Notes: Gilan is nonbinary in this fic, and uses they/them pronouns.

There were definitely some perks to working at the Café Redmont, Evanlyn thought as she wiped down the counter and watched the rain outside.

For one, she loved watching the patrons of the shop; for another, free pastries. Of course, some days were also not so great – today having been one of them. The morning rush had been even more hectic than usual, followed by several hours of nearly no customers.

As if reading her mind, Gilan showed up to her right. "Perk up, Ev. It's only ten minutes till your shift is over."

"Really? Thank god," she replied, turning to face them. "If I had to stand here for too much longer, I think I might go crazy."

Gilan laughed at that. "I'd let you go early," they said, "but there's one last batch of pastries in the oven and they're not done yet, so I need you manning the counter."

"Roger that," Evanlyn said with a mock salute. "I'll be here."

"Great," Gilan smiled, and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Yup," Evanlyn continued to herself, "I'll be right here. Just riiiiight here. Right where I've been all morning. Right–"

She cut herself off as the bell above the door rang and a blonde woman walked in. The woman was soaked and carrying a backpack, and looked only marginally less bothered by the pouring rain than Evanlyn would expect.

Evanlyn silently observed her from the counter; she was actually very good-looking, if you ignored the water dripping from her clothes and hair. The woman set her bag down at a table by the window and then walked up to the counter.

"Rough day out, huh?" she asked, and the woman nodded. "What can I get you?"

"Do you have any recommendations?" the woman asked. "I've actually never been here before."

Your loss – and mine, Evanlyn thought cheekily. "I would recommend the caramel spice macchiato, or if you're looking for something simpler the Vienna coffee is always good."

"I'll have a tall Vienna coffee then, please," said the woman, pulling out her wallet. "How much will that cost?"

"That'll be $5.11. For here, I assume?" Evanlyn asked, and the woman nodded again. Damn, elegant, she thought. "Would you like anything else?"

"No, thank you," she responded. This time, Evanlyn nodded and then busied herself making the coffee, and only thinking a little bit about how attractive the customer was. Behind her, the woman's cell phone went off, playing strains of – was that Sunshine Lady? – and she answered it.

"Hello?" A pause. "Shit, really? Shit." She paused again, and then said, "Hey, um, actually, can you make that to go? I just– an emergency–"

"Sure, no problem," Evanlyn said, pouring the espresso into a paper cup instead of a ceramic one. After adding the whipped cream and chocolate shavings to the top, she turned back around and presented it to the woman with a flourish.

"Thanks, uh, Evanlyn," the woman said, reading the name off the name tag on Evanlyn's chest, then turned and all but ran to her bag, grabbed it, and rushed out.

From behind her shoulder, watching Evanlyn watch the door shut behind the woman, Gilan asked, "Who's that?"

"No idea," Evanlyn said, still staring raptly after the retreating figure through the haze of rain. "I didn't even– dammit, I didn't even get her name!"

"First-time customer?" Gilan asked.

"Yup," Evanlyn said glumly.

"Well, on the bright side," they said, "the pastries are done so I can officially let you off your shift now. Although you might not want to go out in that." They gestured to the rain still pouring down outside.

"Not like I have much of a choice," Evanlyn muttered. "Anyways, are you sure I can go? Will isn't here yet, right? Isn't he – usually – on time?"

"Nah, he texted me to say he got caught up in the rain – some accident or something. He'll be here soon enough. Until then, I think I can hold down the fort, even with all these customers," Gilan said, making a sweeping motion across the empty shop with their hand.

Evanlyn laughed. "If you're sure, then, thanks!" she said, stepping into the kitchen to grab her bag, then letting herself out from behind the counter. "And now to face the day," she said to herself as she walked out the door. "–And the rain," she added as an afterthought, lingering under the awning in front of the shop before she steeled herself and stepped out into the storm.

The mysterious blonde woman returned to Café Redmont the next morning, but before the usual morning rush instead of after it. Evanlyn couldn't help but notice that when she wasn't sodden and dripping, she was even more attractive than Evanlyn had thought.

"Morning!" she chirped as the blonde approached the counter. "What can I get you?"

"I'll have a medium caramel spice macchiato, please," the woman asked.

