Archive of Our Own

It was a Monday afternoon, just gone 3pm, and had been quiet for the last hour since the lunchtime rush had passed.

Yaz found herself leaning on the counter watching out the window as the glow of the sun flooded the street outside - it being November meant that it would soon begin setting and darkness was fast approaching. Yaz found it rather depressing. The days were shorter, she’d make her way home in the dark, and her mood just wasn’t as good as it usually was.

The same thing happened every year.

It also didn’t help that she went home to an empty flat.

Part of her did regret moving out, but she really needed her own space. She was almost 26 now and Yaz just wanted to make herself believe that her life was going somewhere, and a flat felt like the way to prove that. Especially as finding a partner had been incredibly unsuccessful as she’s been in the same job for those same 6 years she’s been pretty much single for – bar a few shit dates.

She organises the little holder full of sugar packets again, switching over the white and brown for the 4th time when the bell above the door rings.

Yaz expects to look up and see one of the three customers in there walking out, instead she’s greeted by a blonde woman squinting at the board behind her.

“Why did I leave my glasses in the car?” The woman mumbles to herself. She’s got a gym bag over one shoulder and a khaki parker with a fur lined hood on. Her coat is open and Yaz can read the name of the local gym on her t-shirt, the one just round the corner that opened a few weeks back, paired with grey joggers. It’s clear where she’s just been and also serves as a reminder to Yaz that she needs to get back into going.

 “Can I help you?” Yaz asks, it's been a few seconds of the blonde squinting and now her nose is starting the scrunch up, so Yaz decides to do her job and assist her.

“Yeah, sorry.” She grins. Her whole face lights up with the motion, the lines on her face switch from confusion and concentration to something happier, and she looks to Yaz. “Just a good ol’ latte, please.”

“Anything with it?” Yaz motions to the display with cakes and other treats in.

“Nah... although,” The blonde takes a closer look at the display. “That hasn’t got raspberry jam in it, has it?”

“The sponge? Yeah, it does.”

“Damn. Can’t stand raspberry.” Her nose scrunches again. “Hmm. Any chance I could get a rocky road to take home?”

“Sure.” Yaz puts it into the till. “I can pop that in a bag for you.”

“Sweet. Thanks. Love a rocky road.”

“Anything else?”

The woman’s eyes briefly land on Yaz’s apron, more precisely where her badges sit – one with her name on of course that has her pronouns underneath, but also the pin of a ginger cat holding a bi flag that Clara had given her a few years back. The blonde's brow twitches slightly and the corner of her mouth rises in a just visible smirk. “That’s all, ta.”

Yaz puts it through and once the card is beeped she makes the drink and bags up the treat and then passes both over to the customer. After a “thanks” the blonde takes a seat at the stalls on the right that look out onto the main high street, takes out a piece of paper and a pen and starts writing something down. Yaz can’t help but watch her. She’s cute. Probably a few years older than Yaz is and she hopes the woman returns in the future, maybe becomes a regular. That look she had given when she spotted the badge felt like one of recognition than judgement. Yaz doesn’t hold out much hope for anything more than friends to happen if she does return though, luck has long passed Yaz by when it comes to relationships.

Well, serious ones.

They both jump when a phone rings. Yaz had been a bit too caught up in watching her, and it seems by the way the blonde looks over at her, she may have just been caught out.

As soon as she answers it her leg starts bouncing on the bar of the stall, the pen she had been writing with tapping on the table top.

Yaz doesn’t mean to listen in but when it’s dead quiet in the cafe and the move she makes to clean up the coffee machine doesn’t really distract her ears, she can’t help it.

Within a few seconds she figures out the person on the other end of the phone is called Amy and the conversation is about a bloke called Oscar. Someone she’s pretty sure the blonde is in a relationship with which squashes any remaining thoughts Yaz had about anything possibly happening between them if she even found the guts to go for it.

Of course, the first person she’s been slightly intrigued by in months is already taken. Her zero luck really is on full display.

