An alternate universe in which Ruel and y/n are workers in two coffee shops which are next to each other. But, for his break Ruel always goes to eat scones from the shop in which y/n works, when they are very expensive and aren't even that good.

A/n: I'm fully aware of how much I bring up a café or a coffee shop in my books, but please read this one.

Mel's and Bev's, two rival coffee shops next to each other. Opened together at the same day, Mel's and Bev's have the hottest rivalry among themselves. Some people prefer Mel's, and some Bev's. The two keep on sneaking their workers into each other's coffee shops to know their secrets, and on how to become better than the other. It is said that the owners of the two shops, Melissa and Beverly were friends, and wanted to open a coffee shop together. But the differentiation in the ideology of the two led to two different coffee shops, somehow adjacent to each other.

Two teenagers, both working as part-time waiters in each shop. Ruel in Mel's, and y/n in Bev's. Both are good friends, and have a secret crush on each other, not knowing the feelings are mutual. How did they meet? Let me take you back few months ago...

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December, 2020:

"Ruel, I want you to go to Bev's and find out why are they attracting more customers than us this christmas." Melissa orders as she paces back and forth frantically. Christmas, the most jolly time of the year. Children are playing, families are celebrating - what joy. But not for Mel's. They have a reduction in the number of customers, leading to a loss in money. And somehow, a new customer enters every few minutes in Bev's.

"Okay."

Ruel, the most faithful employee working at Mel's. He turned 18 not long ago, and he has been working in Mel's since he was 16. No one knows, but Ruel is the highest paid worker in Mel's. The wellbeing of his second home matters a lot to him. For his breaks, Ruel sits in a corner seat of the café and writes songs, something which helps him pour out all of his thoughts and emotions from his mind.

Ruel removes his apron which has Mel's written in big, bold letters on it along with his name tag. He floofs his hair once and makes his way out Mel's and walks inside Bev's.

"Welcome to Bev's! What can I get for you?"

Y/n, the most faithful employee working at Bev's. She works here mostly for the money she gets which she needs, but also because coffee shops are her favorite things in the whole world. With a bubbly and charming personality, y/n can make any sorrowful person smile. Oh, and not to forget, she's drop dead gorgeous.

Ruel sees the most stunning girl at the counter, beaming at him. She's wearing an apron which says Bev's in large black letters, contrasting her white apron. A small name tag loosely hangs on her apron.

Ruel shakes out of his trance and looks up at the items available.

"One ginger - orange scone please." He says, careful not to stutter.

"Alright, I'll have it out soon." Y/n says with her smile still there as she notes the order down on a yellow sticky note.

"A ginger - orange scone!" She yells from her position behind the counter to the kitchen. Ruel goes to sit on a chair in the corner of the café.

"I'm not here to get along with anyone." He tells himself before looking around the coffee shop. It has lots of christmas decorations. He looks closely at them, and they are mostly brown themed, along with green and red.

"Your ginger - orange scone." Y/n comes and keeps the scone in front of Ruel.

"Thank you." Ruel greets and y/n flashes him a smile before walking off.

"She's so pretty." He mumbles to himself, before biting into the scone. As soon as he swallows a bite, his nose scrunches up. It isn't the tastiest scone, but it's also not that bad. It can be better.

Ruel finishes up the scone and goes up to pay for it.

"How much?" He asks y/n, his cheeks rosy red.

"7 dollars please." Y/n replies, frantically making Ruel's receipt.

Ruel's eyes widen at the number. "I'm sorry what?"

Y/n looks up from her keyboard to see Ruel with an appalled look on his face. "7 dollars." She repeats.

"7 dollars for one scone?" Ruel huffs out.

"Yes, now you've eaten it, so pull out the money." Y/n says with a bittersweet smile. Ruel shakes his head and pulls out the bills and hands them to y/n, taking the receipt from her hand and leaving the coffee shop.

"Decorations and decorations. But the only problem is, 7 dollars for a scone?! And that too so bland. We charge 4 dollars, and our scones are tons better than them!" Ruel gives his report hastily as he paces forward and backward in front of Melissa. "How is that possible?"

"I have no idea. But we can add more christmas decorations here. The christmas spirit is a little weak here though." Melissa replies thoughtfully. "Anyways, thank you Ruel. You are going to get a raise."

