*skuttles into your line of sight wearing a paper boat for a hat*
Hello hello my dear! I am coming with thoughts of a barista/coffee shop grimmichi au!
Is one of them a student or is this their full time gig? Do they both there, or is one a customer? Does one or both of them hate coffee period? Does one or both of them love coffee just a tad too much? What are some favorite drinks they make or like to drink themselves? Is it a meet cute or meet scalding hot as coffee splatters across someone?
I eagerly await your reply! *the wind blows just a little too hard and the boat hat, which was glued to my head, turns into a paper airplane and I fly away*
*swings my lasso Indiana-Jones-style* Hang on, friend! *catches you and drags you back down to earth. I dust you off and we sit on my patio*
A barista/coffeeshop au, huh? Well, let's just see then....
I think it would be fun for both of them to be shop employees. Ichigo is a part-time employee, full-time student working his way through university. Grimmjow is a full-time employee, with the most seniority of all of them despite only being a couple years older than Ichigo. See, Grimmjow goes way back with the owner of the coffeeshop (naturally, it's Kisuke), back to when he was a troubled teen couch-surfing to get away from a bad home situation. (you know I have to add a little angst) Kisuke was the one to give him a job and actually keep Grimmjow out of trouble...for the most part.
When he starts working with Kurosaki? Oh, Grimmjow is annoyed. Ichigo is everything he wanted to be and simultaneously everything he hates. Ichigo has siblings that love him, a father who treats him with love and respect, a plethora of friends, and also incredibly strong. This grates on Grimmjow. He hates it. Despises Ichigo. Grimmjow's biggest confidence came from his strength, which he believed was because of his harsh life. A way to counter his trauma; believe that he wouldn't have gotten his strength if he didn't go through that. And now, here's this orange-haired idiot who is almost as strong and fast and resilient as Grimmjow himself, and he didn't have to suffer for it? Oh he hates him.
Except over time he starts to realize he kind of enjoys their banter. And Ichigo is actually kind of nice. And caring. And Grimmjow kind of likes the way Ichigo organizes things behind the counter, because IT MAKES SENSE WHEN YOU DO IT THAT WAY, ULQUIORRA (hc that he hates opening after Ulquiorra closes). And he thinks, well damn, maybe this guy isn't that bad. And then...and then the feelings grow. And Grimmjow goes 'oh shit'. And all the ground they made to approach a tentative friendship is shattered as he freaks out. They go back to fighting and arguing and it becomes nearly unbearable to have them work together. Until one night, they are both closing. And it all comes to a head...leading to a fiery fight followed by a...spicy...make out session. mwahahahahaha.
I would think Grimmjow doesn't really like coffee all that much. He drinks it once in a while, but not that often. Ichigo? He can't get enough of it. He's working so hard at his job and school and trying to carve out time with friends. He's got a caffeine addiction, but he also never looks fully awake either. Boy is running on fumes. Grimmjow is gonna have to fix that.
Grimmjow hates making anything fancier than a simple iced coffee. Ichigo can make just about anything. In fact, he does. More than once, even, Grimmjow has had to remove the coffee cup from Ichigo's hands because Ichigo is on break and wanted a drink to "wake up"; and Grimmjow witnessed him dump an ungodly amount of sugar into 16 shots of espresso. (Grimm. Save your boy.)
Hmmm, that's what I can think of! What about you? Who would you assign what roles? Would you add any more angst? Do they get a super happy ending to make up for all the fighting? How many times does Kisuke have to kick them out of the back for getting hot and heavy in the breakroom? 😏😏😏