“I feel like he’s gonna propose, Amy.” The blonde sighs. “I know we’ve been together for over 2 years but I don’t know that I’m ready.” Her leg continues to bounce as she starts to, what Yaz assumes is, doodle on the paper she had before been writing on as she listens to whatever is being said on the other end of the phone. “You’re right.” She sighs again and takes a sip of her coffee. “Maybe I’m just nervous about what it would mean.”

Yaz watches as coffee is finished and the paper is shoved in a coat pocket. The woman gets up, slings her bag back over her shoulder, turns to Yaz and holds up the little paper bag with the rocky road in and gives a small smile in thanks, her other hand still holding the phone to her ear as she leaves.

She watches as the blonde walks away.

Yaz still finds herself hoping she’ll come back.

It’s nearly the end of the week when the stranger does come back.

Almost a whole week since Yaz had last seen her.

The rush of a Saturday lunchtime is still going on, all but one table and a couple of stalls are taken, and Yaz hasn’t seen Clara – who's busy in the back sorting cooked lunches - to speak more than orders to for over an hour.

The bell above the door goes just as she’s handing the to-go coffee cup to the greying man at the counter – Graham, a regular and the step-grandfather of her best mate, Ryan.

“See you tomorrow, Graham.”

“Cheers, cockle.”

The blonde holds the door open for Graham before letting it softly close.

She’s not in gym gear this time. Instead she has boots on and black jeans, a navy jumper and mustard coloured long coat. Her hair is straightened rather than the waves from last time, but then the difference is understandable given no one would do their hair if they were working out. A bag hangs over her shoulder, an old but colourful satchel this time rather than a gym bag.

As she approaches the counter she tucks some hair behind her left ear and Yaz can’t not notice the ring on her finger. On that finger.

She’d said yes.

He’d proposed and she’d accepted.

Yaz is happy for her, of course, she might be a stranger but getting engaged is a happy thing, right? Even if the sight of the ring did make her stomach drop. They don’t even know each other, she doesn’t even know her name, it shouldn’t bother her.

“Hiya.” The greeting brings her back.

“Hi, sorry, miles away.” Yaz chuckles awkwardly. “What can I get for you?”

“Just a tea, thanks.”

The blonde’s eyes glance at her badge and there’s a look of realisation, which Yaz just assumes is her checking her name as maybe she’d forgotten it.

“Anything with it?” Yaz asks the usual question she asks everyone, using any opportunity to try and sell a tasty treat from the display.

“Hmm.” The blonde takes a glance at the choices. “Ooh, I’ll have a slice of that sponge, please.”

Yaz is sure the last time she’d been in here she had told Yaz that she hated raspberry, that she’d checked beforehand that the jam wasn’t that, and yet here she was now ordering it. Maybe Yaz had remembered wrong – she sees a lot of customers after all.

Still she plates up the treat and puts it through the till and signals for the card to be bleeped.

“Not been to the gym today then?” Yaz could kick herself for the awkward question but she just found she had to say something, try and talk to the woman a little more than last time.

The blonde’s brows furrow before smoothing out. “Wh- Oh, yeah, no, not today.” She chuckles.

Before Yaz can keep the conversation going anymore a group of four people walk in and join the queue. Looks like that’s all she’ll get today, she just hopes there’ll be a third visit, a third opportunity to get to know her as she can’t help but still be intrigued by the blonde even now she knows for sure anything more than friendship is off the table.

“I’ll let you know when your tea’s ready.”

“Thanks. Uh, where can I get some sugar?”

Yaz pushes the little pot forwards. “Take all you want.”

And she does, five of them to be exact, and Yaz is sure her expression is rather comical but it’s not taken notice of as with another thanks the blonde heads off to a table near the far side of the café with her cake and settles down.

The only other contact they have is when Yaz calls her up to collect her tea not long after she takes the order for the group.

Unless the glances count.

Twice Yaz had looked over to see her looking back, the first time the blonde acted like she hadn’t been caught and pushed the glasses she’d put on back up her nose and got back to whatever she was doing – which, from what Yaz saw when she passed to deliver a drink to a nearby table, looked like marking some kind of school homework… and so Yaz now knew the stranger was a gym going teacher. The second time they’d just given each other a small smile.