"Taking both parts of my advice? Most people never even take one," Evanlyn teased. "That's $4.57, please, for here or to go, and can I get a name?"

"Alyss," the woman said as she handed Evanlyn a credit card. "To go, and can you put it in my travel mug?"

Well, a name's a start, Evanlyn thought, and said, "No problem." She handed back the card and accepted the green travel mug. She glanced around the shop; there were a few patrons scattered throughout, relaxing at tables with a cup of coffee in front of them. Gilan could take any orders that came up; she went to make Alyss her macchiato.

As she waited for the machine to pull the shot of espresso, she turned the travel mug over in her hand. It advertised the "Araluen Ecological Society" – so not only was Alyss beautiful and stylish, she was also environmentally conscious, and probably smart, presuming she was a student at the university, and, dammit, becoming more and more like Evanlyn's dream girl every moment.

By the time Evanlyn pulled out of her reverie, Alyss's macchiato was finished, and the woman took it with a grateful expression. Again, Evanlyn watched her leave with a hazy expression on her face. When she was gone, Evanlyn stepped into the kitchen and allowed herself a moment to bury her face in her hands.

"Woah, what's up?" Gilan asked as they came through the door moments after Evanlyn. "Also, you need to go work the floor while I check these pastries."

"I think I'm in love," Evanlyn muttered as she walked back to the counter. "Fuck my life."

Alyss returned the next morning, and the next, and the next – always near the beginning of Evanlyn's shift, always ordering in her green AES travel mug, always taking her order to go, but never getting the same drink twice. She seemed determined to try every drink the shop had before the month was out.

Gilan graciously allowed Evanlyn to take Alyss's order every time – or maybe they were just busy checking up on the pastries. Either way, Evanlyn could practically feel herself slowly falling more and more in love with the blonde woman each morning.

"Her hair is so bloooonde," she mumbled despondently into Will's shoulder one evening. "And she's, like, environmentally conscious and she's so graceful…"

"This is the Alyss that Gilan says you're obsessed with?" Will asked, adjusting his position on the couch and turning down the volume of the TV. Some rom-com was on – Evanlyn had come over on Will's offer of popcorn and a movie, and stayed to drown her sorrows in ice cream and Will's seemingly endless blankets and pillows.

"Yup," Evanlyn moaned. "Just kill me now, please."

"No can do," Will said. "Your father would kill me, but Halt'd probably get me first, and he'd make it painful."

Evanlyn moaned again, the mention of her father having reminded her that the blonde was probably also a student at the university. "Fine," she said. "Enough of my troubles. Where's Horace, anyways?" She had hardly noticed his absence, but he usually joined into their movie sessions to grab some food before retreating back to his room.

"Oh, he's still in the hospital," Will said absently.

"What?!" Evanlyn yelped and sat up.

"What? I thought you knew!" Will swivelled his body to face her.

"No I didn't! Nobody told me anything!" Evanlyn said indignantly, then took a breath to continue her rant before Will cut her off.

"Okay! Horace is in the hospital because he was in a car accident and they had to operate on him but he's fine now so it's okay." Will said, looking at Evanlyn earnestly. "You don't need to freak out."

"Well maybe I wouldn't be freaking out if anybody told me anything!" Evanlyn responded, throwing her hands in the air. "What the fuck, guys?"

"Hey, I though he told you!" Will said. "Besides, you know now."

"That doesn't make it better!"

Will placed his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. "We can't fix it because it's in the past. How about we visit him at the hospital after my shift tomorrow?"

"…Fine," Evanlyn grumbled. "But I expect it to be made up to me somehow."

"Sure, Evanlyn," Will said teasingly. "Popcorn?" He offered the bowl to her in a placating gesture.

"…Sure," she said, still displeased, grabbing a greedy handful.

"Now be quiet, I like this part of the movie," Will said, and turned his attention back to the screen.

"You know, if you like her so much, why don't you just write her a note on her coffee cup?" Gilan said as they prepared the shelf of pastries the next morning.

"What, now you're gonna give me romantic advice?" Evanlyn retorted, snippy from sleep deprivation and her continuing romantic troubles. "Sorry. But really?"

"Hey, it's worth a try," they said, "and I'm giving you official permission to do so, just in case you cared about that."

