Can I have some cute Forrcress coffee shop au fluff? <3
(Mama Mary you’re too good to me! You know how much I love my husband! This prompt is just, amazing! I hope you enjoy!)
Forrest: Coffee Shop Barista who only got the job because he needed money for sewing materials a year ago but just never left
Cherry: Tired College student who doesn’t like coffee but keeps going back just to see Forrest who she has a gigantic crush on
THE CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY ARE DEPICTED AS 18+
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
“Ughhhhhh…whyyyyyyy?”
BEEP! BEEP! BE-
Cherry hit the top of her alarm clock with her fist. Despite going off at the same time every morning, getting up for classes just left her exhausted. Thankfully her professor was generous enough to not count her late on account of the distance between her apartment and the lecture hall. At least if she got up now, she would have enough time to visit that little cafe on the corner before the campus.
Despite being half asleep, her cheeks flushed a light red as she thought of the Cafe, or more specifically, one of the baristas. Cherry recalled the first interaction she had with him. When she had first saw him, like with every other first interaction he had with strangers, she hadn’t noticed he was a man. He dressed quite femininely, with beautiful blonde curls, light, stunning skin, and his eyes….They were an intense gray, like a rainstorm without remorse, but they sparkled in the morning light with hope. Just looking into them, nothing else in the world mattered..she could stare into them all day long.
Unfortunately, she realized she hadn’t even moved up to the front of the line. After apologizing profusely, she tried to find something to order, but couldn’t decide for the life of her. Seeing her struggle, he spoke,
“Having troubles, darling? If I can give a recommendation, might I suggest the Caramel Cyrkensian Cappuccino? We get many students here in the morning looking for something to wake them from their slumber, and this has been a favorite among them.”
Normally, Cherry despised coffee. She only went there that morning because she was recommended by her good friend Corrin, who day after day sang the cafe’s praises until Cherry gave in and decided to give it a shot. But seeing as the barista made the effort to help her, she wasn’t going to let that opportunity slide.
Cherry spoke,“That sounds good, can I get a medium?”
The barista’s eyes lit up upon hearing her request, knowing in their heart that this poor student would get the energy she so desperately needed to survive her classes.
“Of course, darling, one medium Caramel Cyrkensian Cappuccino coming right up! Can I get your name for when it’s ready, love?”
“C-cherry..”
The young barista smiled before responding,
“Cherry? That’s such a cute name, it fits you well. Would you like anything else, dear?”
Barely managing to peep out a “no thank you”, The blond haired barista spun on their heel and set to work on the girl’s drink. As they worked, Cherry couldn’t help to notice that they didn’t even bother to measure the ingredients, clearly knowing how to make the drink by heart.
“Huh, I guess they were right about having a lot of customers order this.” Cherry thought to herself.
It was amazing to see how diligently her server worked. They didn’t hesitate for a moment, mixing ingredients and preparing the container without breaking a sweat. In no time at all, her medium cappuccino sat in front of her next to the register, the caramel drizzled onto the top making it look insanely appetizing.
“Here you go, one Caramel Cyrkensian Cappuccino! I hope you’ll enjoy it!”
After hearing their voice, Cherry snapped back to into reality and looked through her wallet as she spoke.
“How much is it?”
Distracted by her rummaging of her wallet, she almost missed when he spoke,
“Don’t worry about it, darling, it’s on the house.”
Cherry froze in her tracks and quickly looked up to the barista. There was a smile on their face that made her heart skip a beat.
“N-no, I couldn’t possibly not pay for this-”
The young adult shook their head at her response.
“Nonsense love, it’s my treat. A cutie like you has other things to worry about than a simple coffee.”
With a wink, they left Cherry dumbfounded. Why would they treat her this nicely? The two had never even met before, but they were kind enough to pay for her own coffee?
“T-thank you, that’s very kind, especially from s-such a beautiful lady as yourself…oh, it just occurred to me I never got your name…”
The server’s face turned to a smile and their head tilted to the side as they spoke,
“My name is Forrest. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Cherry. Though I must say, as unlikely as it seems, I’m not a woman, but I thank you for the compliment.”
Cherry felt her heart drop before she could even reach for her drink. She felt tears beginning to prick at the corners of her eyes as she realized what she’d done and attempted to respond.
“O-oh my god…I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to assume, ummm, I’m sorry…”
The young man simply wiped away her tear with a napkin before speaking,
“Please darling, don’t cry. I promise I’m not offended, people mistake me for a woman quite often. This isn’t the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last. So please, there’s no need to apologize. Someone as adorable as yourself shouldn’t be seen with tears in her eyes.”
Cherry took a moment to compose herself before picking up her drink. She gave an embarrassed thank you as she took her drink and turned to walk out before she heard Forrest call out,
“Have a nice day Cherry darling, I hope to see you again.”
Cherry turned towards him and said back,
“You too, I’ll come again soon, I promise.”
Little did they both know, Cherry would be back the next day, and the lovely Forrest was just as excited to see her as she was to see him.