It was not long after the second time, just as everything was starting to calm down and Yaz thought she might be able to head over and chat to her, that she started packing up and with a small wave and “thanks” left.

Just like last time Yaz watches out the window as the blonde walks away.

Just like last time Yaz hopes she’ll come back again.

“Third time lucky” is what Yaz thinks when the bell rings and she’s greeted by a familiar face.

The blonde shivers a little, the weather having fallen a few more degrees as December fast approaches, and suppresses a yawn.

“Back again?” Yaz smiles.

She’s much earlier than usual. The café hasn’t long been open, the last couple of times she’d come more into the afternoon.

Maybe she’s come for a pre-work or workout coffee.

The question seems to bring the blondes attention away from where she had been looking around the cafe, most likely at how empty it was and so seeing that all but one seat was free, and there’s that look from the other day again. One of realisation. Yaz can only assume is because she’s recognised her regular presence recently - what else would it be?

When she gets closer Yaz takes in what she’s wearing.

She’s dressed fairly smartly in a white shirt that's half tucked into navy tartan trousers and a long grey coat on top, a green beanie covering blonde waves. The rainbow lanyard hanging round her neck catches Yaz’s attention the most. Badges line the material – one’s a pronoun badge with “they/she” on, another is a lesbian flag and the one below that is half pride flag half trans flag with the words “you’re safe with me” in the centre, on the other side there’s a small badge that's white with “i’m autistic” written in a cartoony font and a small blue and orange rocket pin below that.

It’s a collection that trumps Yaz’s one, whether you include her name badge or not.

An informative collection.

Although it does leave her with some questions given what she feels she knows about the person in front of her but then most of that is assumptions which maybe isn’t fair.

Her eyes follow the rainbow down and find an ID badge for the local hospital. There’s a photo on it that’s very clearly the blonde in front of her and a name.

Dr Jayden Smith.

They’re a doctor. A doctor... and a teacher? Or maybe they’re training students and it was homework for adults rather than kids that they’d been marking the other day?

When she meets Jayden’s eyes again she knows she been caught out.

“Jayden?”

“Yeah?” Their brows furrows in confusion.

“Yaz.”

“Huh?” The line between Jayden’s brows gets deeper.

“My name. I’m- My name’s Yaz.”

“Yeah, it says on your...” Jayden smirks and points to Yaz’s own badge.

“Right, of course.” Yaz chuckles. “I’m blaming that on how early it is. You off to work then?”

“Just finished.”

“Just finished?!”

“Night shift, A&E, been a quiet one though thankfully.”

Yaz doesn’t say what she’s thinking out of fear of coming off rude but, if she was honest, it explains why Jayden looks knackered. Although their face still lights up when they smile despite the exhaustion.

“What can I get you, then? Don’t wanna keep you waiting any longer.”

“Ermm...” Jayden takes off their beanie, stuffing it in their coat pocket with their left hand, the other runs through their hair. The motion makes the small shaved section on each side of their head visible to Yaz, something she hadn’t noticed before during their last interactions, as well as the small hoop halfway down the edge of their right ear. “I would sell my soul for a hot chocolate with all the works.”

“I can do that for £3.65 rather than your soul.”

Jayden laughs, their left hand coming up to tuck some hair behind their ear and the motion give Yaz a view of the now ringless again finger.

That didn’t last long.

Yaz feels bad that she’s kind of pleased about that, but then maybe it’ll also help her feel less guilty about wanting to get to know Jayden more, especially as she’s pretty sure a crush is developing.

“Deal.”

“Anything else?”

“Just these.” They grab a small packet of custard creams off the display behind the till. “Although...” Jayden moves over to the display and takes a look. “What would you recommend?”

Yaz watches as their face scrunches at a couple of her suggestions, clearly not a fan of them or maybe just not in the mood as one of them was the sponge they had last time. It’s cute and Jayden catches her watching, they don’t say anything, just gives a little smile.

“What about a blueberry muffin?”

“Hmm?” A beat. “Oh, yeah. That sounds perfect.” Yaz moves to plate it up for the blonde but their voice stops her. “Could I take it before I leave? Might save it for a snack when I inevitably wake up hungry after my nap.”

