Chapter Text
Kai hadn’t planned for his morning to start with a pair of golden-brown inquisitive eyes and an adorably nervous smile. And he definitely hadn’t planned for it to continue with him stammering his way through a sentence. But here he was, standing in line for a coffee with a tomato-red face and fingers that kept twitching.
The girl was behind him now, focusing intently on the open panel in the wall – he wasn’t sure what it was for, but the wires and buttons looked as foreign as Torin’s accounting pages did sometimes, and he didn’t want to linger on that when there were honey eyes and silky hair to linger on instead. Metaphorically. In his head. Because turning to look at her for the upteenth time would only solidify his place as the most distractible customer at The Menagerie Teaplace .
“What can I get for you?” asked the bored-looking man behind the counter.
“White Lotus tea, one sugar,” Kai said automatically. Then, searching for something else to say, “Is Winter not here today?”
The man’s icy eyes flashed with sudden emotion. “I don’t see what that has to do with you,” he said frostily.
Stupid , Kai thought, you knew he’d have this reaction. “She just wanted to know what I thought of the muffin I got last time. Tell her it was good.”
And that’s the last time I antagonize Jacin , he thought as his eyes only narrowed further. “I’ll pass along the message,” Jacin said evenly.
“Please do,” Kai said, stepping aside to wait for his order. Jacin scowled and turned his focus to the next customer.
“So, White Lotus, huh?” asked a voice beside him. He turned towards it with a practiced smile.
“My father’s favorite,” he said casually, folding his arms. “Guess I picked it up from him.”
She shrugged. “Your father has good taste.” Her smile turned into a smirk. “And so I’m guessing he wasn’t the one to pick out your outfit?”
“Well, I can’t dress too well when I’m undercover, ” he said with a wink.
She raised an eyebrow. “Undercover? Tell me more.”
He held back a laugh. “Oh, you know, the emperor… my father. He dresses quite well, so if I want to get away without being noticed, I have to dress like this.” He gestured to his oversized hoodie and sweats. “See, I can even pull up the hood to cover my face!”
“Well, guess I’ll see you around, Mr. Bad Fashion Sense.” She said, chuckling a bit at his demonstration.
“See you, Miss Wires and Nerve.”
***
The next time was an accident. Really.
His father had called in the afternoon, asking if he could stop by The Menagerie for a tea and some pastries. And, being that the person he was with at the time was the pastry-and-caffeine-loving Thorne, he had gone immediately (after paying for Thorne’s shampoo, of course).
When they arrived, Kai’s attention was pulled from Thorne’s rant about the smart blonde who had interned at his company – Thorne definitely had another crush, whether he knew it or not – to a familiar set of gold-brown eyes. This time, she was behind the cash register – and wearing a uniform – and if all you paid attention to was the way she took an order, Kai’s opinion was that you would still be unable to look away. Theoretically. For someone who, you know, wasn’t Kai. Because Kai could totally look away if he so desired. He just simply… didn’t want to.
“But seriously, Kai, she’s a genius. She had to code… I dunno, something fancy I think, and she did it in under three minutes. Even our supervisor - Doug, remember him? He isn’t impressed by anything – well, he said he’d never seen anyone do it that fast, and I think that means she’ll be joining the team. I hope so, at least, ‘cuz –”
“Thorne, are you ordering anything?” Kai interrupted, running through his order in his head. Two White Lotuses, One yuzu tart, one guava danish, don’t embarrass myself, don’t embarrass myself…
“I’ll get… a triple shot expresso, cheese danish, mini apple tart, eclair, meringue bites, and some rose-flavored Turkish Delight,” Thorne rattled off with his eyes closed.
Kai nodded and took a step forward before freezing. Turning to look at Thorne through narrowed eyes, he frowned. “But you hate that gummy-sticky texture.”
“They’re… in Chronicles of Narnia?” Thorne waved away, his voice rising an octave or so at the end.
“Since when have you read Chronicles of Narnia?” Kai demanded, fully suspicious by now.
“...um…” Thorne mumbled, “... Cress recommended it.”
Okay, amendment to the list , Kai thought, rolling his eyes as he started to slowly walk towards the counter. Two White Lotuses, one yuzu tart, one guava danish, don’t embarrass myself, a triple-shot expresso, cheese danish, mini apple tart, eclair, meringue bites, and rose-flavored Turkish Delight.
“You’re paying for the Turkish Delight,” Kai informed Thorne as they moved up.
“Hello, what can I get for you?”
Kai’s eyes flicked from her face to her nametag and back. Cinder. It suits her.
“Kai!” Thorne hissed, “just drop the eclair. Please.”
Kai sighed and turned back to Cinder. “Hello again.”
Cinder’s eyes crinkled when she smiled. “Good to see your fashion sense hasn’t changed, or my name for you might just not work anymore.”