"I wish, but she uses a travel mug. I don't think she'd appreciate me defacing it with Sharpie," Evanlyn responded, then took up her place at the counter as the bell above the door rang.

Evanlyn went through the morning preoccupied. She found herself glancing over the counter to the door even more often than usual, and her eyes snapped rapidly upwards at every glimpse of blonde hair, hoping to see Alyss.

As the morning passed without a glimpse of the beautiful blonde girl, Evanlyn grew more and more dejected until Gilan eventually told her to "go watch the pastries; at this rate we'll lose more customers from looking at your desolate face than we will when you inevitably burn the café down."

Evanlyn hadn't even had the heart to act offended at Gilan's comment; they were right, after all. The last time Evanlyn had been in charge of the ovens, she had caught a tray of croissants on fire, and accidentally set off the fire alarm. Her father still laughed about that one.

Gilan deemed Evanlyn happy enough to serve customers again about half an hour before her shift ended. Although she was no longer as disconsolate as earlier, Evanlyn could tell that she would be in a gloomy mood for the rest of the day.

As there had been a week ago, on the day Alyss first came in, there were no customers. Maybe it was something about Thursdays? She'd have to look into it. Were there more classes on Thursday mornings? Her father would probably know, but then he'd want to know why she was asking, and Evanlyn didn't think he would be satisfied with her explanation that she just so happened to be curious about the university's schedule.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the jingle of the door opening, and stared like a rabbit in the headlights at the figure entering.

It was Alyss, of course. Unlike the previous week, she wasn't dripping and looking vaguely pissed off; instead, her hair was twisted up in a style Evanlyn thought she recognized from the cover of some fashion magazine, and she seemed to have gained an inch or three of height – and damn if that easy stride, in those crazy heels, didn't just turn Evanlyn on.

Okay, she thought to herself, and that's enough fantasizing about the customers. "Hi! Love the heels. What can I get you today?" Oh shit oh shit oh shit, did I really need to say that? Shit, what if she takes it the wrong way? What way did I mean it? Shit.

Her internal monologue was interrupted by Alyss's voice. "A medium Vienna coffee, for here, and a raisin bear claw, please."

"No problem!" Evanlyn said, feigning cheer over her panic. "That'll be $8.55, please."

After Evanlyn had given Alyss her coffee and pastry, she glanced around the shop and judged it empty and safe to flee to the kitchen.

She nearly ran into Gilan on her way in. "What's the problem now?" they asked.

"Alyss is here. Now. Yeah," Evanlyn said, eyes wide. "What do I do?"

The moment after she said that she realized she had made a mistake. A grin blossomed across Gilan's face and they set down the baking tray in their hands on the counter, then took Evanlyn by the shoulders.

"You're now officially off your shift, and I know for a fact that you don't have anything to do for at least an hour. So you're going to go out there, make yourself a coffee, grab one of my delicious pastries, and go sit and talk with Alyss, or you're fired."

"Wait, you can't fire me for that!" Evanlyn felt even more panicked now.

Gilan shrugged. "Yeah, probably not. You should still take my advice though, because you're not going to get another opportunity like this for a while. Go get 'em, tiger." With that they turned back to their baking.

"Thanks a lot, Gil," Evanlyn muttered to herself, and grudgingly set off to make herself a caramel macchiato. She went about the steps as slowly as possible and carefully deliberated over which pastry to take, before Gilan poked their head out of the kitchen and pointedly cleared their throat. She picked up a vanilla scone and walked over to Alyss's table – the same one she had dropped her backpack on last week, Evanlyn noticed, before she had been called off on that unexplained emergency.

"Hey. Mind if I join you?" she asked. Please say yes, she added mentally.

"Sure, no problem!" Alyss said. "Just done with work?"

"Yeah, actually," Evanlyn responded, "I just got off my shift, figured I'd have a bite to eat since Gilan was offering me free pastries. Oh, Gilan's the other barista."

Alyss laughed and nodded. "Can never say no to free food, right?"

"Yup," Evanlyn agreed, taking a bite of said pastry. The two sat in silence for a few moments, eating and sipping their respective drinks, before Evanlyn broke the silence.