“Sure.” She puts the plate down. “I’ll pop it in a bag and you can pick it up before you go.”

“Thanks.”

Jayden pays and waits for the hot chocolate before taking both it and the small packet of custard creams with them to a table at the front of the cafe with a view of the street. Yaz watches as their leg bounces while watching the people who, unlike them, are just on their way to work. Watches as their phone dings and they fish it out their pocket, fist squeezing in, judging by the look on their face, excitement at whatever the message that had just come through was. Watches as they drink the hot chocolate and is left with a cream moustache. Watches until new customers come in and her time is taken by them instead.

Yaz had just finished serving the third, ready for the next in line, however the next is line is Jayden – beanie back on and hands bunched in coat pockets.

“Gotta head off before I fall asleep on that table.” They admit. “Almost forgot to come and collect my muffin.”

“Can’t have that.” Yaz says as she grabs the paper bag she’d put to one sider earlier. “You need your post nap sustenance.”

Jayden laughs. “It’s very important.”

“Well, I hope you enjoy it.”

“I’m sure I will.” They give Yaz a smile which is returned.

“See you again soon?” Yaz can’t help but ask the question she’s internally voiced before whenever the blonde had come in.

“If I’m lucky.”

And with that Jayden leaves. Their departure is a little less smooth than before, Yaz can’t hear what they’re saying but they’re mumbling away as they head for the door, pushing it and then realising it’s a pull door.

For the third time Yaz watches as the blonde... as Jayden walks away.

This time Yaz knows she’ll see them again and she can’t wait.

Turns out “soon” was in almost two weeks.

Yaz was starting to think that maybe Jayden had changed their mind or that maybe they’d picked up on Yaz’s blooming crush and this was their way of turning her down.

Who knows.

The cafe was at its usual height of busy for a Tuesday – which meant that the tables were getting emptier and emptier as people headed back to work after their break - Clara was in the kitchen finishing off the last few lunch orders from the midday rush, and so Yaz was at the counter by herself, waiting for anyone to come in.

She’d already cleaned the coffee machine, restocked a few of the baked goods that they still had spares of and wiped down the tables that had freed up, there wasn’t anything else to do but doodle on her little notepad. An effort to distract her from what felt like the inevitable disappointment of Jayden not turning up again, the worry that sits in her stomach.

But when the bell above the door rings and Yaz sees the blonde in that yellow coat her worries fade, just a little because maybe they’re gonna turn her down to her face...

“Hiya.”

That smile. That’s a good thing, right?

“Hey.” Yaz returns the smile and stands up straighter, shoving the notepad back into the front of her apron. She decides on a simple question, the usual kind she’d ask to a regular, see if that helps her scope out the situation more. “Same as last time?”

Jayden seems to contemplate it for a moment, thinks about it and Yaz wonders if they’re trying to remember what they had last time. “Sure, why not.” They then point in the direction of the toilets. “Just gonna pop to the loo, if that’s alright.”

“Of course, I’ll get it ready while you’re in there.”

Jayden disappears round the corner and Yaz leans forward over the counter to grab one of the small packets of custard creams from the front. She sets it down and is just about to grab a mug to start the hot chocolate when the bell above the door goes. Looking up and planning to see who’s walked in and let them know she’ll just be a moment instead leaves her stumped.

It’s Jayden, walking towards her from the direction of the front door. The opposite direction she's sure they definitely walked off in just a few seconds ago.

“Hey.” They greet with smile that’s borderline on a smirk.

‘Hi... didn’t you just-” Yaz’s thumb points in the direction of the toilets as she mumbles her confusion. She frowns and shakes her head a little, maybe they’d only popped in to wash their hands... but still why did they come over from the direction of the door..? “I’m just doing the drink now.” Yaz smiles, an effort to not let Jayden on to the confusion in her head.

“What drink?”

Okay, now she’s really confused. Did she in fact just imagine the conversation she’d just had with them?

