Work Text:
It was way too early in the morning for Morro to be up on a Saturday. Normally, by this time he’d be passed out in his bed, stroking the apartment’s neighborhood cat that decided too claw at everyones door until you let it in. Sadly however, he couldn’t just not open the record shop. Just after his run in with his cousin, and some not no nice words with the teenagers he remembers seeing running away from the scene; he’d gotten some new records shipped in. Limited edition too, from some band called ‘The Fold.’ He wasn’t one to put off till tomorrow, surprisingly, so he forced himself up out of bed. Plus he didn’t want to risk them getting stolen from the back. Which brought him here, awake yet still drowsy impatiently waiting for his coffee so he could get on to the shop.
The wind elemental could tell it was going to be a pain to stock everything, and even more of a pain because people would be coming in and not for the new release. He groaned slightly under his breath. Refreshing the page on his phone, too tired to even scroll. The coffee shop wasn’t that far from his record store, maybe just a few blocks. Morro’s become a regular here, all the employees didn’t even have to ask what he wants, as his order became like it’s own option on the menu.
Thankfully, it wasn’t as packed as it normally is. Shocker, seeing at it’s six a clock in the morning on a Saturday. He swore people would’ve been bustling in and out, trying to get some morning caffeine before work. Never the less, he appreciated the quietness. The only other person inside, was a teenager sitting by himself in the corner. An orange scarf covering his face as he typed furiously into the computer sitting in front of him. Sipping a drink, that no doubt had more sugar then what was available in the back.
Morro made himself aware of the kid’s presence, and turned back to the counter. Where he watched the girl making his drink, eyeing it with a grimace as she poured just a bit too much milk into it. He wasn’t going to ask her to remake it though, he was already running late for opening anyways. Soon enough, the drink was placed on the counter in front of him and she called out his name. Silently thanking the worker and grabbing his drink.
Just as he was about to turn on his heel towards the door, his ears twitched slightly at the sound of breath hitching. Following with the quiet sobs of a boy; filling the coffee shop with now an uncomfortable silence. The workers did their best not to send a glance towards the corner, exactly where the teen he saw earlier was sitting. Morro froze, pausing just before his hand hit the exit. Part of him told him to just leave, that this wasn’t his business, he doesn’t even know the kid! Wouldn’t it be weird that an adult was talking with what looked to be a junior anyways? Then, the other side of him shouted at him to go ask what was wrong, a slight urge in him to comfort the crying kid.
Morro groaned. He blames Lloyd for turning him soft.
The wind elemental turned on his heel, and carefully approached the crying teen. Who had shoved his head into his scarf, huffing as the laptop he had earlier was now closed. His drink melting, seemingly having been untouched for far too long. It felt like he was trying to soothe a wild animal, though he wouldn’t say that out-loud; not wanting to hurt the already upset kid even more. His brown fluffy hair bounced with each sob that wracked through his body; sleeves pulled over his hands as he leaned down on the table.
“Hey..kid—you..uh..you good?”
Way to go Morro! Now you sound equally as uncomfortable as he probably is!
“W-what?” A squeaky voice replied; just in time for a huge group of college students to rush in with orders. Effectively drowning out the shop with their requests, Morro was glad for the convenience. Now, it’d be less awkward talking with the kid in such a silent place. He placed his drink on the table, sliding in the seat across from the teen. Leaning his arms down onto it with a tilt in his head, concern on his face.
“I’m asking if you’re okay..no one just starts randomly crying in the middle of a coffee shop.”
“I didn’t—I wasn’t crying!”
The kid said with puffy red eyes, tears currently streaming down his face, and voice choked up.
Morro just looked at him.
“Uh-huh?”
He swished the ice coffee on the table around, picking it up for a quick sip before placing it down to look at the teen. His nose was stuffy, and he was rubbing at is eyes with his palms. Obviously trying to hide the fact he didn’t just start having a breakdown; his fingernails were chewed, there were eye bags underneath his watery gaze, followed by the way his head tilted near the wall that no doubt was the most comfortable thing on the planet for the kid right now. All the signs of an all-nighter gone wrong and the facts of a stressed out high schooler.
Bingo.
“It’s just..I need to finish an essay for my business class—but I can’t..I just can’t! There’s nothing about the topic, I-I don’t know what to write, it’s due on Monday—and I can’t finish it Sunday because I have a bar mitzvah to go too. I’m rambling aren’t I—oh this is just great! Stressing to a complete stranger !”
The teen slammed his head back onto the table; shutting himself up with another cry. The wind elemental blinked, caught completely off-guard by the word vomit of sentences that other just sprawled out. Though he did catch into the fact, that yes, he was correct about the problem at hand. Overworked students, he remembers being in the kid’s shoes stressing to his dad about how geometry or chemistry homework. The good ol’ days.
Hesitantly, Morro put a hand on the teen’s shoulder. Making him look up with one open eye, shiny and teary. “I could..help you, if you’d like.” He started. “I own my own business..maybe I could give some pointers?”
Now that, that made the teen’s face light up. Immediately he wiped away his tears, staring at the man like he just hung the stars and the moon. He nodded so quickly, Morro swore his head would bobble off. The image in his head made him almost snort, before shrugging it away.
“You would do that? Really!?”
“Course, my shop’s just up the street. It’s quiet in the back, could help you focus more without all the smells and people coming in here..”
Yep. Lloyd really did make him soft. Morro was most definitely going to strangle his cousin the next time he sees him.
“Yes! Yes! Yes, thank you—uhm..”
“Morro.”
“Jay!”
The teen, ‘Jay’ flapped his hands. Hoping off the seat and grabbing his tablet, sliding it into his bag the wind elemental just noticed was laying on the back of the chair. The latter followed suit, picking up his coffee and drowning the rest of it down his throat in one big gulp. If he was running late, he was for sure dying late now. He shrugged his shoulder to the exit, signing to the kid to follow. Too which, Jay happily did. Morro couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his chest at the teen’s smile, it reminded him of some annoying little blonde hair brat. In a sweet way, of course.
True to his word, by the time the wind master let him into the back after opening up the store. Jay was already back on his laptop, asking a million questions per second; the other could only wonder how someone’s mood could switch so quickly. While Morro dealt with customers buying out the new records, he occasionally popped his head in the back. One, to answer a question the kid had, and two, just to check up on him and make sure he was doing alright. By the time it was the afternoon, Jay came running out the back happily shouting to Morro that he had finished. Showing him the complete, one thousand word essay; and also successfully scaring a twelve year old boy the wind elemental was helping.
And, hypothetically, and only hypothetically.
If the teen came running back to the record store on a Wednesday afternoon, just minutes before closing with a picture of his grade on his phone. Proudly presenting a ‘100%’ with the biggest brace-filled toothy smile; showing the other and hugging him till the man practically begged him for air to breathe. No one would ever know.
And maybe, just maybe.
If you asked Morro why he had a screenshot printed out of a ‘100’ on tapped the back of the fridge in the employee’s lounge, he’d shrug it off and would only turn away with a laugh.