"So what brought you here last week? You said you've never been, and we're kind of out-of-the-way." Evanlyn congratulated herself on her efforts at making conversation, and the fact that she'd formed a coherent question that would bring her one step closer to knowing– well, literally anything about Alyss.

"It's kind of a funny story, actually. You know Professor O'Carrick?" Evanlyn nodded her assent, and Alyss continued her recounting. "He teaches a legal history class – more of a seminar, really – that meets every Thursday morning." So that explained where Alyss had been this morning. Evanlyn felt slightly better.

"And last week it was very rainy and some puddles actually froze overnight. It was terrible getting to class, I was sure I was late and once I reached the room it had started raining again and nobody was there. I finally had the conscience to check my email, and there was a message from the professor saying that he'd, and I quote, "stepped outside, nearly fell on my ass, and decided I didn't want to deal with it today," and to just do the reading.

"By that point it was rather late in the morning and I had completely forgotten to pack an umbrella, so I was honestly just looking for the nearest place I could get a warm drink with caffeine. Of course I'm very glad I came in here," Alyss finished with a quick incline of her head.

Me too, Evanlyn thought. "Well, you can definitely get that here," she said. "So what are you studying?" Now that she had confirmation Alyss was a student at the university, she wanted to know.

"I'm in pre-law. Difficult, but rewarding, or so I'm told," Alyss responded.

This time, it was Evanlyn's phone that interrupted the conversation. A few bars of Crown Imperial played, letting her know her father was calling.

"I'm so sorry," she said, gathering her plates and taking them back to the counter, "I have to take this, I guess I'll see you some other time?"

Her father calling usually meant only one thing: he wanted to talk with her. Normally, she would be happy to spend time with him, but today the only thing she could think was not now.

"I mean, it was nice to talk with Dad, since he's usually so busy. I just wish he hadn't interrupted, you know? But I can't have everything, I guess. So how'd your shift go?" Evanlyn asked Will as they walked to the hospital.

"Oh, it was fine," he said. "The usual, someone chipped a cup but Gilan let me have a batch of pastries that had some problem or other. I've actually got some here"– he gestured to his backpack –"and I think Horace will be happy to see them."

"Definitely," Evanlyn agreed. "That guy, I swear he thinks with his stomach."

Will laughed. The duo entered the towering white building and Evanlyn followed Will, who clearly knew the way to Horace's hospital room.

Evanlyn wasn't sure what to expect, but when they finally reached the room, Horace seemed much healthier than she'd imagined.

"So, not to be rude, but what exactly is the problem?" she asked. "Or at least, what's so bad that you have to stay in the hospital for it?"

"I don't actually know," Horace answered. "I was in a car accident, the doctors said something about my lungs? But I'm getting released sometime within the week. I think."

"Released?" Evanlyn teased. "What, is the hospital like jail now?"

"Well, I hear the food is just as bad," Will offered.

"Oh, don't remind me," Horace said. "I swear, I'm gonna be stunted when I get out of here."

"You? Stunted? Perish the thought!" Evanlyn said, throwing her hand to her forehead in a mocking gesture.

"Speaking of…" Will said, trailing off and reaching into his backpack, "I might…"

"No way," Horace said. "If you brought me real food I will love you forever."

"Well, I'm not sure if Gilan's pastries actually count as real food, but I suspect they'll be good enough for you," Will said, triumphantly handing one to Horace and grabbing another for himself. "Evanlyn?"

"No, thanks, I'm good," she said.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway and Will and Horace shared a guilty look, well aware that if it was a nurse or a doctor then they were about to be busted. Were slightly burnt pastries against hospital rules? Probably not, but better not to take chances.

Instead of the nurse they were expecting, a familiar blonde figure entered the room.

"Alyss?" Evanlyn asked in disbelief.

"Evanlyn?" Alyss sounded just as shocked as Evanlyn felt.

"You know Horace?" she said, just as Horace said "You know Alyss?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Evanlyn said.

"Small world," Alyss said with a smile.

"So, um," Evanlyn stuttered, searching for something to say. "Will and I were just about to go, actually," she said, grabbing Will by the shoulders and steering him out of the room.

"What? No, we weren–" he cut off as Evanlyn whispered "shut up!" in his ear. "Yeah. Nice seeing you! So sad we have to leave now! Bye!"