When the bell goes again Yaz has to do a double take because she’s, well, seeing double. Either her mind is playing tricks on her because of how much she wanted to see the blonde again or...

“You’re a twin?”

“Huh?” Jayden looks behind. “Oh, hey, Jay.”

Jay.

So, Jayden’s not the one she’s currently talking to?

“Hey, Cam.”

Yaz watches as the two of them fist bump. If she’s honest, and ignores the surprise of finding out the person she likes is an identical twin, it makes so much make sense. The fact one day they hated raspberry and the next had a cake with it in, one moment seeing them marking school homework and the next they’ve got a hospital ID and talking about night shifts at A&E. The relationship with whoever this Oscar is, the ring appearing and disappearing – although if Yaz was honest she was still a little confused about that one.

“So, you’re Jayden?” Yaz points to the twin who's just come in and now stands on the left.

“That’s me.” They grin.

“And you’re...”

“Cameron. Cam.” Yaz nods. Jayden and Cameron. Twins. They’ve surely got some differences so shouldn’t be too hard to tell them apart?

“And she’s Quinn.” Jayden points over... in the direction of the toilets.

“What?”

When Yaz looks over she’d greeted by a third version of the same face. The one who went to the bathroom and now she thinks about it, how did she not notice the difference in their coats? At least she now knew that she wasn’t going mad.

“There’s three of you?”

“I’m guessing she’s just found out we’re triplets.” Quinn says as she comes over, slinging an arm around Jayden’s shoulders.

“Yep.”

“I love it when this happens.” Cameron grins.

At least right now they’ve all got different coats on so Yaz can definitely tell them apart.

Three of them. Triplets. Yeah, Yaz would not have put money on this happening.

“So, hold on.” Yaz takes a second, trying to work it out herself first but she can’t. “Which one was..?”

“I came in first.” Cameron raises her hand.

“Then me.” Quinn’s hand that rests over Jayden’s shoulder flicks up. A hand that has a ring on it.

“And you know I came in last time because...” Jayden hold’s up the ID badge they have on again. At least that's one way to be sure who’s who, but give the situation they’re currently in, Yaz wouldn’t put it past the triplets to be the kind of people to play with others using their identical-ness and for Quinn or Cameron to nick the badge.

“Do you need a moment?” Quinn asks.

“No, no, I’m just realising how much is now suddenly making sense.”

The three of them laugh just as Clara pops out from the kitchen and Yaz can hear her stopping in her tracks, hear the confusion already before she even speaks.

“Yaz, is it just me or are you also seeing triple?”

Yaz laughs then. “Clara, this is Cam, Jayden and Quinn.” She points to each of them as she introduces them and they give a little wave in return.

“How can you tell them apart?” Her best friend wonders out loud and Yaz turns to see flour smudge on her cheek which just makes her expression funnier. “I, erm, I’m free now if you wanna go on your break.”

She does just that after taking the triplets orders and sorting her own, they each collect their own and make their way over to table big enough for the four of them. It’s a round table not far from the counter, just in case Clara needs any assistance before her break time is up.

They sit and talk for a bit, like a little get to know you, something Yaz had wanted to happen but she wasn’t expecting it to happen like this. She finds out that Quinn is married to a woman named River and Cameron is still with Oscar but he didn’t propose and wasn’t planning to. “He wanted a cat.” She informs with a roll of her eyes. Jayden’s single. Their sisters seem to find entertainment in ribbing them over their singleness. While they talk Yaz tries to seek out any differences between the three as she has a feeling this definitely won’t be the last time she sees them, especially if she has a say in it. She notices that Cameron’s eyes are more brown and her hairs a little shorter whereas Jayden and Quinn’s are hazel and their hair is a little longer, the undercut peeking out on Jayden who’s top lip is a little wonky. It’s cute.

Cute.

That’s something that’s okay to think about them now, now she knows that Oscar is Cam’s boyfriend and that Quinn is the one who's married.

Jayden and Cameron take off their coats, hanging them over the back on their respective chairs, and that’s when Yaz sees the thing that would’ve given the game away so much sooner.

