kuina and ann, and they always have been.

but to them, they’re kuina and ann, and they’re in love.

Chapter Text

it’s on the third ring that chishiya looks to the source of the incessant buzzing. he doesn’t need to take a second glance to recognise what — or rather who was responsible. the familiar chirp of kuina’s custom ringtone cuts the air.

chishiya thinks back to the time where the pair had scuffled (in the hospital hallway, mind you.) over chishiya’s phone, the taller claiming that his contact names were ‘too boring!’ and needed ‘some spice.’ the tussle ended with kuina towering over chishiya, phone victoriously in hand.

kuina thinks she won. chishiya thinks he was being nice.

a custom contact, chat wallpaper and ringtone later, kuina was done. to this day, chishiya won’t admit that kuina’s company had brought a splash of vibrant colour to his rather monotonous life. 

he picks up his phone, 7:34am, it glares at him, along with a tediously long string of messages. thumbing in a short response, he squints, his eyes blearily adjusting to the light.

Queenaur

CHISHIYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Queenaur

Wake up!!!!! (＾＾＃)

Queenaur

Don’t pretend to be asleep! I have things to share with u!!

a grunt. doesn’t she know how to be patient?

chishitya 

what do ypu want

Queenaur

Do you remember the scary customer who I always catch glaring at me? The one whose name i always misspell purposely?

chishitya

the only person you talk about whem i visit? 

Queenaur

That’s not true!! I tell you about my other customers too!! Sometimes..

Queenaur

Anyway!

Queenaur

Greaaaaat news!!! We’ve actually been dating for a week! She wanted to take things slow so i’m only telling you now but she wants to meet my best friend (aka you) sometime soon. (* ^ ω ^)

I swear i really wanted to tell you :( Sorry!!

chishitya

congratulations.. i'm happy for you

chishitya

your girlfriend is so nicr to do charity work overtime

Queenaur

That's why she wants to meet you

Queenaur

And at least i pull bitches!!!! You are a walking charity case

chishiya scoffs. an easy smirk creeps onto the edge of his lips.

Queenaur

Are you free today at 4pm? 

Queenaur

Don’t worry about being yourself:) She’s a loser too! I always catch her surfing on reddit and she’s soooo dense it’s absolutely adorablee (´,,•ω•,,)♡ The other day she kept asking me what rizz meant. For someone who’s very smart, she’s definitely my loser..!!

Queenaur

Not that you aren’t my loser anymore! You’re just on hold right now

chishitya

i’ll be there at 4. i owe her an explanation for what’s a rizz and some allergy tips

Queenaur

Okay!!!!!!! Dress well!!!!!!! That white jacket of yours is beginning to stink. Do you even shower?

Queenaur

Wait. What do you mean by owing her an explanation?

Queenaur

And.. allergy tips........

Queenaur

Don't just go offline????

Queenaur

Chishiya!!!

before she can continue, chishiya closes the app. the sunrays are beginning to peek through his flimsy blackout curtains, and chishiya has yet to move from the position he had woken up in 2 hours prior. 

he scoffs, kuina’ll have to sort out the puzzle pieces by herself. he’ll take it as pay back for the time she had accidentally put salt instead of sugar into his coffee cup. (of course, chishiya had drank the entire thing out of spite.) as for that girlfriend of hers..

a notification banner from reddit interrupts his thoughts.

Trending in r/relationship_advice

[26F] [26F] Update: Hello everyone. To be frank, I have acquired myself a girlfriend. As for the allergies…

a cheshire grin stretches itself across his face before he can stop himself. as he rises from his dormant state, he thinks, meeting an old friend sure wouldn’t hurt.