Kai laughed nervously. “Right. Um, I wanted to get.. Uh… Two White Lotuses, a yuzu tart, a guava danish, don’t embarrass myself, a triple-shot expresso, a cheese danish, a mini apple tart, meringue bites, and a small boxy of rosewater Turkish Delights.”
Thorne snorted beside him.
Cinder seemed to bite back a laugh.
“Alright… your total’s $85.40… please tap or swipe your card?”
Kai nodded, trying to ignore the burning on his face. “Okay.”
Cinder’s amused expression morphed into one of concentration. “Yep, um… can you step to the side? Your order will be with you shortly.”
Kai took the receipt and stepped aside, humming to himself to try and calm down. My face is basically a tomato, but it’s fine… I didn’t mess up the order horribly, apart from the embarrassing thing – and she probably thinks I’m an idiot – but it’s fine…. It’s all fine…
“Oh! What’s your name? I can’t really put Mr. Bad Fashion Sense for it, you know.”
“Kaito!” Kai cleared his throat, his face getting even hotter, if that was possible. Why did I say it so loud? “Kaito. Is my name.”
She gave him a thumbs up and moved to the next customer. Thorne walked over beside him and started to resume his ramblings about Cress. Kai felt much less embarrassed by the time his order was called and Thorne had to stop talking in favor of drinking his overly-caffeinated abomination. He mumbled a good-bye as he walked out of the door, but Kai chanced a glance over his shoulder.
Cinder had a lovely smile.
***
“One White Lotus and a… cream biscuit,” Kai decided, glancing around at the staff area. Jacin was standing by the coffee machines with his usual empty stare, and Winter – bubbly as always – was taking his order, but the tea parlor was mostly empty apart from them and the few customers standing behind him in line. But still, even though he knew that nobody else was there, he couldn’t stop himself from looking around every two seconds.
“Would you like some sour apple petites to go with them? They’re some of my favorites.” Winter’s voice turned teasing as she continued, “and girls tend to go crazy over them when they’re offered by such a handsome individual as yourself.”
Kai chuckled nervously. He glanced over at Jacin, who was looking at Winter.
“Do you have to flirt with half of the customers who come in?” he asked in a long-suffering tone.
“Flirting is a time-honored sales tactic, Jacin!” Winter exclaimed, holding a hand to her forehead in mock horror. “I would be dishonoring my place – nay, neglecting my very duty – if I did not use such a technique to assure extra sales!”
She winked at him and, in a whisper that Kai could only just barely hear, said, “besides, the only time I actually mean them is when they’re directed at you. I don’t do it for the sales then. ”
Kai swallowed and turned his attention to the menu instead. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he saw Jacin’s cheeks turn pink as he turned back to the coffee.
“Now, as I was saying?” Winter said, batting her lashes at Kai. He had to bite back a laugh.
“Um, I guess I could get some sour apple petites? If you think they’d be… I mean…”
“Yes, my cousin loves them,” Winter said as she punched in the rest of the order. “Your total’s $15.50. Please tap or swipe here.”
Kai quickly tapped his card.
“Here’s your receipt,” Winter said cheerfully. Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “Oh, and Cinder works here on Saturdays.”
***
Kai took a steadying breath as the door to The Menagerie swung open, making a tinkling sound. He really didn’t have any right to be so nervouse, but… well.. He had plans for today.
“Welcome to The Menagerie, what can I get for you?”
Kai pushed down the new wave of nervousness that decided to surface at the sound of the voice.
“A White Lotus, please. And…” He pretended to glance over at the menu. Swallowed nervously. “A set of Sour Apple Petites, please?”
Cinder nodded and put it into the computer. “$14.45. Please tap or swipe your card.”
Kai nodded as he did so.
“It was Kaito, right?” she asked.
“Just Kai, please.”
“‘Kay.” She motioned for him to step aside. “Hey, what can I get for you?”
Kai shifted his weight from foot to foot, waiting nervously for his food. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to wait and wait and wait or if he just wanted to take it and run .
Because the problem would be actually talking to her.
“Order for Kai?”
Kai walked up to the counter and grabbed his cup. Winter leaned on the counter.
“I put Cinder on her break,” she whispered. “She’s sitting over there.”
Kai nodded and walked over, cup in one hand and sweet box in the other. Cinder was sitting by herself, staring at the surface of a dark tea.
“Cinder?”
Cinder looked up, surprise flashing across her face.
“Oh. Hello,” she said. “Kai, yeah?”
Kai slid across from her and opened the box of petites.
“For you,” he said, pushing the box towards her. He took a sip of his drink, watching her eat one out of the corner of his eye. “You can thank your cousin for those.” He paused. “You are Winter’s cousin, right?”
Cinder nodded. “Thanks.”
Kai got up. “I’ll see you around, then?”
“Um – wait –”
Kai walked fast, the door swinging shut behind him as he let out a breath. Success .
And if he gave an undignified gasp when a text from a beautiful part-time barista – well, that was his business.