“Y’know if you’d just taken your coats off straight away...” She nods to the ink that decorates their skin. Cameron and her two full sleeve tattoos, barely a slither of skin showing on either of her arms, and Jayden with one sleeve that’s more patch work and then three Yaz can see on their other arm.

“Yeah, but then we can’t have fun with it.” Cameron smirks.

“Wait.” Yaz’s jaw drops a little. “So, you guys played with me on purpose?”

“Nah, not really.” Quinn says as she takes a sip of her tea.

“They told me to come in after they’d been.” Jayden rolls their eyes before taking a mouthful of custard cream.

“Only because she’s cute and we knew you’d like her.”

Yaz doesn’t have to see it to know from Cameron’s yelp that Jayden just kicked her under the table, the latter glaring at their sister who’s rubbing her shin.

“It’s times like this i feel those minutes older than you two that I am.” Quinn mumbles, rubbing her brow.

“Wait, what?” The last few lines of conversation suddenly hit Yaz, did Cameron just say...

“She’s like 5 minutes ol-” Jayden starts but Yaz cuts them off.

“No, the bit before that.”

“Oh, Jay’s got a crush on you.” Cameron says, scooting back with a little so her sibling can’t hit her again, that smirk back on her face.

“Cam. I swear to fu-” Jayden flinches. “Ow. Quinn what was that for?”

Yaz ignores the glare Jayden is giving Quinn and the way Cameron is chuckling from beside her, her eyes just stay on Jayden, trying to process what she’s just heard. The worry that she’s scared them away because maybe they’d picked up the crush she was developing on them and didn’t feel the same, worry that had no reason being there because Jayden felt the same.

“You do?”

Jayden stops glaring at Quinn and meets Yaz’s eyes, their nose scrunching up as a hand comes up to rub the back of their neck. “Maybe a little.” They admit.

“A little?” Yaz’s question has Jayden’s cheeks getting dusted in pink, their head ducking most likely so Yaz can’t see.

“See, this is why we had to intervene,” Quinn says. “We knew they’d like you and they did, you could promise them a suitcase of custard creams-”

“Where?” Jayden’s head shoots up.

“See.” Quinn bumps her siblings shoulder with her fist. “Thinks with her stomach half the time.”

“I only came in for a post work coffee, just moved gyms so I thought I’d check out the local, but then I saw you.” Cameron starts to explain. “I told Quinn because we’ve been trying to set Jay up with someone for...” She groans. “God, sometimes it feels like a hundred years.”

“Hey!” Their sisters ignore Jayden’s protest.

“And so I came in to check you out like the responsible older sister I am.”

“2 minutes, Quinn. You’re 2 minutes older than me.” Cameron rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, but it’s 5 minutes for them.” Quinn points to the remaining triplet. Something about Jayden being the youngest, technically, and the other two looking out for them is sweet. Yaz wonders if the three of them have the dynamic of younger, middle and older siblings that ones who aren’t triplets would have. Seems to track given that Yaz can tell already that Quinn is very much the older sister, Yaz having a younger sister herself knows that position well.

Jayden sighs. “I knew as soon as I walked in and saw you why they had told me to check this place out.”

“And now...” Quinn says getting up as she and Cameron put their coats back on, Jayden’s eyes darting between the two of them – looking slightly panicked. “We’re gonna leave you two to it.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

“Enjoy your date.” Cameron winks.

“Guys...” Yeah, definitely panic on Jayden’s face.

Quinn ruffles Jayden’s hair and they bat away her hand. “See you soon, Yaz.”

And with that the two of them are left alone. They’d been set up. Yaz was trying to work up the courage to ask Jayden out before they eventually left but the job had been done for her... sort of. Jayden’s fingers tap on the table and Yaz resists the urge to cover them with a comforting hand, her own leg is bouncing under the table and she’s sure if she looks the blondes would be too.

It’s quiet for a moment while they take in what's happening.

