@jaspvid-week day 7: free day! I saw Luca yesterday and it was hella cute okay and it made me want to draw the boys as those sea monster people, so here’s some fishy boys after someone was on the hunt for the prettiest shell he could find for his best buddy.
i took this prompt and turned it into a soulmate au AND coffee shop au because I CAN DO ANYTHING
anyways!! uh! world where you see in all black and white until you touch your soulmate for the first time! (this is because i read the prompt as just senses instead of 5 senses and touch is a sense so uh oopsie)
in this instance david is getting coffee and theres a cute barista that hands him his coffee and their fingers brush against each other as he takes his coffee and BOOM
Summary: Based off of Ellohcee's Kiki's Delivery Service AU.
David forgets that working for Clementine means more than just making deliveries. An impromptu lesson is all it takes to remind David of how rewarding it is to create something to share with another. Bread isn't always meant to be eaten alone, after all.
Word Count: 3121
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It's a rather slow day in the bakery today. David blows his bangs out of his face as he slouches behind the cashier, watching as the townspeople go about their merry way. It's a nice and sunny day out, and he's only a little bit jealous that he's in here working while everyone else is enjoying the sunshine. Ah, well, he needs a little bit more money anyways - there was a nice looking cat dish that he wanted to get for Max since the little black cat keeps complaining about the dish he has now. A bored sigh escapes him as yet more people walk by the bakery. Not a single customer so far, and he's been sitting here for what feels like ages.
"Davey?" A sweet voice calls for him from the kitchen.
"Yeah?"
"Can you come here for a mite?"
"Okay!" He hops off the stool happily and walks into the kitchen, the heat from the ovens blowing up against his face as he blinks in surprise. "...Oh!"
"Oh, sorry, hun." Clementine dusts off her hands with a laugh and gestures towards him to come closer. "I take it's pretty borin' out there, huh?"
He fidgets with his black shirt and shrugs. "I mean, it's not too bad. Sometimes someone will wave at me when they pass by!"
"Hmm, do they now?"
"Yeah! And, um, they all seem to be enjoying the sun too, and they all look so relaxed..."
Clementine chuckles as she bends down to David's level. "Do ya wanna take a break from work for a bit?"
"N-no!" With an embarrassed blush, he waves his hands frantically in front of him. "I don't mind working! Who knows, maybe someone will need a delivery soon!"
"That's very true!" Clementine nods along, her bun bouncing as she straightens up. "But... hm..." She taps her chin, looking off into the distance. Curious, David follows her line of sight and sees her staring at nothing in particular.
"Is something wrong, Ms. Clementine?"
"Just a bit." She cradles her head in her hand as she sighs dramatically. "Ya see, the bread's been sellin' like hotcakes since you joined with your lil delivery service, but I haven't been able to keep up with the demand!"
"Is that so?" He gasps and covers his mouth. "Oh no, I'm so sorry!"
"Now now, that's not a bad thing!" She takes his hands and lowers them from his mouth. "It's a good thing, really! It just means I gotta work a little extra harder to keep everyone happy." With a wink, she lets go of his hands to reach for a spare apron. "And since it's mighty slow out there, I was wonderin' if you'd like to help me in here instead?"
"You mean... to bake bread?" He looks over at the roaring ovens, and then to racks of cooling baked goods that lined the walls. "But... it looks like you've already got enough to sell."
"Don't be silly!" She walks over to the flour covered counter and pats it. "What I've learned in all my years of bein' a baker is that there is always someone who needs a little treat, be it a roll or a muffin or even a warm, fresh loaf." She smiles and gestures him over, helping him put the apron on with ease. The old thing covers up most of his dark clothes, and she adjusts the bandanna around his neck so that it too can be partially covered with the apron. "Plus, it'll be loads of fun to bake with someone else for a change! I know I do most of my bakin' in the morning, but it won't hurt to do some smaller batches during a slow time, don'tcha think?"
"Mmmm..." He rocks back and forth on his heels, looking out to where the front of the bakery is still quiet and empty, and to the kitchen where Clementine is grinning with a bright smile. With a nod, he smiles back bashfully. "Okay, I wanna help!"
Baking bread always did seem like a lot of fun! Whenever he crept down a little too early, he'd always see Clementine hard at work, the dough she prepared the previous night already being shaped and kneaded and worked to perfection, and the smells...
