Work Text:
There was a satisfying slam as the glass display case slid shut. Ren stepped out from behind the counter to look over his wares before the early-morning rush. Waking up at 4 had become routine since opening the Memendoughs, a small bakery. It wasn’t anything special, not particularly popular, but it was his, and he loved waking up each morning knowing that we would soon be surrounded by the scent of coffee, chocolate, and pastry crust. He let out a lengthy yawn before flipping the sign on the door to ‘OPEN’ and sauntering back behind the counter to continue working.
It hadn’t been a noteworthy morning, smiling faces, old and young, had come and gone without incident. There was usually some down time in the mid-morning, and Ren went between preparing the batter for some blueberry muffins and scrolling through foodie instagrams. Recently a friend had sent him the link to an acclaimed review blog that specialized in cafes, bakeries, and all things sweet - Goro Akechi, Ace Cafe Critic. Ren was fond of his posts because of his focus on not only taste, but the emotions evoked by eating those treats. Goro Akechi was no doubt a shallow pretty boy, but at least they could agree on the most important ingredient, love.
Right as Ren finished filling his prepared liners, he heard the chime above the door. That was his cue to slide over to the sink and wash any residual batter or butter from his fingers. “Welcome to Memendoughs, I’ll be right with you.”
When Ren lifted his head, he would have done a double take if he could have. As if he had wandered directly off of his phone was the man himself, Goro Akechi. It was surreal, he looked no less handsome and somehow more polished. His warm chestnut hair shone in the fluorescent lights, his firm gaze laced in crimson. The only thing that was missing was his cloying smile.
“What can I get for you?” Ren was suddenly acutely aware of how chaotic he probably looked. It got hot between all the ovens, and there was yet to be a day he returned home flour-free. It didn’t help that one Goro Akechi had to be the most put-together 20 something in a 10 mile radius, and an unfair point of comparison. All Ren could do was smile and pretend that he wasn’t sweating bullets right now.
A reluctant, practiced smile finally graced his new guest’s face. “Not to be one of those people, but do you know who I am?” The baker nodded in response, purposely keeping quiet. It was too early, and he had no doubt that he would make a fool of himself the moment he opened his mouth.
“Oh good, that saves the pretentious monologue. Goro Akechi, semi-professional food critic.” He reached out a clean gloved hand and Ren thanked whatever deity that he had just finished washing his own.
“Ren Amamiya, baker and owner of uhhh Memendoughs. How can I help you?” This was already an unprecedented morning. Ren wasn’t a pessimist, but his shop was small and not very well known. Why was a big name like him here?
"Let me give you the rundown.” Akechi leaned over the counter, hands planted firmly up top. “This bakery was recommended to me by a friend, so I’m humoring them. Although it is shabbier than I was expecting. No offense, of course.” His professional smile melted into something more sinister. Ren’s blood ran cold in a not totally unpleasant way.
“Right.” Regardless of how attractive the blogger was, he was still a prick. At least smiling at rude people was part of the job.
“I technically don’t need your permission to review this place, but I would rather minimize interference, so what do you say?” His face conveyed power and control, making it known he had the upper hand.
“Does it matter if I say no?” In no way was Ren planning to refuse him, but he couldn’t help but poke back.
“Not particularly, but it would minimize collateral, and I might be partial to being a return customer if you bake half as good as you look.”
“Excuse me?” He was taken aback, to say the least.
“No matter. Enough delaying. Your answer?” Akechi brushed off his request for clarification.
“Sure. Do what you want.” That pleased him, and so Akechi unsheathed a small notebook and began taking notes. His eyes were wide and full of joy as he looked over the sweets in the display; Wonderment that was quick to disappear once he tore himself away from the baked goods.
“Perfect. On that note, I’ll have a black coffee, orange scone, and whatever you think is your best dessert.” Akechi was yet to say anything that wasn’t dipped in snark, and wasn’t about to start now.
“Sounds like you’re going to be trying my French Silk pie.” His voice was confident. If nothing else, Ren took pride in his work, and knew exactly how delectable it was.
“I look forward to it.”
Ren has made his coffee hundreds of times before, so why was he so nervous? It was a bit of a rhetorical question, considering that of course he was nervous, a reputable foodie with a bad attitude was judging his every movement with discerning scarlet eyes.
He closed his eyes and pictured the warm, stoic presence of his mentor instructing his younger self on how to pour a proper cup. “Never rush, a steady hand and a finely roasted blend are the key to communicating through coffee. Speed and efficiency are useless if you churn out crap.” Ren smiled softly to himself, channeling Sojiro’s teachings into his limbs.
