Chapter Text
"Is it that much of a chicken scratch?" Jesper wonders, pumping vanilla syrup in a plastic to-go cup.
Inej looks at him, a rag in her hand, still drying the mugs in front of her. "What?"
"My handwriting, is it really that incomprehensible? Saints, should I go see a doctor? Is there even a doctor for this kinda thing?"
Inej frowns, opening her mouth to respond, but then someone rushes to the counter. "I'm sorry, I- is my order ready? I'm kind of- well, in a rush," a flustered woman stammers, a crying, screaming, baby perched on her hip.
"Sure, love, just a sec," Jesper says, putting a lid on the cup and getting a straw. "Wouldn't wanna upset this tiny little princess any further, would we?" he adds, his voice pitched high to try and stop the wailing.
"Thank you so much, I'm really sorry about the mess, I don't know-" she stops, shifting her grip on the baby to take her cup while simultaneously putting some bills in their tip jar. "I don't know what's gotten into her, she's usually so calm...again, I'm really, really sorry."
"Nah, don't worry 'bout it, love, it's a baby. Crying's what they do best. Isn't that right, gorgeous?" Jesper winks, making a face at the baby as her mother ushers out the door.
He starts to turn away from the counter, jumping in his spot when he notices Inej standing much closer to him than she was before. "I will put a bell on you, you hear me? Don't test me! That is so creepy!"
"What was that about a doctor? If not for a therapist, I'd say you don't really need one" she smiles.
"You're so fun, you know that? You should have your own Netflix stand-up special" Jesper sighs, his eyes sliding over the customers occupying most of the tables in the café, before shifting to the much too familiar sight at the right-end corner. "Okay, it's about the guy."
"Saints, not this again." Inej rolls her eyes, starting to make her way back to the sink. "C'mon, you asked me! The least you could do is listen to me whine about my depressing love life!" Jesper says, his tone affronted.
"Your love life is far from depressing, Jes. I'd say it's far too exciting, even." Inej smirks, teasing her best friend. "I know I'm irresistible, thank you very much. It's just... it's different, with him." he sighs, again.
Saints, he's really in deep.
"Fine. I'll regret it, but fine. Tell me what's going on between you two and how your terrible handwriting comes into this."
"So you admit it! It's horrible, it's disgusting, and I should go see a doctor! The guy probably hates me, now!" he pouts, crossing his arms over his chest. "Saints, Jesper, I was kidding! I swear, you're so dramatic." she snickers "What'd you do to him, anyway?" Inej asks, an inquisitive look in her eyes.
"Alright, so. He started showing up here a few weeks ago, and he's cute, right? Look at him, he's got those big doe eyes and he's tiny, and sometimes, when he looks out the window to the sky, he's got this big smile that just lights his whole face up, and- "
"So he's hot and instead of working you stare at him, got it. Go on."
"Don't mock me, you bully, you're such a hater. Anyway, as I was saying, he's really cute, so obviously I had to flirt with him, you know? Just a teeny tiny little bit" he pinches his thumb and index together, then shrugs. He doesn't really remember what he'd said the first time they'd met, but it probably was some trusted pick up line of his, maybe something about coffee beans? Or was it about the colour of his eyes?
"Obviously." Inej agrees, pulling him out of his thoughts "And, what? He didn't take it well?" she peers at the guy.
Jesper's right, he is cute, in a soft kind of way: with the mop of brown hair ever so slightly falling onto his eyes and the way his oversized sweater swallows not only his torso up, but also his thighs and his hands, she finds him adorable, almost.
He seems completely lost in his world: headphones in, eyes focused on his computer's screen and an almost empty cup of coffee next to him. Sometimes he shifts his eyes from the laptop to a beat-up notebook he has on the table, scribbling something before going back to the screen. "I don't peg him as homophobic."
"That's the thing! He didn't say anything! Nothing at all, not a single word. He just blushed, smiled, thanked me and went to that bloody table. And since then he's come back here a few times, but every single one of them has gone the same exact way." he sighs, defeated. Maybe his handwriting really is shit, and the guy just doesn't understand it? Or maybe he's losing his charm? The last time he's picked someone up wasn't even a month ago, yes, but perhaps he's rustier than he'd thought?
"I don't know, 'Nej, I've tried just about everything! I've called him so many pet names, I've memorized his order-"
"To be honest, it's plain black coffee, even I know that." Inej interrupts, earning a glare from Jesper. "I've memorized his order. Every single time, without fail, I've written my name and my number on his bloody receipt, and he's done nothing with it! Do you think I should print it, so it'd be easier to read?"
"Is that why you want a doctor to, what, cure your handwriting? Have you considered that he might just throw it out? Saints know I barely glance at my receipts anymore, Jes!" she suggests, trying to make him feel better.
"Or maybe" a third voice interrupts them, the raspy sound making them glance at its owner "he's just a customer who wants his interactions here to remain professional. Since, in case you've both forgotten, you're supposed to be working." their manager Kaz drawls, his eyebrows raised to his forehead and his fingers tapping on his cane.
Jesper points his horrible finger guns at him and turns towards the coffee machine, shooting a wink over his shoulder to Inej, who smiles at him. When Jesper mouths an excessively emphasized "we'll continue this later" at her, she smiles at his antics, rolls her eyes with affection and goes to the till, just as another customer makes her way in the coffee shop.