They made it out of the hospital room and down the hall before Evanlyn shoved Will away from her and leaned against a wall. "Oh my god," she said.

"What was that all about, anyways?" Will asked. "If that's your Alyss, why not stick around and talk to her?"

"Because I'm freaking out!" Evanlyn said, eyes wide. "How the fuck does she know Horace? Oh my god, I bet they're dating. They're probably dating and I'll never even have a chance with her because she's taken by Horace and he's like a teddy bear and then they'll get married and I'll have to see them at holidays when you invite them all to your house and I'll eternally be pining after Horace's wife in some weird pseudo-incestuous creepy way, and–"

Will cut her off with a hand over her mouth. "They're not dating. I would've heard about it if they were."

"Oh, thank god." Evanlyn deflated under Will's grip. "And that's why I couldn't stay," she said, "because I would literally die of embarrassment if I had said anything like that in front of her."

Will nodded pensively. "Right." There was a pause while Evanlyn regathered her wits and Will seemed deep in thought. "So when are you going to ask her out?"

"What?!" Evanlyn squeaked. "No!"

"Why not?" Will asked exasperatedly. "Look, Gilan is sick to death of hearing about this crush, I'm getting there, and the moment Horace even catches wind I guarantee you he'll start trying to set you two up, and wouldn't you rather ask her on your own than have Horace have to intervene for you?"

"You raise a good point," Evanlyn said, still doubtful.

"How about this," Will said. "You ask her out tomorrow, or I tell Halt and Horace about your crush, Halt will tell your dad, and then I can sit back and see who of the three tries to set you two up first."

"No!" Evanlyn said again.

"Yes, actually," Will said. "Look, I'm sick of hearing from Gilan about how sick they are of your whining. I'm just looking out for myself."

Evanlyn glared at Will. "Fine," she eventually said. "But I'll get you back for this, I swear."

Will gave a slightly nervous grin. "Deal," he said.

Evanlyn fiddled with the edge of her apron all through the next morning.

"Anything I should know about?" Gilan asked, looking pointedly at her nervous fidgeting.

"Will's an asshole," Evanlyn muttered, and didn't give any other explanation.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, for the fourth time in half as many minutes. It was nearly eight, and Alyss usually came in around eight-fifteen, presumably for an eight-thirty class.

"I'm gonna die," she moaned under her breath, drawing another look from Gilan. She shook her head. Don't say anything.

Gilan shrugged, and went back to putting out fresh pastries.

The fifteen minutes passed like hours for Evanlyn. In her mind, she planned out ways to ask Alyss out.

So do you wanna go on a date with me? …Too casual, maybe. Would you like to go out for dinner sometime? Too formal. I know you're probably taken and don't like me anyways but can we catch a movie sometime? God, why did she even try?

The ringing of the bell startled her, but it wasn't Alyss who walked in. It was Will.

She glared daggers at him from behind the counter and he just grinned. He walked up to her.

"What, fucking with my love life isn't enough? What do you want now?" Evanlyn asked.

"No need to be so hostile!" Will said. "No, I wanted to show you something."

"What," Evanlyn said flatly.

"Here, look," Will said, pulling up something on his phone. It was… his texting history with Horace. The messages he was showing her read:

[Yesterday, 18:39]

Will: also r u dating alyss? or wahts the deal w that?

Horace: not dating; she's my foster sister. why?

Will: nbd just crs thx

"They're not dating. To clarify." Will said.

"They were foster siblings?" Evanlyn wondered. "Weird."

"I know, right?" said Will.

"Hey, you, stop holding up my line," said Gilan. ("What line?" muttered Evanlyn.) "Order or leave, dude."

"They're just pissed that I told them to stop whining to me about you whining to them," Will confided. "Anyways, I'll have a tall black coffee, please."

"That's $3.76," Evanlyn said.

"I know," Will said, handing her the money.

Evanlyn made him the coffee, then handed it to him over the counter. "Enjoy defiling it with honey," she said.

"Thanks," he responded, "I will!" After grabbing some packets of honey, Will walked over to a table by the window and sat down.

That piece of action concluded, Evanlyn resumed her post at the counter, nervously glancing at the door and clock every few seconds.

"So are you gonna ask her out?" Gilan asked.

