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Language:
English
Series:
Part 3 of Infinite Galaxies Drabbles and MicroFics
Collections:
9 Squares Reylo Challenge, ReylOlds
Stats:
Published:
2020-04-26
Words:
534
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
24
Kudos:
120
Bookmarks:
14
Hits:
1,917

I take my coffee black like my soul

Summary:


 

A light, fluffy meet cute between one emo coffee loving boy and a Star wars loving PSL drinking girl

Notes:

Part of the 9squares Reylo challenge. Prompt: Black

Thank you to SunshineDaysies for the being my beta on this!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Ben settled into the booth at his favorite coffee shop. In front of him was a simple white mug with his drug of choice: Columbian coffee made with an Aeropress, black.

Black like my soul. He laughed to himself. His soul was far from black, but his emo tendencies always got the best of him. Fresh off of yet another breakup, he soothed himself in the only way he knew how - blasting The Cure on his bluetooth headphones and practicing calligraphy in his Moleskin notebook. 

This time he was sure he would just stay single. No one quite got him or understood what he needed. Not that he knew either. They saw his temper and his impatience—not the little lost boy underneath who was just seeking connection; needing to be seen. At least he was used to people letting him down. He learned that early on when his parents disappointed him every chance they got.

He didn’t know why he even came to this coffee shop. He could easily use his own Aeropress at home. He loved the meditative process of grinding his own beans, breathing in the rich aroma, and slowly compressing the water onto the grinds to make the perfect cup with his own two hands. 

He didn’t feel particularly social. Nor was he looking to speak to anyone at all. Yet somehow, being surrounded by strangers, instead of listening to the sound of his own heartbeat in his apartment, made him feel less alone. 

He would peek up every now and then from his scribbling to take in the scene around him: a mom trying to calm her fidgety toddlers with cake pops and chocolate milk; high school students holding up the line with complicated frappuccino orders; a beautiful girl sitting alone, chewing the end of a pencil as she pensively stared out the window, light catching in her golden brown hair…

Their eyes locked and he gulped. He wasn’t expecting this at all. She looked down shyly before glancing back up at him, this time through her long lashes. Panic jolted through him. 

She smiled. She’s smiling at me. Do I nod? Do I say something? Fuck!

He pulled his headphones out of his ears as he saw her mouth start to form a “Hi.”

“Hi!” He said a little too loud and a tad too eagerly. 

She was only a few tables away; well within earshot, but far enough away to make it awkward to continue talking. 

“What are you working on?” she said sweetly. 

“Um, it’s pretty nerdy, I’m not sure I want to share that information.”

“Is it nerdier than ranking your favorite Star Wars movies? Because that’s what I’m doing, you know, for science.”

“Um, maybe? It’s calligraphy.” He felt like he might die. 

“Oh yeah, that might actually be nerdier, but let’s call it even,” she laughed. 

Suddenly he felt brave. “It’s kinda loud in here and I feel weird shouting at someone I barely know. Do you want to join me?” 

“Sure,” she said, gathering her notebook and pencil in one hand and her latte in the other. He noted the letters on the side: PSL.

 He’d have to do something about that. 

Notes:

I love my emo boy!
Follow me on Twitter @infintgalaxies for updates, Reylo love and general nonsense at regular intervals.


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