Brewed Awakening (Chapter 2)
“I see you couldn’t resist the taste of my coffee,” Nino said in place of a greeting when Ohno was close to the counter.
“The coffee was okay, but the cinnamon creamer was very good though. Not too sweet and very creamy,” explained Ohno, his face set in a challenging look.
Nino smirked as he turned around to start the coffee machine. “Ah, so you liked my recommendation. I guess you want another one today then?”
“I’ll take the same as yesterday, thank you.”
“Aww, you are no fun,” Nino said with a pout. “Any other wishes? Don’t be shy I’ll do my best to fulfil them.” Nino wriggled his eyebrows, smiling victoriously when Ohno couldn’t stop the sudden chuckle, even if he tried very hard to hide it.
Cute, he thought.
He prepared the coffee for Ohno and put it on the counter so that the other could add in the creamer he wanted and then concentrated on the next customer to prepare his double espresso. Nino handed it over to the taller man, who thanked him and then sat to the side of the high counter, the espresso in front of him as he pulled out his phone to check on his messages as he slowly sipped the espresso.
Nino rolled his eyes as he put a glass of water beside the espresso not that happy at the thought that the shot would not still have the perfect temperature by the time he finished it. Of course, the man knew about his annoyance as the slight smirk on his lips told Nino.
Nino got closer to him as he served the last customer for now. His eyes for a moment on his newest addition to the list of his coffee addicts. Nino knew coffee was an allowed drug but it was still a fun thing for him to think about being the reason for raising addiction to his coffee (and of course it made good money).
“If you don’t like to drink a hot espresso I can offer you a drowned death instead,” he said with an overly sweet smile. “Maybe better for your delicate mouth, Jun-pon.”
Jun snorted and looked up from his phone as he glanced at Nino. “And you would not cringe at me not tasting your good coffee but let me dirty it with ice?”
“The ice cream is homemade. So it fits the coffee perfectly. A slight taste of vanilla that might be too bland on its own but gives the coffee the perfect aftertaste. Of course, the espresso shots would be a little stronger than the one you got.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me if you roast your coffee beans yourself.”
Nino smirked and winked at him. “But of course, Jun-kun. I roast them over hellfire, how else do you think I manage to make my coffee so sinfully delicious that you all come to me for more day in day out?”
Jun laughed and shook his head as he downed his now slightly bitter coffee in one go. He put his phone away and got up, putting his coat on as well in a fluid movement that Nino was used to since long ago now. Nino chuckled as he put on his probably favourite hat - Nino was sure he had worn it the most times until now - and left without another word.
Nino shook his head since he knew that Jun was a well-recognised model now, but Nino didn’t care for clothes so he had no idea about it. The only thing he knew was that the other was on wallboards now and then, smirking down at the women that would collect in front of them and talk about how sexy and good-looking he was.
And he knew regardless of how confident Jun looked in all the pictures, he got easily flustered and awkward if you put his buttons right and Nino knew how to push his buttons well. It was his game that he enjoyed a lot and the thing that Nino had decided to take from Jun as payment for his wish to spend peaceful moments somewhere outside his own home.
Nino had found it easy to blur his presence around here and not worth taking his soul for fulfilling that wish. The souls of greedy humans were so much more worth and he liked those more. It was way more satisfying for him to take those.
Nino looked around the shop deciding if he needed to serve a new customer and then checked the clock at the wall. It was the normal lull at the day after the rush of the working inhabitants of this city and before tourists would start on their daily discoveries of an unknown city. The people who liked to discover the small hip shops in cities, the ones with the eye for the special things would find their way to Nino’s shop, many of course would rather go to the big chains with their big advertisement boards instead.
Nino didn’t care, he liked the peaceful times, with only a handful of customers, enjoying their coffee for almost an hour, maybe with a piece of cake or a sandwich depending on the time of the day and preferences. Nino would then sit on a chair behind the counter, playing a game on a handheld console and his own favourite coffee beside him in an extra big mug. The temperature was always perfect - of course if not for himself for who else should he use special abilities?
His eyes fell on Ohno who had taken a seat at a table in the corner and he frowned. Had he known that the other would stay in today he wouldn’t have given him a paper cup but a normal cup. He was not happy with unnecessary trash because if the humans destroyed the world with their style of living the souls he would be able to take would dwindle until there was nothing left.
Nino huffed slightly and walked over to Ohno, frowning down at him. “Next time, you decide to stay inside, Ohno-san, I would prefer you to inform me, so that I can fill a normal cup,” he said as politely he could and through gritted teeth.
“Why? Does it make your coffee taste better?”
“As a matter of fact, yes, coffee or any drinks drank out of paper cups taste slightly off, but mostly because I don’t like the idea of unnecessary trash when you could avoid it.
Ohno lifted an eyebrow clearly surprised at the explanation and put his chin on his palm to observe him with a small smile on his face.
“So if brought a tumbler of my own do I get it filled here?”
“Of course, as long as it’s clean.”
“Interesting, is there a discount?”
Nino snorted at the question. “A discount for being a decent human being? No way you deserve that.”
Ohno chuckled and hummed in understanding. “I like you,” he said then and Nino stared at him for a second, before huffing. He turned around and left the table to attend to the new customer that had just entered. Happy for the distraction as he put on a fake smile and took care of the next order.