"What? You too? And who told you?" Evanlyn demanded.

"Nobody, you just look hella nervous, even more than usual," they said.

"Yeah. Sure," Evanlyn said. "Now leave me alone so I don't freak out even more?"

"Can do," Gilan said. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. She'll be here any moment now, too," they said, nodding at the clock.

"Shit!" Evanlyn whispered to herself. "God, I am so screwed."

A few more customers entered; Alyss was not among them. Evanlyn was just beginning to think that she wasn't coming when the blonde walked through the door.

Shit, Evanlyn thought eloquently.

"So what can I get you today?" she asked when Alyss reached the counter.

"Can I have a medium mochaccino, please? And a vanilla scone."

"Yep! $5.91, please," Evanlyn said. It's now or never. C'mon, Ev, you got this.

Their fingers brushed as Alyss passed over her card, and Evanlyn could have sworn that she felt a shock of electricity run up her arm.

Go for it, she thought. Now's your chance. She handed back the card slowly, holding onto it maybe a little tighter than necessary.

"Um," she managed.

"What, is there a problem?" Alyss asked, looking concerned.

"No, nothing." Evanlyn was sure she looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights, and attempted to calm herself. "I was just, um, I was wondering, if," she trailed off.

"If what?" Alyss asked.

"I-was-wondering-if-you'd-like-to-go-on-a-date-with-me," she finally managed. "Wow, sorry. But. Yeah."

"Would I like to go on a date with you?" Alyss echoed slowly, as though pondering it herself. "Would I? Of course! I've been hoping you would ask all week."

Evanlyn felt giddy. "Really?" She grinned.

"Yeah, really," Alyss grinned right back. "So, does tonight work? I know a cute Gallican place."

"Yeah! Definitely," Evanlyn felt breathless from her success. "Here, just a moment," she grabbed a Sharpie from behind the counter and then grabbed Alyss's hand. "Here's my number," she said, scribbling it down. "Don't lose it," and goddamn, this was the best she'd felt in her life.

"Don't worry, I won't," Alyss assured her. "Eight tonight? I'll text you the address."

"Yeah, that works. That definitely works." Evanlyn thought she might burst from happiness. "I'll get your coffee now," she said.

"Thanks."

"Hey, it's my job." Evanlyn busied herself behind the counter.

When she passed the coffee and scone over to Alyss, they both paused for a moment and let their fingers touch. Evanlyn had a spur-of-the-moment idea; it would either end very well or very badly.

Oh well, one way to find out, she thought, and pulled Alyss over the counter for a kiss.

It was quick, and restrained, but it made Evanlyn revise her earlier thoughts: no, this is the best I've felt in my lifetime.

Alyss grinned at her from across the counter, blood rising in her cheeks and making Evanlyn wonder just how attractive one woman could be.

"Tonight?" Evanlyn asked.

"Tonight," Alyss responded. With that, she walked out, a sway to her hips that Evanlyn would swear had never been there before.

Evanlyn stepped back, feeling as though she was floating.

After Alyss was gone, Will walked up to the counter, bearing a grin. "I didn't think you had it in you, Ev," he said.

"Hah," she said. "Serves you right. And I've got a date!"

"I noticed," Will said wryly. "Tell me, was that kiss just the warm-up act?"

"You know it," she responded. "Also, shut up. You're lucky I'm in such a good mood, or I'd punch you."

"Dodged a bullet there," Will sniped, and Gilan came back out of the kitchen.

"What, you're still here?" they teased. "I take it it went well?" That was directed at Evanlyn.

"Yup," she said. "We have a date tonight, and I kissed her."

"TMI, Ev. Also, in my coffeeshop? Ew! Never again, Ev, never again."

"If you insist," she said.

"Anyways, Will, I know for a fact that you're about to be late to your class, so you might wanna leave. And Ev, nice job. Now get back to work."

"Shit!" Will exclaimed, then grabbed his bag and sprinted out of the shop. Evanlyn laughed at his receding figure and went back to her position at the counter, serving customers and looking forward to her date in the evening.

And they all live happily ever after! The end! Questions and comments can be directed at gorlogtheusefulskandiandemigod on tumblr. Please review if you liked, I literally need feedback to survive.