☕︎
o2.
What a Great Romance?

"Oh, shoot," I mumbled under my breath, looking away the minute she turned towards the counter. Not this girl!

I observed her out of the corner of my eye. Goodra led her to the coziest spot beside the fireplace. 

I signaled to Talonflame, and the bird charged up a flame to light the logs. The girl squeaked gratefully, letting the bird perch on her shoulder. I low-key wished I was Talonflame, before getting catcalled. 

"Is the young twerp in wuv?" Team Rocket echoed, their eyebrows wriggling in an exaggerated fashion. 

I rolled my eyes, concentrating on the order slip Goodra brought in. "Not everything is about romance," I retorted, reading the paper. Cyndaquil Chocolate.

"One Cyndaquil Chocolate, coming right up!" I announced, withdrawing the packet of marshmallows from the cupboard. Hawlucha began heating the saucepan, pouring some milk into it. I began slicing through the white confectionery, half-heartedly listening to Team Rocket chattering. 

"Look at the rosening cheeks, the mouth parted, and the pupils dilated! Little champ thinks we don't know the symptoms!" Jessie ridiculed, twirling her magenta hair. Her green eyes glowed before Meowth spoke. 

"You better not get burned out, kid. I'd say leave the heating task to Talonflame and grab your love-mug with her." 

"Ah," James interjected just as the aroma of chocolate dissolving into milk greeted my nostrils. Hawlucha added some of the almonds that Greninja had cut and passed the saucepan. "The wonders of young love." 

Ignoring them, I added the marshmallows and watched as they tumbled into the saucepan. 

Noibat growled softly in affirmation when I poured the drink into a tall mug. The pieces of confectionery floated to the top like little white clouds to wish upon in amazement. 

There was another bell, and my eyes slid to the girl clutching her coat closer as the chill breeze blew in, disrupting the café's warm atmosphere. 

"Thank you for the cozy spot, Goodra," she said, her tone light and teasing. "I'd say I needed this after that brisk walk in the early winter." 

Goodra hummed lowly, curling up by the fireplace. The girl, still running her hands through and enjoying Talonflame's feathers, smiled at me. My heart skipped a beat, and I hurried to place the mug on a saucer. 

Hawlucha handed me a bar of chocolate, which I placed on the plate as a decorative touch. Get yourself together, Ash. You have another customer!

Rounding the counter, I walked to her. "Here's your Cyndaquil Chocolate, ma'am." I placed the mug on the table, offering her an awkward smile. 

"Thank you! It's so nicely done," she complimented. Her smile didn’t falter as she sipped the drink. I returned to the counter, using the wipe cloth to clean the place. 

Team Rocket's chatter faded into the background as I worked on cutting up some almonds for future orders. When Goodra didn’t bring in the next order, my eyes slid to the curled-up dragon; he was resting. How odd, I thought. That is, until I realized who the newcomer was—Professor Oak. The man took quite some time to place an order, despite being a regular. 

Glancing back at the girl, I couldn't help but admire how her golden hair framed her flushed face or how she smacked her lips with every sip, teasing Pikachu and Talonflame with the chocolate bar. 

Team Rocket made a gagging noise before they got to their feet. "Gee, you have your eyes transfixed on her as if she's the espresso machine!" James commented, clasping a hand over his heart. 

"What do you expect, James? The boy's got a crush," Jessie cooed, pushing her mug towards me. I motioned for Greninja to get it washed and took to flipping through the new DIY cookies guide that I had borrowed from Cilan. "Why not give her rose tea? Or better yet, tell her how you feel?" 

"Go for broke, hotshot," Meowth added, munching on the choco bar I had provided him with on his order. "What's gonna be the harm? She ain't gonna send you blasting off, eh?" 

James placed some money on the counter, leaning heavily against his seat. "I bet he's gonna bake her an entire cake, or maybe you can serenade her with a song too! Take it from the hopeless romantic, kid." 

I scowled at them, eyes narrowing. Serena chose that moment to look up, and our gazes met. She smiled warmly. Blushing, I tore my gaze away from her and forced myself to read the guide, but it seemed impossible with Team Rocket's jaunty comments. 

"Spill it, divo. You're hopelessly in love with her, and this ain't the first time we're bang on!" they echoed together, as if all three of them had planned the statement for months. 

I snorted, accepting the teasing. Noibat, as if to fuel their taunts, chirped in affirmation. "Noi–Noibat–Noi!" 

That was a lot of Noi's...

"For the last time," I growled, trying to look as intimidating as possible with crimson spread across my cheeks, "not everything is about romance!" 

The three jesters smirked identically before they waved goodbye, promising to return after their work was done for the day. I more than half-heartedly wanted to wish they’d never step foot in again, but what could I say? I was just a barista. 

My eyes slid to the girl again, now enjoying Pikachu's cuddles and Talonflame nibbling her fingers. Her giggles filled the cozy walls of the café, the only other sound accompanying the dings of the espresso machine, Hawlucha doing the dishes, and the crackling of the fireplace. 

Letting out a sigh, I leaned on the counter. The girl was inexplicably cute, and I wished to have a heart-to-heart with her—something more than just barista-customer small talk. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t wrong, but I just couldn't string together the courage to go up to her for a chat. 

I met Greninja's gaze, and he shook his head dismissively. He knew—and he was trolling me about it. 

What a great romance, indeed.