Goodness! And now he gets to help in making such treats!
"Wonderful!" She claps her hands together and giggles, a small puff of flour erupting from her hands as she does so. David laughs along and stands eagerly by her side as she pulls out a dusty bowl. "Now, we'll be startin' from scratch here, so would ya kindly get me-"
The door to the store opens as the bell jingles. Max walks in from the front, his feline face scowling as he yowls at David. "Hey! You've got a visitor!"
"Hold on," he keeps the apron on as he stops Clementine from going to the front herself, "I've got this! It'll just be a sec."
"Alrighty, hun."
He grins as he races to the front, intent on helping their customer as quickly as possible. "Hi, how can I-!"
"Davey!" Jasper rests his arms on the cashier's counter, grinning brightly as he does so. "There you are!"
"Jasp!" He runs over and hugs the other boy, the two of them laughing brightly as they part. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was feeling kinda hungry, and I thought, hey! The bakery's got some sweet bites, and I'll get to see Davey!"
"Oh! If that's the case, is there anything you want?"
"Hmm..." Jasper looks around the bakery, hovering by the shelfs and displays as he sizes up all the treats. With a grin, he turns back to David and shrugs. "Dunno! What do you suggest?"
"Um, lemme see..." He walks over to Jasper's side and looks at all the baked goods on sale. There's muffins, rolls, biscuits, sweet breads, and so on... but perhaps, because he's been living with Clementine for a good few months, despite the good quality of all the food, he can't help but think that they've been sitting out too long and gotten a bit... cold.
When he thinks of a pleasant treat, he imagines it fresh from the cooling rack, warmth still radiating off of it, but having rested long enough that when he bites into it, all of the flavors that Clementine had carefully worked into the dough comes out perfectly. He taps his chin and looks around the bakery some more. His gaze lingers to the back of the bakery, where Clementine still waits for him.
Maybe... if he asks nicely...
He grabs Jasper's hand, shocking the other boy as he tugs him towards the kitchen.
"W-woah! Davey, hang on-"
"Ms. Clementine!" His call startles the woman, her reverie broken from where she was busy petting Max as he drank some milk. "Is it okay if Jasper joins too?"
"Hm?" Her gaze lands on the brunet standing next to David, the boy suddenly bashful and nervous as his hand is held tightly in David's. "...Oh! Of course, I don't mind at all. You know what they say - the more the merrier!" Before Jasper can protest, she looks around and finds one more spare apron. She quickly puts it on Jasper, the poor boy being dragged about too quickly for him to keep up with the energy of both redheads. "There we are!"
"What- what are we doing?" Jasper finally manages to get a word, looking at David bewildered as the other boy grins and tugs him towards the counter.
"We're making bread! Or something! Actually, I'm not too sure." He looks over to Clementine as she begins setting the ingredients on the table. "What are we making?"
"Well, it can be anything you'd both like." She hums thoughtfully to herself as considers the options. "We can make something small, like biscuits and cookies. Or we can make something filling, like pies if I've got the ingredients for it. Or we can just do something simple! Like a bread of sorts."
"Hmmm..." David taps his chin and looks to Jasper. "What do you think?"
"Mmm, how about something sweet?" Jasper meets David's gaze and grins. "I think sweet breads are pretty stellar!"
"I'm okay with that!"
"Sweet bread it is then."
Clementine is incredibly patient with them as they bumble their way through her instructions. Flour is spilt here and there, but she merely laughs it off and helps them make the right measurements. David is intent on following her instructions through and through, though Jasper tries to have his own little ideas once in a while.
"Jasp!" David bats away a giggling Jasper as he holds an orange up in his hands. "We don't need that!"
"Hmm... actually." Clementine holds her hand out and Jasper places it into her hand. "I think we can do something with this."
"Like what?" Jasper's mischief changes to genuine curiosity as she takes a tiny looking grater out.
"Well, oranges are sweet, aren't they? And the rinds of these fruits make for a lovely smell." She rubs the rind against the grater, producing a zest as Jasper and David ooh and ahh next to her. "Why don't you keep this up for me, Jasper?"