“The coffee was okay, but the cinnamon creamer was very good though. Not too sweet and very creamy,” explained Ohno, his face set in a challenging look.
Nino smirked as he turned around to start the coffee machine. “Ah, so you liked my recommendation. I guess you want another one today then?”
“I’ll take the same as yesterday, thank you.”
“Aww, you are no fun,” Nino said with a pout. “Any other wishes? Don’t be shy I’ll do my best to fulfil them.” Nino wriggled his eyebrows, smiling victoriously when Ohno couldn’t stop the sudden chuckle, even if he tried very hard to hide it.
Cute, he thought.
He prepared the coffee for Ohno and put it on the counter so that the other could add in the creamer he wanted and then concentrated on the next customer to prepare his double espresso. Nino handed it over to the taller man, who thanked him and then sat to the side of the high counter, the espresso in front of him as he pulled out his phone to check on his messages as he slowly sipped the espresso.
Nino rolled his eyes as he put a glass of water beside the espresso not that happy at the thought that the shot would not still have the perfect temperature by the time he finished it. Of course, the man knew about his annoyance as the slight smirk on his lips told Nino.
Nino got closer to him as he served the last customer for now. His eyes for a moment on his newest addition to the list of his coffee addicts. Nino knew coffee was an allowed drug but it was still a fun thing for him to think about being the reason for raising addiction to his coffee (and of course it made good money).
“If you don’t like to drink a hot espresso I can offer you a drowned death instead,” he said with an overly sweet smile. “Maybe better for your delicate mouth, Jun-pon.”
Jun snorted and looked up from his phone as he glanced at Nino. “And you would not cringe at me not tasting your good coffee but let me dirty it with ice?”
“The ice cream is homemade. So it fits the coffee perfectly. A slight taste of vanilla that might be too bland on its own but gives the coffee the perfect aftertaste. Of course, the espresso shots would be a little stronger than the one you got.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me if you roast your coffee beans yourself.”
Nino smirked and winked at him. “But of course, Jun-kun. I roast them over hellfire, how else do you think I manage to make my coffee so sinfully delicious that you all come to me for more day in day out?”
Jun laughed and shook his head as he downed his now slightly bitter coffee in one go. He put his phone away and got up, putting his coat on as well in a fluid movement that Nino was used to since long ago now. Nino chuckled as he put on his probably favourite hat - Nino was sure he had worn it the most times until now - and left without another word.
Nino shook his head since he knew that Jun was a well-recognised model now, but Nino didn’t care for clothes so he had no idea about it. The only thing he knew was that the other was on wallboards now and then, smirking down at the women that would collect in front of them and talk about how sexy and good-looking he was.
And he knew regardless of how confident Jun looked in all the pictures, he got easily flustered and awkward if you put his buttons right and Nino knew how to push his buttons well. It was his game that he enjoyed a lot and the thing that Nino had decided to take from Jun as payment for his wish to spend peaceful moments somewhere outside his own home.
Nino had found it easy to blur his presence around here and not worth taking his soul for fulfilling that wish. The souls of greedy humans were so much more worth and he liked those more. It was way more satisfying for him to take those.
Nino looked around the shop deciding if he needed to serve a new customer and then checked the clock at the wall. It was the normal lull at the day after the rush of the working inhabitants of this city and before tourists would start on their daily discoveries of an unknown city. The people who liked to discover the small hip shops in cities, the ones with the eye for the special things would find their way to Nino’s shop, many of course would rather go to the big chains with their big advertisement boards instead.
Nino didn’t care, he liked the peaceful times, with only a handful of customers, enjoying their coffee for almost an hour, maybe with a piece of cake or a sandwich depending on the time of the day and preferences. Nino would then sit on a chair behind the counter, playing a game on a handheld console and his own favourite coffee beside him in an extra big mug. The temperature was always perfect - of course if not for himself for who else should he use special abilities?
His eyes fell on Ohno who had taken a seat at a table in the corner and he frowned. Had he known that the other would stay in today he wouldn’t have given him a paper cup but a normal cup. He was not happy with unnecessary trash because if the humans destroyed the world with their style of living the souls he would be able to take would dwindle until there was nothing left.
Nino huffed slightly and walked over to Ohno, frowning down at him. “Next time, you decide to stay inside, Ohno-san, I would prefer you to inform me, so that I can fill a normal cup,” he said as politely he could and through gritted teeth.
“Why? Does it make your coffee taste better?”
“As a matter of fact, yes, coffee or any drinks drank out of paper cups taste slightly off, but mostly because I don’t like the idea of unnecessary trash when you could avoid it.
Ohno lifted an eyebrow clearly surprised at the explanation and put his chin on his palm to observe him with a small smile on his face.
“So if brought a tumbler of my own do I get it filled here?”
“Of course, as long as it’s clean.”
“Interesting, is there a discount?”
Nino snorted at the question. “A discount for being a decent human being? No way you deserve that.”
Ohno chuckled and hummed in understanding. “I like you,” he said then and Nino stared at him for a second, before huffing. He turned around and left the table to attend to the new customer that had just entered. Happy for the distraction as he put on a fake smile and took care of the next order.