Ruel grins as Melissa pats him on the shoulder and leaves the pantry in which they were just having their conversation.

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Present day:

It seems as if Ruel and y/n didn't really get along by the end of the flashback, but allow me to call you wrong. How can such a pretty face leave Ruel's mind so quick? Hence he went again the next day, but to just see y/n. The scone is just an excuse to see her. Y/n and Ruel got to know each other better, and became good friends. But as mentioned before, they have a secret crush on each other. However, Ruel hasn't had the courage to tell y/n about why he even entered Bev's in the first place. Y/n knows he works at Mel's, but that doesn't affect her at all.

"Hey Loff." Y/n giggles as the tall - legged boy enters inside. Today is a slow day at Bev's. There are two customers; an old lady who is drinking tea and reading her book, and a young girl who is on her phone with a cup of mocha.

"Hello y/n." Ruel replies in a posh accent and sits on one of the barstools placed in front of the counter in the coffee shop.

"So," Y/n begins, hanging her small hand towel in the loop of her apron, "how's the new song coming along?"

Yes, Ruel told y/n all about his passion of writing music. And the new song she just mentioned, it may or may not be about her, but more of that later.

"Good, I found some inspiration to finish it off." He says cheekily as he places his arms on the counter and supports his face with his hands.

"And what would that be, Ruel Vincent Van Dijk?" Y/n asks in the same tone as him, as she places her arms on the counter and supports her face with her hands, just like Ruel.

"You." He mumbles so inaudibly y/n couldn't hear him.

"Did you say something?" She asks innocently.

"No." He shakes his head.

"Tell me." Y/n groans, lifting her head from her hands and smacking Ruel's right hand.

"Ouch!" He grumbles, lifting his own head too and rubbing where she hit her, "and no."

"But-"

"Zippoty bop bop." He says quickly, making y/n shut her mouth and glare at him. "I'm hungry, bring out my-"

"-ginger - orange scone, I know I know." She goes inside the kitchen to bring out his scone when she hears Ruel shout out to her, "you know me so well!" Y/n giggles before going out and placing the scone in front of him.

"Ruel," Y/n says when Ruel is halfway through his scone. He hums in response, asking her to speak ahead, "why do you come here, when frankly speaking, our scones are so expensive and not even worth 7 dollars?" Ruel eats up the last bite of the scone before speaking up.

"I guess to, to meet you." He replies awkwardly.

"But we can also meet after our shifts finish."

"Uhh..." Ruel fumbles with his words as he searches for the right ones.

"You can tell me," Y/n says softly, placing her hand over Ruel's, the touch making their faces burn cherry, "I'm your friend."

"That's the problem." Ruel groans, clicking his tongue against his teeth. "I don't want you as my friend."

"You- you don't?" Y/n stutters.

"Oh I meant, I want you more than a friend. Y/n, I like you, a lot. I have since the day I came in here for the first time. Will you go out with me?" Ruel blurts out, scared of y/n's response.

Y/n has a stunned look on her face. Ruel couldn't make out what her expression means. Does she only wants to be friends or does she-

"I like you too." Y/n blabs. Ruel's eyes light up.

"You- you do?"

"Yes."

A small smile graces their faces as their cheeks are lightly tinted with a baby pink. Ruel and y/n lean in closer, and exchange a short and sweet kiss full of passion.

"Ewww get a room!" The young girl who is the other customer yells out in disgust before walking out of the coffee shop.

"Finally!" The old lady speaks up. Ruel and y/n turn their gaze to her. "Finally you made a move on her. I've seen the two of you since the first day he came here, and I instantly knew you both like each other. Aah I'm so happy!" The old lady speaks in pure happiness, making Ruel and y/n laugh at her.

"Finally." Ruel whispers as he leans his forehead against y/n's.

Author's Note

That girl who said "get a room", that's literally so me I- I can read about kisses but I can't stand seeing them. I don't know why but I just can't. Whenever I see a kiss scene in movies, I instantly cover my eyes and fake gag lmao.

Aaaannnnnd this is inspired by an episode of Wizards Of Waverly Place. I love Disney so much. Well, in an episode from season 2, Justin is sent to a sandwich shop to uncover their secrets, and he falls for the pretty girl, Juliet who works there. She turned out be a vampire anyway-

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With love through health and sickness
Keziah