"Yes ma'am!" He dutifully takes the orange from her and mimics her actions, his tongue sticking out a bit in concentration. David can't help the giggle that escapes him as he watches Jasper work. The brunet looks over at his giggle and makes a confused grin. "What's so funny?"
"You were making a funny face, like this!" He mimics Jasper's earlier look, earning a laugh from the other boy as he then makes a more exaggerated face. This draws a stronger laugh from David as they continue to make faces at each other.
"Now now, no horsin' around! We still have bread to make," Clementine chastises, but her tone is anything but harsh as she smiles fondly. "We still got plenty to do!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The rest of the time is filled with aimless chatter as the two boys follow her instructions, mixing the fresh orange juice and zest into the dough. Jasper at one point managed to smear some flour on David's cheek, resulting in David smearing some flour on his face in retaliation. Before they can start chasing each other around the counter, Clementine has them watch her knead the dough before letting the boys each take their turn. Jasper is all gusto as he pushes and pulls the dough energetically before getting tired. David takes over, and he tries to be more precise than Jasper, making sure the dough isn't too sticky before looking over to Clementine for her nod of approval. When she dubs it done, she takes the dough and places it to the side and covers it.
"And now we wait for it to rise."
"Won't it take long?" David looks out the window and frowns, the sun setting in the distance as worry sets in. "Jasper, will you be able to stay long?"
"Mmm... well, I think I can push it until a little after eight." He folds his arms behind his head and smiles wide. "I should have some time until then!"
"That we do. Why don't we bake some other things like cookies?"
"Yeah!"
Baking, as it turns out, is much more exciting than he anticipated. There's something amazing with being able to make something from scratch with his own hands. Sure, he's made eggs and pancakes before, but he's never truly baked. And having Jasper next to him adds to the fun as the boy turns to do silly things that make David laugh. For instance, trying to juggle a few eggs before one of them lands on his head. Or even mixing the batter a little too fast and getting bits of it all over his face and apron.
Whatever Jasper does never fails to bring a smile and a laugh to David's face. Nighttime comes far too quickly, and by the time Clementine pulls out their final batch of muffins and cookies, Jasper makes a startled jump as he checks the time on his watch.
"Shnikes! It's super late!" He rushes to pull the apron off in a panic. "Aw man, my mom's gonna kill me-"
"Hold on, let me help!" David unties the knot from behind and takes the apron from Jasper. "There we go!"
"Now just a min," Clementine says as she walks to the front of the bakery, grabbing a paper bag and dropping a few of their recently baked goods into it. She hands it to Jasper with a smile. "For you and your ma."
"Oh, thanks," he says, fumbling to reach into his pocket to pay.
"No need, hun!" She begins pushing Jasper towards the door as he stammers and tries to argue.
"But I gotta pay-!"
"Sweetheart, you helped make the treats, you don't gotta pay a cent for them!" With a chuckle, she gently pushes him out the door and winks to David. "Now why don't y'all say goodbye real quick while I go clean up and close the shop?" She waves to them as she retreats back to the kitchen, leaving David and Jasper by themselves. Jasper grins easily, holding the bag with one arm as he turns to face David.
"Honestly, I didn't think I'd be baking today when I came to get a snack," he says lightly, making David laugh awkwardly as he rubs his arm, "but I had a lot of fun! It's... kinda nice to learn something else for once."
"Yeah, and it was nice to hang out with you here in the bakery. I know I haven't been around much since I've got to do my deliveries and stuff but... I promise to hang out with you more!"
"Nah, don't sweat it." Jasper winks easily as David looks away with a blush. "If anything, I'll just come find ya myself!"
"Like today!" They both share a laugh before Jasper shuffles his feet awkwardly.
"Well," he says with a soft smile, "guess I'll be catching you on the flipside later?"
"Of course! I miss flying with you, especially since the weather is so nice right now..." He sighs, disappointment settling in as he realizes that he'd been spending more time working and training than he did taking time for himself. A small voice reminds him to be careful, before he burns himself out again. Before he can dwell anymore on his thoughts, a hand lands on his shoulder as Jasper's crooked grin greets him.
"We can do it whenever you're free. I'm always willin' to wait for ya, no matter how long it takes. You know me, I won't get upset."
"...Of course not." A smile finds its way back to David's face. Jasper always did have that special talent of cheering David up.
