Chapter Text
Complete with the cacophony of a destructive thunderstorm, the deadline of his looming project, and the discomfort of his wet shirt, Daichi knew the day was going to go fabulously . To top it all off, he was out of flour. He ran around his quaint shop, searching for the box that could possibly change his life forever.
The wedding’s in two days, and my flour is gone. Great! His mind fumed, and after disarranging his shelves of cooking supplies, he gave up. Daichi plopped into a nearby chair while putting tired hands over his face.
I can't mess this cake up. It'll ruin their wedding!
Previous to his current situation, Sweet Buns was just a simple bakery passed down from Daichi’s father. Customers loved the olden look of the oak furniture and the abundance of grandfather clocks, but not all of Sweet Buns was archaic. Daichi had a gift of coming up with new ideas for cakes and pastries, and the shop was usually filled with hungry customers yearning for a bite. Business was great, until the competition moved in.
Across the street was Cool Cat Cakes , and although the name sounded ridiculous, it gained a lot of attention. It was a brand new shop, with pastel tables and chairs that deserved to be in a dollhouse, and it broadcasted a friendly exterior. The grinning, rosy cat mascot was unmistakable from miles away, and people started to line up right outside the door. Cool Cat Cakes was known for beautiful designs, as Daichi had seen cakes covered in icy lace, shiny baubles, and chains of faux gold. He never tried any of the cakes, but the aesthetics were ranked much higher than Daichi’s simple shop. Daichi began to despise the stupid smiling symbol.
One day, Daichi had received a call from a couple. They said that they wanted to try his cakes, and after having them come over and taste-test his cakes, the nice couple immediately hired him. His job was to make a two tiered wedding cake, and he would be given over a thousand dollars. It was an immediate yes from the young baker, but now he knew the stress of such an important job.
Daichi wearily glanced at Cool Cat Cakes across the street, and for once, he did not see any customers. He wondered if the owner had any flour, and then he had an idea.
Maybe I can go over and ask them… He pondered, Since there isn't any customers, there wouldn't be a big rush, right?
After conjuring the image of an angry bridezilla in his mind, Daichi definitely knew he had no choice. Throwing on a warm sweatshirt and a poncho, Daichi locked the shop.
“You'll be good, alright?” He patted the door as if it were an old friend, and he went on his way.
Even if the walk took less than a minute, Daichi felt like it took an hour. The pouring rain fell onto his hair and dripped down behind his ears, trickling on his back. Daichi decided to run in distaste of the cold, and he found himself grabbing the handle and yanking the door open.
I am now in the mouth of the giant , Daichi thought to himself as he walked inside.
After the tinkling doorbell, the person behind the counter looked up. The owner set his elbows on the counter, resting his head in his hands. Daichi was surprised on the appearance of his supposed rival.
That's the owner? I was expecting someone more… Daichi’s eyes wandered around the dainty boutique-like store, searching for the right words ..bubbly… and energetic...
The rival was a young man around Daichi’s age. With somewhat fashionable, messy hair, catlike, scheming eyes, and a pure ebony apron, he seemed out of place in the lighthearted shop. His slender frame did not look fit for pounding the wits out of dough, and Daichi wondered how his competition could work with half of his hair in his face. Although the owner was a “Cool Cat” himself, his eyes gave off a mischievous look that screamed competition.
He ran a hand through his messy hair, and he gave a little smile. Unlike his eyes, his smile was friendly, and Daichi oddly felt at ease.
“Nice weather, isn't it?” His voice kind of reminded Daichi of a cat, low and lazy, and the bakery’s title began to make more sense.
“You could say that.” Daichi still felt cold, and just smelling the warm shop made him yearn for heat. The owner’s smile grew, and he went on,
“You're Sawamura Daichi, right? The owner of Sweet Buns ?”
Daichi tensed up, raising an eyebrow. He had never been inside Cool Cat before, and it was suspicious on how this guy knew his name. Daichi did not remember seeing him in the store.
“Yeah, I mean, yes.” He remembered to stay professional, not wanting to ruin his idea of getting flour. Still, speaking to the owner was a lot harder in practice rather than thought. Maybe because of how white his teeth were, or how he wore chipped nail polish, or how his almost smirk was rather distracting...
“I'm Kuroo. Kuroo Tetsurou. If you haven't guessed, I'm the owner of Cool Cat Cakes .”
He pointed to the bright pink pin on his apron. “Where we strive for purrfection !”
Great. Now there's puns. Daichi thought, but so far, that only seemed to be Kuroo’s downside. He seemed like an open guy, a fairly attractive guy, if Daichi thought enough. Daichi shook the thoughts out of his head. C’mon, focus on getting flour!
After giving Kuroo a blank stare, he replied,
“Pleasure to meet you, Kuroo. I came here because I needed some flour. May I have some?”
Kuroo’s eyebrows raised slightly, and with not a single thought, he answered,
“No.”
“Why?” His words came out faster than Daichi thought, but he was in desperation. Then again , Daichi thought, we just met. I should be a little more nice.
“Hmm, I feel there should be a better system, y’know? We have to be fair with each other, as I don't exactly see the benefit on my side. I know it sounds selfish, but I don't know what you're doing with my flour. You could be spiking it for all I know, even though you seem like a nice guy.”
“I assure you that I'm not spiking the flour,” Daichi wondered if he ever has to use a line like that again, “and I have a deadline for a wedding cake. I need flour for the cake. If I don't make the cake, there will be a very unhappy couple.”
Kuroo nodded in understanding. “And there will be a very unhappy Daichi.”
“Right. And as much as I want to go buy some flour, I can't. The weather is hell, and the stores are closed right now. I know that I sound very desperate right now, but this is a very big job for me.”
After an awkward pause of narrow amber eyes meeting pleading brown eyes, Kuroo broke the silence with a,
“Alright. How about I give you the flour, and in return, I can decorate the cake?”
“What?” Daichi’s eyes widened. “Why do you want to do that?”
Kuroo leaned back in his chair to stretch his arms into the air. “I've been feeling bored with the lack of action around my store.”
Yeah, “lack of action” alright, Daichi scoffed, thinking about the lines of people snaking all throughout town.
“Also, this is my potential big moment. I'd want to share my art for people to see and eventually eat.” Kuroo’s eyebrows flicked up as he responded, “So, deal or no deal?”
Although Daichi has just met Kuroo, Kuroo’s talent shone through his cakes dripping with candied jewels and lacy fondue. Kuroo could help spice up the cake; it would be a perfect combination of flavor and esthetics.
“Deal. You'll start tomorrow, Cool Cat.” Daichi grinned warmly as he took Kuroo’s hand into his for a purely professional handshake.
“See you then, Sweet Buns. ” Daichi lifted an eyebrow, and Kuroo’s face flushed at his blunder, “Ah, that doesn't have quite the same touch as Cool Cat.”
Daichi laughed heartily, his eyes crinkling up slightly,and Kuroo could not help but to join. After a proper goodbye, he watched Daichi huddle back out into the rain. The smile lingered on his rosy face as he shut off the lights, closing the shop for the day.