Chapter Text
Vertin’s bored.
It’s been a slow day, she’s only served 5 people at most and they’ve all been at the beginning of her shift. The only other person she’s seen walk into the cafe was Matilda and she went straight to Sonetto meaning she went on her break. That means not only does Vertin not have anyone to talk to, she’s behind the counter alone and doesn’t have an excuse not to deal with customers, if there are any.
They decide to keep themselves distracted by making some tea to drink. They’ve always liked tea no matter how cliche it was. There’s always been just something about how it tasted, the sweetness but also the bitterness that just fit together so perfectly and let’s not forget that there’s so many different types of teas out in the world. She’s always wanted to be able to try all the different kinds of teas and she’s already tasted quite a few. They’re all so different and flavourful compared to the one she grew up with but her favourite would always be that.
Vertin had been thinking about the tea they’ve tried so much that they didn’t hear the bell ring when the door opened. They didn’t hear anyone walk over to the counter. They didn’t hear the bell ring on the counter either. They didn’t hear the person clear their throat. They could only hear when the person spoke up,
“Excuse me?” She hears from behind her, an unfamiliar voice making her snap out of her thoughts about the tea. They turn around to see who had called for them and almost drop their tea from the sheer beauty of the woman that’s in front of them. Her eyes widen as her mind goes blank except for a single thought running through her mind:
Oh she’s…she’s just… she’s just so stunning…Vertin thought to herself. The sounds of the cafe going silent as she basically drinks in the image of the woman: the short, dark brown curls that perfectly shape her face, those piercing, ruby-red eyes that show that she has seen too much but Vertin would still stare into them forever if she was allowed, the slightly revealing clothes that had been covered by a blazer to make it still socially acceptable to wear. Oh and not to mention that playful smile that dawned her lips.
Vertin didn’t notice that she had been asked a question nor that she had been staring at her lips until she realised that they had moved. The sounds of the cafe crashed back into her ears. She didn’t want that, she wanted to continue to look at the stunning woman. Then Vertin realised that it also meant the voice of the woman would be in her ears. “Are you alright?”, she asks once again with a tilt of her head, a small chuckle slipping past her lips. Vertin finally registers what she had asked and quickly puts her cup down to join the woman at the counter. A thought ran through her mind when she heard the small woman speak: she sounds like an angel..
“Yes, yes, sorry to have kept you waiting. Now what can I get for you today ma’am?” Vertin asks, silently thanking the Lord that she didn’t stutter and embarrass herself in front of the woman.
She leans on her hand and hums a little bit, staring at the menu on the chalkboard to check what the cafe offered. Once she chose what she wanted she looked back to Vertin, her expression unchanged, “one large hot chocolate, oh and a cookie to-go please.”
They look at the woman with the same playful smile, it hasn't left her lips the whole interaction, it makes their heart skip a beat. Suddenly feeling embarrassed she mumbles for her to go wait by the registers. They turn around and smack their cheeks a little to stop the blush from growing. Vertin then leaves the counter as well to begin making the woman her drink.
As they make the beverage, they start to feel the small woman watch their every move. Vertin didn’t really understand why she was watching them nor why so intensely, but they didn't mind it. She liked being watched by the woman, even if she didn’t exactly know why. For some reason, it felt nice to be under her gaze even; she felt safe although they just met.
The barista tries not to let it distract her from making the hot chocolate. After all she has to make it perfect for the stunning woman. Even if that means she spends more time at the machine trying to get everything just right. Even if it means she has to use their best ingredients. But she’s also trying to figure out why the woman is watching her every move.
Eventually she stops thinking about the gaze and finishes the drink. She picks it up and places it next to the cash register where the woman has been waiting. Vertin places the lid on the cup before walking over to get the cookie out of the display. After she gets it out she puts it in a little bag before placing it next to the hot chocolate. “Your total will be £7.50, will that be all for you today?”
She nods her head and places down the money, moving to pick up her drink and cookie before she stops and looks back up to Vertin, “actually..do you have a pen I could borrow for a second?” That playful smile soon took over her lips once again as Vertin looked at her confusedly.