It's probably why...
"Oh- shoot, I really should go now." Jasper backs away quickly when he realizes the time yet again, awkwardly running backwards as he waves to David. "We'll fly again soon! See ya later, Davey!"
"Bye, Jasp!" He waves to his retreating figure until he can't see him no longer. As he walks back into the bakery to lock up, he finds that the entire place feels... more empty than it usually is. Max coils around his feet, looking up at David with an unimpressed look.
"Stop moping," the cat says, stretching himself out as he leads David back to their room, "it's not like he's gonna be gone forever."
"Still..." He sighs softly and looks around the kitchen, Clementine already gone now that their mess has disappeared. "I kinda miss him already."
"Oh YUCK, that's DISGUSTING." Max makes a hacking sound, making David chuckle at his dramatic antics.
"What? It's not wrong to miss friends after they leave!"
"Sure. Friends." Max quickly walks away, looking over his shoulder to glare at David. "Now hurry up! I wanna fucking sleep."
"Max!" He follows after the cat, a little thought tugging at this thoughts. "We talked about this- OH NO, THE BREAD!"
-----
Clementine wraps up the loaf in paper and slips it into the bag. It's a start of another day, and he's actually got a few deliveries to make. She smiles as she hands him a slip with a name and address.
Jasper McFadden.
She winks and pats his shoulder. "It's still gonna be warm if you manage to fly as quickly as you normally do."
He blushes and hugs the delivery close to his chest. "Right. Um, see you later, Ms. Clementine!"
"Fly safely now!"
He runs out of the store and quickly settles himself on his broom, concentrating with an ease that comes second nature to him. The lift off is seamless, and he launches himself high into the air, already soaring towards his destination.
As he circles around the familiar neighborhood, a voice calls out to him from high walls as the brunet signals him down. "Davey!"
"Hey! I've got a delivery for you!"
"What's it? I don't remember ordering anything." Jasper takes the offered bag from David and pulls out a nicely braided loaf. The soft sheen and sweet smell of oranges immediately has Jasper widening his eyes. "Oh! This is the bread we made yesterday!"
"Yeah, Ms. Clementine wanted me to deliver your fair share." He stays on his broom as he hovers by Jasper. "It should still be warm so you should try a slice!"
"Hmm, actually," Jasper looks up at David with a mischievous smile, "do ya have any other deliveries to do?"
"Um, no I don't think so."
"Sweet!" He holds up the bread to David's eye level and gestures him down. "Wanna try some with me?"
His heart soars at the suggestion, and he lands all too quickly as he stumbles into Jasper. The other boy catches him easily and laughs as David straightens himself out.
"I take it that you wanna eat some?"
"Yes!" He grins brightly, already looking forward to spending more time with Jasper. The scent of the warm bread wafts between them as Jasper leads him towards his house. As they tear into it with jams and butter, the softness of the bread shows of their combined hard work, and Jasper makes a show of pointing out each little bit of zest that he made to his mother and David. The bread is fluffy as he pulls the braid apart to eat it. Perhaps its his bias to freshly baked goods, or maybe just simply the fact that he made it himself with Jasper and Clementine - whatever the reason may be, David just can't help but think that this bread is the sweetest he's ever tasted.
I’m baaaack with @jaspvid-week day 3: Hurt/comfort and angst (mainly the hurt/comfort part)
I have... too many mermaid AUs, and this is from my first mer!Jasper fic, with a bit of that down under the cut-
He watches the night sky quietly from the back porch, eyes slowly tracing patterns and constellations in the stars as he sips his cooling tea. It’s late, a sleepless night, warm enough to enjoy the coastal breeze as he listens to the gentle roar of the ocean waves. Even if it can’t coax him to sleep, it’s always so soothing. Absolutely quiet save for the wind and the waves, far away from the noise and lights of the city.
It’s probably close to 2 am when something catches David’s eye and makes his head turn to the beach, leaning forward a little in the creaky old garden chair. There’s something big at the edge of the water, too large to be a fish, maybe a dolphin? It shifts weakly as waves wash past, lethargic, and David’s heart clenches. Whatever is beached on the shore looks hurt, and it only takes a moment of chewing his lip to put the tea down and stand up, heading inside.
