☕︎
ch 1o.
I Have a
Love-Hate
Relationship with Traditions

The following morning came quietly. The snowfall hadn't ceased, engulfing the streets in a mass of soft undersnow. After plowing away some of it from the entrance of the café, I entered the building.

Greninja and Goodra were already preparing the kitchen and the ingredients. In the other corner were Pikachu and Talonflame, the latter roosting before the fireplace. The four of them acknowledged me with a subtle nod, which I returned. None of us quite wanted to disturb the peaceful nap of Noibat and Hawlucha.

"Right. Can we get these mistletoes off? I'm afraid not all of my customers are up for romance," I deadpanned, eliciting a shrill cry of laughter from Talonflame. With Pikachu's help, I carefully managed to get rid of most of the unwanted decorations before starting my job of getting the tables clean and clear. The coffee-stained table Gary used was the hardest to clean.

The bell tinkled, and I glanced over my shoulder at the first customer of the day. My eyes widened, catching Serena stepping in, dusting the snowflakes off her coat. She hung it on the coat stand before walking over.

"Good morning," she greeted cheerily, handing me an elegantly packed box. "I have to go in early, so I brought you something."

I eyed the box, golden and tied with a blue ribbon, with trepidation. "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to," she insisted, pushing it into my hands, her mittened hands brushing softly against my bare ones. "Take it as a thank-you for yesterday."

I opened it, my lips curving into a smile at the sight of the gingerbread Pikachu. "Did you make this?" I asked incredulously, something in my chest purring in delight.

The girl scratched her cheek, blushing a little. Her voice lowered to a whisper when she spoke. "Well, I thought to make it Pikachu-based because he seems to be the café's mascot."

"It's brilliant!" Flashing her a toothy grin, I placed it on the table I was wiping. "Thanks, Miss Serena."

The girl hummed, her hands behind her back. "Mhm! Aren't you tired, though?"

I laughed, nodding slowly. "Yeah, but you bet I can easily get high on caffeine."

Serena giggled, punching my shoulder teasingly and eliciting a grin from me. "Always the charmer."

"Can I get you something?" I piped, scratching my cheek and feeling the tension from yesterday dissipate. The girl considered, but then froze mid-thought, glancing up at something. I followed her gaze, and my heart gave a thud. "Oh."

There it was—the overlooked lush green sprig with scarlet berries hanging innocently over us: a mistletoe.

"You know what they say?" she started slowly, her shoulders straightening, her demeanor teasing. I met her eye unsurely. Do I step in or away?

"Um, yeah. I do."

For a moment, neither of us said anything. The sound of Greninja and Goodra working, the espresso machine dinging for attention, and all the miscellaneous noises blurred into the background. The air felt charged with unspoken emotions, tightening my chest.

"What will you... do?" she probed, cutting through the silence, but her voice wasn't strong enough to penetrate the tension. Her lips quirked into a smile that made my chest feel like a furnace. I hesitated, feeling the tablecloth slip from my hands yet again.

What was I going to do about it? Curse Pikachu for leaving one mistletoe unseen. But that was for the aftermath of this clodhopping.

Serena's gaze flickered up to the mistletoe before coming down to hold mine. Her cheeks flushed, but her smile didn't falter. In fact, it grew bolder as she stepped closer. The air between us smelled of the festivity she had brought along and the gingerbread.

My heart gave a flutter. "I—uh—"

Before I could finish, she closed the gap between us. Her gloved hands touched my arm for balance as she rose to her tiptoes. My vision was obscured by her honey-blonde hair flowing around her in waves as we drifted closer, our bodies involuntarily curving toward each other.

The glimmering blue of her eyes met mine for a second before I instinctively shut my eyes. Her lips met mine in a soft, fleeting embrace that felt like the warmest snowfall on the coldest winter day. Before I could press forward, she withdrew—it was over before I could realize what was happening.

Her cheeks were now dusted with the brightest scarlet, matching the berry she plucked from the mistletoe. Her smile remained, but she refused to meet my eye.

"There," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Tradition fulfilled."

I stood rooted to the spot, my mind struggling to grapple with the reality. My lips tingled with the faint peppermint chapstick she had passed on.

"Y-you—" I started, blinking, my ears growing hotter with every passing heartbeat. The girl giggled, holding a hand to her mouth.

"Well, traditions can't be skipped, right? I definitely don't want bad luck in love. And it's not every day you find a barista who's not only good at making coffee but also... quite the looker..." She put a finger to her lip, as if in thought. I followed her action, feeling my heartbeat increase. "Anyways, I have to go. See you later, Ash."

With that, she was gone, leaving her lingering scent behind. The bell tinkled softly behind her, signaling that it was just me, my Pokémon, and my radicchio sacks. I wavered a little in my spot, my mind still dazed at what had transpired.

I was yanked out of my trance when something wet hit my head, and I glared as Greninja popped into view, his eyes as nonchalant as ever. "Gren," he mumbled, making a slicing action with his hand before using his Cut attack to take the mistletoe down.

I groaned, rubbing my head where my Pokémon thought it was a good idea to use a mini Aerial Ace.

"It happened," I whispered, unable to believe it myself. My hands flew to my lips before a chuckle escaped my mouth. Pikachu was on the counter, his mouth the shape of a perfect "o," like that famous Pikachu meme. Hawlucha was red in all his green parts, crying out his name at me while shielding young Noibat with his wings. Goodra, though, was looking at me with a softened expression.

I felt a weight settle on my shoulder when Talonflame landed. I raised my hand to run it through his feathers, but he nuzzled his beak and began nipping at my ears.

"Is this your way of congratulating me, Talonflame?" I joked, laughing when it tickled and when he trilled. It looked like the Pokémon was delighted to see his trainer have an established relationship with his favorite customer.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Pikachu trying to put a paw on Serena's gift. I spun on my heel and snatched it away from the mouse Pokémon, who in return pouted and crossed his arms. "Pika?!"

"Nah-uh," I chimed, keeping it away from his reach. "This is all mine. You get cuddles from her; this is all I get! I'm not handing it over, easy, buddy."

Pikachu rolled his eyes and flicked his tail as if to remind me of what had transpired. I mirrored his action, only flicking my hair instead of a tail.

What absurdity did I get into on the morning of Christmas?