Chapter Text
Lately, a kind of excessive attention has been focused on Shadow.
Working as a cashier at a local coffee shop, it became part of her routine to be in the public eye. However, they never had a long duration, it was a matter of seconds before they diverted the focus to individually more relevant things.
So what's wrong with that guy?
There was one customer, in particular, who had been a frequent visitor to the cafe lately. He always arrived alone, leather jacket and gloves, pointed boots and a random rock band shirt make up his usual look; he would peek sideways before safely walking to the register, where he would order the same order and alternate his call name. Afterwards, he would go to the left corner of the place and sit at a table next to the wall, remaining almost completely inert until the completion of his order.
However, his orbs every now and then intently chased the hybrid's figure. And that was already starting to bother him in more ways than one.
Shadow would love to get satisfaction from the guy, but his way of doing that would end up hurting him at work. After all, repeat clientele and the image of its employees are important to the owner, so if he behaved in a vulgar way and such an affront spread around, the reputation of the place would be in trouble.
A heavy sigh escapes him, and he has a strong urge to bury his face in a puddle of boiling coffee.
But his problematic thoughts are interrupted by the tinkling of the entrance bells, marking the arrival of yet another customer on that busy afternoon.
And, much to Shadow's sanity chagrin, it was that guy.
Another sigh.
“Afternoon” he greets, nonchalantly, having received a similar response from the attendant. “I will have one…”
“Espresso?” Shadow completes, drawing a look of surprise from the customer who, upon noticing his own reaction, soon disguises it. “Or will it be something different today?” he added, monotony and curiosity mingling in his speaking tone.
“Espresso.” he said slowly, averting his heterochromatic gaze to any wall in the establishment as he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.
“Hmm” he murmurs, quickly typing in the order. “Zero or…”
“Infinite” was his turn to anticipate a response. “Save as Infinite”
Shadow gives a curt nod. “Okay, Infinite” he types one last time. “We will call you when your order is ready”
The jackal looks at him one last time before turning and heading towards the table where he usually sits. Its bicolor coat brought it a certain prominence in the scenery, both due to the brighter color palette of the environment and the solitude of settling in a reserved corner.
Wasting no time, Shadow submits the request for the list of requirements and it is viewed with amazing speed by his co-worker. Having done his part, he could only patiently wait that, in a few minutes, he would be free of that individual's existence.
At the thought of him, instinctively the decision to face him took over his mind and, by a miracle of the occasion, he found him totally distracted with a piece of paper in his hands. The red-black hedgehog silently thanked him for seeing just that.
A few minutes later, a female figure approaches the counter and delicately places a saucer on top of it, accompanied by a cup.
“Mr. Infinite, your order is ready!” the girl says, raising her voice to get the aforementioned's attention.
It didn't take long for the young man who answered to the peculiar name to get up, putting the paper in his pocket and going with indifference to the pink hedgehog.
“Enjoy it!” she says sweetly, giving him a smile.
To her surprise, he doesn't return her kindness, choosing only to take the cup and saucer in silence, taking a small sip of the hot drink; all while casting an unashamed glance at the other employee nearby.
Shadow couldn't hide how uncomfortable it was to witness the scene.
Emerald orbs rest on it, carrying the same sentiment; the static young woman beside him looked as awkward as a person in a major disagreement.
Completely ignoring the unpleasant mood — provided by itself — in the air, the self-titled Infinite diverts his attention back to the drink, blowing it repeatedly before taking a last dangerous sip.
“Here” he puts the saucer back on the counter, making the china clink.
“O-Oh” she stammered, forcing a smile to mask her embarrassment.
So the jackal goes to the cashier, paying the bill as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
“Come back often” said the hedgehog, against his will. His biggest wish was that that individual would never walk through that door again.
For some reason, the unwanted customer made no move to leave. His gloved hands dug through the pockets of his leather jacket once more, pulling out the same piece of leaf he had possibly been glimpsing for a long time. He carefully folds the paper in half, looking at it one last time before placing it on the nearby surface, thrusting it straight at Shadow.
Ending the act, Infinite gloriously leaves the establishment without looking back.
“What did he leave?” the momentary silence is broken by the female figure, now closer to the other hedgehog.
“Probably rubbish” he surmised dismissively, disregarding the possible message.
“That's what we'll see!” with frighteningly incredible speed, she snatched the note for herself; curiosity brimming over her. “Maybe it’s a little love letter?” she teases, stifling a giggle.
“Don't make up stories, Rose” he growls, losing his daily patience more and more.
Amy flashes a big playful smile, avoiding apologizing for something as banal as her comment. In a blink of an eye she had already unfolded the paper, concentrating completely on reading a small sentence that resided there. It was written in red pen, the handwriting crooked and inconsistent, but legible.
The humor present on her face quickly dissipated as she completed the reading.
“Why that face?” Shadow asks, noticing her sudden change in posture.
Silently, Rose simply hands him the paper. “Just…read this” was all he managed to say.
Showing a hint of confusion with the other's speech, he takes the paper back and reads the content in red.
“Leave this shitty job and join my emo band”
He blinks, remarkably perplexed, as he never would have guessed.
“What?”