“I’m so sorry about them.” Jayden breaks the silence, head falling into their hands. “They’re a nightmare and use our face to get me into trouble all the time and now you’ve been dragged into it all...” They sigh and raise their head a little. “If you don’t feel the same thats okay, I can go, we can say we’d rather be fr-”

“Are you free Thursday?” Yaz asks, grabbing the opportunity she’s got in front of her before Jayden spirals. Fuck it. She would’ve suggested tomorrow as she has the day off but, with the badge that had informed her that Jayden’s autistic, she wasn’t sure how they deal with last minute plans and the position they’re currently in had already been sprung on them so Yaz didn’t want to throw anything else on top.

“What?” Jayden’s head raises completely.

“Thursday. I finish at 2 so, could you be ready about 3?” Yaz hands a sweaty but thankfully her voice is strong and so her nerves are hidden.

“Yeah, I’m off work.” Their face scrunches up in that adorable way it does when they’re clearly confused. “Wait, what’s happening?”

“I’m gonna take you on a proper date.”

“A date?” Jayden’s face smooths out. “So, you..?”

“Yeah, I do.” Yaz smiles.

“Even though you met those two first.” Their thumb points in the direction of the door.

Yaz laughs, they have a point. “Yeah. You were the only one I properly spoke to, though. Cam and Quinn pretty much ordered and sat down and then left. We,” She gestures between herself and Jayden. “Actually talked.” She takes out her phone, opens up the page for a new contact and slides it over. Yaz can’t remember the last time she felt this brave about a possible relationship. The first steps being pushed by Jayden’s sisters had definitely helped. “Put your number in so I can text you the details.”

Jayden copies Yaz’s gesture and slides their phone over.

Details put in Yaz locks the screen and before she has a chance to hand it back over the screen lights up, a message saying “hi” from her own phone appearing on the screen. She smiles and then clocks what Jayden’s background is and the smile just grows as she hands the phone back.

“Which ones your favourite then?” She nods to their phone as Jayden clearly has no idea what she’s talking about. “Spider-Man.”

“Oh.” Jayden chuckles realising Yaz had seen the Spider-Man wallpaper that decorate the screen. “Miles.”

“Y’know, I haven’t seen those films yet.” Yaz admits and she doesn’t know if she regrets saying it because the way Jayden jaw drops and their hand flies to their chest looks like it's in horror but maybe also it’s just feign hurt.

“You- what?” They gasp.

“Have I messed this up already?” Yaz chuckles.

“Nah, but you have just put forward another date idea.”

“Another?” Jayden was already thinking pass their first date, that's a good thing, right? “You’re that optimistic about this?”

“Well,” Their hand rubs the back of their neck again. “I hope so.”

“Me too.” Yaz smiles which eases Jayden’s nerves as their hand drops onto the table and they return the smile.

“Hey, Yaz.” Clara’s voice cuts through the moment, just as Yaz’s finger was about to hook around Jayden’s. “Stop being gooey, I need you back.”

Yaz sighs and rolls her eyes. Her hand pulls away from where it had been just millimetres from Jayden’s. Getting up, she adjusts her apron, Jayden follows and stands with her. Their hands fiddle with each other and Yaz once again finds herself wanting to take them in her own. Maybe she can when they’re on their date.

Their date.

It’s actually happening.

“I’ll text you.”

“Can’t wait.” Jayden smiles and Yaz can’t resist it, she internally says fuck it for the second time and leans in, giving a small kiss to Jayden’s cheek which has already turned pink by the time she pulls away.

“Same. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Just like every time they’ve left, which Yaz now knows has actually just been once, she watches them go. Somethings missing though. When she looks to the table where they had been sitting she sees their coat still hanging over the back of the chair.

“Jay?” The shortened version of their name comes out without thinking.

“Yeah?” They spin around.

“Coat.” Yaz nods to the item of clothing trying to suppress a laugh.

“Right, yeah.” Jayden collects the coat and slides it on, covering up the ink that decorates their skin. If it hadn’t been so cold outside Yaz may have just let them forget it so they would’ve come back later or maybe Yaz could’ve offered to drop it round after work. But, alas, it's just a few degrees outside and definitely coat weather.

“See you Thursday!”

“See ya.”

And with a little wave Jayden is gone and the excitement of what's to come starts bubbling up inside Yaz.

She can’t wait.