He trots through the little seaside cabin and opens the front door, forgoing any shoes to head barefoot down the dirt path that leads to the beach. As he approaches the creature in the light of the full moon, he stops in surprise as he realizes exactly what he’s happened upon. This is no dolphin.
There’s a human torso attached to that large tail. A mermaid.
He’s only seen them in the news, either captured in nets or washed up dead on shore. But he’s never seen one in person and definitely not washed up on his shore. He swallows nervously and approaches, hesitating when the mermaid- merman- shifts and rolls a bit to one side, catching sight of him and making them both freeze.
Those eyes seem the glow in the dark, his face shadowed since the moon is behind him, staring at David in warning.
“Hello,” David calls nervously. “Are you alright?”
The merman stares at him, his gaze unwavering, intense, and David just barely catches the faint tremble in his body, as if he were exhausted. He carefully steps closer, until that tail shifts surprisingly quick and makes a swipe at him, causing David to stumble back. “Nonono, it’s okay, I just- I’m not going to hurt you, I just want to help!” he insists, as that one act seems to sap the merman of his failing strength, the arm he was propped on giving under him.
David eases closer again, holding his hands up in attempt to soothe the merman as those blue eyes lock on him again. “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you,” he insists once more, gently, keeping a careful eye on that tail and the spiky fins running down the sides of it. The merman remains still, breathing heavily, his eyes starting to flutter. David slowly kneels. “Are you hurt? Can I help you?” he asks softly.
The merman is still silent, staring at him for a long moment before rolling onto his back, exposing the large, raw wound on his side, covered in blood and sand. David sucks in a sharp breath at the sight, it looks like a bite of some sort that had gotten mangled in a struggle. “Okay that- that’s bad, that’s serious,” he murmurs frantically, a hand over his mouth at the grisly sight. “Gosh, I can’t- I can’t take you to a hospital, they’ll-” he cuts off in dread, unwilling to even say it. He looks back up at his cabin, mind racing as the merman watches him warily.
David looks back down at him, biting his lip. “I can help you- if you’ll let me,” he says. “That’s my cabin right there,” he adds, pointing over to the house just a ways up the beach. “So you don’t have to go far, and there’s no one there to see you, you’ll be safe,” he insists. “Can I take you there, and I’ll patch up your injury?” he asks, almost pleading. He can’t stand the thought of leaving him out here to die.
The merman stares wordlessly at him for a long moment, before letting his eyes close and giving the barest shrug of his shoulder, as if simply resigning to die one way or the other.
“Okay,” David says, moving closer to the prone body and getting himself situated in a crouch. “I’m going to lift you part way,” he warns, carefully digging his hands between the sand and the man’s back to help him sit upright. He hears a sharp breath, eyebrows furrowing as he sees in better clarity the wound. It looks awful, and he hates to cause the merman more pain, but it has to be done otherwise he’ll surely die.
“Okay, can you hang onto me, around my shoulders?” he asks, moving one hand under the large indigo tail about where the knees would be on a human.
The merman opens his eyes just barely, slowly attempt to move his arms up before wincing.
“I’m sorry, I know you must be in a lot of pain, just as best you can,” David soothes, leaning further down to make it easier.
The merman takes a breath and reaches the rest of the way, managing to hook one arm around the back of David’s shoulders.
“Okay, perfect, you’re doing great,” David says gently, adjusting his hold to be a little more secure as he digs his heels firmly into the sand. “I’m going to lift you on three. One, two, three,” he says, carefully standing at the knees and bringing the merman up with him, letting out a small grunt of effort as he lifts the body further in his arms. He manages to stand up straight, holding the merman close as he turns towards the cabin. He begins to trudge up the beach, his calves already burning from trying not to sink into the sand.
And then, to his surprise, the merman finally speaks.
“Strong, for such a skinny thing,” he mumbles in an exhausted voice.
David glances down at him, finding his eyes closed, face pinched with pain, but even so he still hears the dash of reluctant amusement to his statement. “I have my moments,” he replies softly, unable to muster anything more. He’s too worried about the state of the merman, and how much blood he’s possibly lost so far, how in the world he’s going to treat that wound well enough for it to close and if he’ll make it through the night-
David takes a shaky breath and looks forward to make sure he doesn’t stumble, desperately hoping he’ll be able to help this man.