Vertin reaches into their breast pocket to pull out one of the pens, not questioning why she needed one. They passed the pen to her and were about to retract their hand when they felt something soft and small grab their wrist to keep it in place. They looked down to see the smaller woman leaning over the counter slightly, writing something on their hand. Her hands are so soft.. Vertin thinks to herself as a soft blush dusts her cheeks.
Before Vertin could fully comprehend what just happened, the shorter woman had put the pen down and picked up her hot chocolate and cookie, making her way to the door and stopping right in front of it, a hand on the handle. She turned around and stared at Vertin, the smile still present on that gorgeous face.
“I hope to see you again soon, my Lord, and don’t forget to text me as well~” After saying that the shorter woman left the cafe, leaving a very confused and very embarrassed Vertin in the same spot as when she had left.
Vertin shakes their head to stop looking at the door and to stop hoping the woman would walk back in. They looked down to their hand, the feeling of her touch still present, and saw there was indeed something written there. The first thing was her number and the second was her name. The stunning woman’s name was written there on her hand, for her.
“Schneider..” they mumble, testing how it feels on their lips. They loved how it sounded. A smile tugs on the corner of her lips before the realisation of what just happened dawns on her, “I just got the absolutely stunning woman’s number and her name is even better...” Vertin muttered, their mouth agape. They caressed the writing gently whilst their eyes scanned the cafe.They don’t spot the familiar ginger hair of their best friend. They decide that she’s probably in the back with her girlfriend - still on break.
Vertin writes a little note saying that the worker will be back in five minutes if any more customers happen to come in. They turn on their heels before walking into the back room to find their coworker and her girlfriend about what the hell just happened. Especially about the wonderful woman called Schneider, she’ll make sure to go into extra detail about her but first she has to find her friends.
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Schneider walks out of the coffee shop with the cup of hot chocolate pressed to her lips; she isn’t able to take a sip before she moves it back down to her waist again, her thoughts drifting back to the cute barista. She begins to walk down the street, with the same smile she wore when she had been talking to the girl. Normally that smile would have left her lips by the time she left the place but for some reason it hasn’t this time.
“Oh, that barista surely was interesting..” Schneider muses to herself, making her way to her warehouse. The smile not leaving her lips as she thinks more about them, that barista.. she seemed.. she seemed just stunned to see me, am I really that attractive to her? Oh, but I really do hope she texts me, her face when I teased her was just as I hoped for. And her face when I called her ‘my lord’ Schneider let out a small giggle when she remembered the barista’s face, it was bright red. I really do hope she texts me, she seems like an interesting woman.
Schneider doesn’t even notice that she’s outside the warehouse now with how much she was thinking. She hasn’t even had a drink of the hot chocolate nor the cookie she was going to eat. Schneider sighs before she takes a sip of the hot chocolate, shocked to feel that it’s still warm and slightly sweeter than she’s used to, how is this still warm? And how is it so sweet? I watched her make it and didn’t see her put any sugars in. She thinks to herself, knowing that she’ll get used to the flavour.
She walks into the warehouse as she begins to eat her cookie. “This tastes just as sweet,” she muses to herself with a small smile. Schneider is just able to finish her cookie and hot chocolate before one of her men comes running up to her, panting.
“Ma’am!” The man says, out of breath from the running. He quickly sorts himself out and stands up straight before looking down to Schneider who has raised an eyebrow. “The people who you wished to speak with are here and have been for a while. It seems like they are starting to get bored of waiting.”
Schneider sighs and rubs the bridge of her eyebrows, mumbling, “Signore, dammi la forza..” before looking back up and patting him on the shoulder. “You’ve done well, don’t worry about it now,” she smiles at him before she leaves for the meeting room.
Schneider stands outside the meeting room and sorts out her blazer before donning her lazy smile that she is known for. She has to make sure this deal goes as planned or else she’ll have bigger problems to face rather than wondering if the cute barista would text her.
She shakes her head and makes sure she looks presentable before opening the door. Her eyes scan the room once she gets inside, nearly letting out an audible sigh at what they all look like but managing to stop herself.
This is just what it’s like to be a gang leader at this young of an age.