(Bakery/coffee shop au in which you have a policy where you don’t serve people with they want, but rather what you think they need.
The bell above the door chimed, but you barely looked up.
Normally, you greeted new customers with a keen, knowing gaze, already calculating what drink and dessert would suit them best. Not today.
Today, you were exhausted.
Your usual fire, the effortless wit that had earned you a reputation for serving people what they needed rather than what they asked for, was dim. The betrayal still sat heavy in your chest, the dull ache of heartbreak coiled around your ribs.
But you had a business to run, so you forced a polite, professional smile and finally acknowledged the man standing at the counter.
That was the first thing you noticed- an easy, pleased smile, like he’d already decided this would be a good visit. Like he already knew something you didn’t.
“Ah,” he drawled, accent thick and rich, his eyes assessing you as he leaned on the counter. “So this is the famous little café.”
You blinked, lips pressing together. Another one.
“You’ve heard about it?” Your voice came out more tired than teasing, and you saw the flicker of recognition in his gaze.
“Oh, yes. Some friends of mine-“ He waved a gloved hand dismissively. “-the kind with big guns and bigger mouths, they say you are… how do you put it?” His smile turned wolfish. “Very particular.”
Normally, that would have made you grin. Normally, you would’ve bantered back, something sharp, something clever.
Instead, you nodded dully and said, “Well, what do you want?”
Nikolai’s head tilted slightly. The flicker in his gaze sharpened.
“Ah, but that’s not how this works, is it?” he mused. “No, no. You do not ask what I want. You tell me what I need.”
You hesitated, fingers tightening slightly against the counter. Then, without thinking, without considering, you sighed and muttered, “Fine. Black tea. Honey and lemon. A slice of honey cake.”
He blinked. “…That’s it?”
You nodded, already moving to prepare it.
There was a pause. Then, a low hum. “Strange. I expected something more… extravagant.”
You didn’t answer. You didn’t say, I don’t have it in me today. You didn’t say, I don’t care enough right now to argue.
But Nikolai- Price would tell you his name later- was perceptive. Perhaps even a little too perceptive.
When you set the drink and dessert in front of him, he studied you instead. Not rudely- no, not at all. But in a way that made it very clear he’d noticed your dullness, the tired slump of your shoulders, the way your usually sharp tongue had nothing to offer.
“Hmm.” He picked up the tea, took a slow sip. Then nodded in approval. “Good. Simple. Comforting.” A pause. “Like something one drinks after bad news.”
Nikolai took his time slicing into the honey cake, expression relaxed, like he was just making conversation and not dicing you open. “Tell me,” he said, offhand. “What kind of man would be stupid enough to make you look so tired?”
You sucked in a breath. “What?”
He shrugged, taking a bite, and then hummed in delight at the taste. “Well, it must be man, yes? Only a man could be so dumb. You look like a woman who had to deal with something… unpleasant.” His smile turned too knowing. “And if it were work-related, you would be angry, not sad.”
Your throat tightened; goddamit.
You shouldn’t say anything. He was a stranger, a new customer, someone who had no reason to know about your personal life. If anything, you should apologize for how lackluster you’ve been thus far to him.
But he was looking at you like he already knew the answer. And maybe, just maybe, you were too tired to hold it in.
So you exhaled slowly, crossing your arms, gripping them like it would hold you together. “My boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend.” Your voice was flat. “He cheated, and I only found out because- because his other girlfriend told me.”
Nikolai sighed dramatically, shaking his head. “See? Men. Always causing problems.”
You huffed a tired laugh. “You’re a man, too.”
“Yes, but I am Russian. We are different.”
That actually made you snort, a sharp little sound that you hadn’t expected.
Nikolai grinned. Success.
“Besides,” he added, finishing the last of the cake. “A man who does not appreciate a woman like you? Who does not see how much you put into this place? Pah.” He waved a dismissive hand. “He is fool.”
You swallowed, trying to push back the sting in your chest. “He… never really supported this place, anyway. Said it wasn’t practical.”
Nikolai’s expression darkened.
For a moment, he looked like a man who had seen far too much war, someone whose patience had its limits. Then, just as quickly, he smiled again. “You know, my friends, they speak very highly of you.”
You raised a brow. “Your friends?”
“And yours, too. Lively bunch. Price and the others- and they are your friends, too.”
At your dubious expression, he chuckled.
“Ah, but they are. They are just too stubborn to say it.” Nikolai leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “And they will be very interested to hear about this… boyfriend of yours.”
Your eyes widened slightly. “Wait-“
But he was already standing, grabbing his jacket, smirking like the devil himself. “Oh, no need to thank me.” He winked. “I do this out of the kindness of my heart.”
You groaned, rubbing your hands over your face. “I hate you.”
“No, no.” He chuckled, making his way toward the door. “You needed me.”
And then, just before he left, he turned back, eyes glinting. “I will return, of course. Someone has to make sure you do not give up. And I like cake.”
You blinked, thrown off by the genuine warmth beneath his teasing. But by the time you found your words, he was already gone.
And an hour later, your phone rang from an unknown number.
You sighed, head hitting the counter.
Still… next time he drops by, you will make sure he has a better time (and ask how the fuck did he get your number).