When he looked up from the fruits of his labor, he saw Akechi leaning on the glass display case, watching closely still. “Do you know why I always ask for black coffee when I review?”
“I have a hunch, but we’d both rather hear you talk.”
“Right you are.” Akechi’s chuckle was low and alluring. “Frilly drinks can showcase creativity, but they aren’t a good baseline. One can supplement a subpar cup of coffee all they want, but if the foundation isn’t well made, it's already a waste of time. Watching you work has elevated my expectations.”
Ren tried to not take his genuine surprise personally. “I lived above a cafe for a couple of years, it was small but the owner knew his coffee and taught me some tricks.” He opened up the dessert case. “Do you want your scone warmed up at all?”
“No thank you.” Akechi paid and looked around the sparsely decorated shop, shrugging slightly before going to sit at a small round table with two wooden chairs.
“This is ugly.” Akechi states plainly after Ren sets the coffee and desserts down.
“If you're referring to the flatware, I’m saving up for better stuff, but it's just me here, I can only turn so much of a profit.” For someone who didn’t want to give a pretentious monologue he sure was an elitist snob.
“Unfortunate. I suppose it can’t be helped, it just makes it harder to pretty up the photos. But I’m getting ahead of myself.” He pulled the saucer cradling a ceramic mug closer to him and wove a slender gloved hand through the handle. “You’re welcome to sit with me. I won’t bite unless you ask nicely.”
Ren laughed, cheeks flushed as he joined Judgement at the table “You really aren’t at all like your online persona, huh.”
“Hmmm. Would you rather I was the soft prince with a smile that melts hearts?”
“I never said that. Just not what I expected. Then again I also didn’t expect that you would ever be in my little bakery.”
“It really is small.”
“I also heard it's shabby, a little harsh if you ask me.”
“Everyone’s a critic, hmmm?”
“Just eat my food.”
With a short chuckle, Akechi slowly raised the mug to his lips, pausing to blow cool air across the surface and take a deep inhale. “Blue mountain, a good start.” Ren was silently impressed, he knew how long it took to cultivate such refined senses.
Feathery brown hair shifts across his cheeks as Akechi finally takes his first sip. All Ren can hear is blood pounding in his ears. It takes all of his restraint to not stare expectantly at the striking man leisurely sampling his future. He doesn’t appear displeased, and Ren feels a wave of relief wash over when he goes to take another sip, the smallest hint of a smile on his mouth. Red eyes eagerly meet his own.
“Holy fuck thats a good cup of coffee.” The moment the sound escaped Akechi’s mouth, Ren died peacefully, completely satisfied by his life’s work and accomplishments. Because he was no longer alive, no words of thanks or acknowledgement left his mouth, just a blank stare at the man across the table.
“I do mean it. I’m not easy to impress, but you’ve already managed to do so.”
Ren’s soul re-enters his body through the mouth “I’m glad you like it. It means a lot.” the baker was in the middle of getting a bit teary eyed when the bell over the door chimed. “Ah, duty calls.”
When compared to the ace food critic seated a few meters away, the person in the front of his shop was an unrendered blur. Recalling what he had been doing before Akechi arrived, Ren popped the muffins into the industrial oven. After being productive for 5 seconds, he felt restless. He grew embittered as this scribble spent several minutes gazing blankly into the glass case, leaving without making a purchase. As the bell over the door bookended that visit, Ren shook his head while returning to the occupied table.
Ren was pleased to discover that while Akechi had sampled the orange scone, his pride and joy, the French Silk, was still untouched. “Thoughts on the scone?”
“I was quite concerned that nothing would be able to live up to the standards set by your coffee, but my doubt was once again misplaced. It's a good compliment to the bitterness of the coffee, and the moisture is the perfect level for this type of bread.” He helped himself to another sip of coffee. “How do you manage?”
“When I first opened shop, I tried a wide array of recipes until I found the best of the best. I still experiment when I can afford to, but by narrowing my focus, I’ve been able to give things the attention they need.” Sometimes it felt like tending a garden, not everything bloomed, but the flowers that did were the most striking.
“Level headed business practice and determination, huh.” That's one way of summing up the tender love and care Ren poured into his baked goods. “I figured that since it was the house recommendation, I’d wait to try the french silk until you returned.”
“That's quite thoughtful. I appreciate it.” Akechi had been shamelessly flirting with a straight face all morning, but one genuine expression of gratitude from Ren had him turning red. “Please, be my guest.”
With that, Akechi effortlessly sliced through the pie with his fork. Ren felt the world slow just a little. Baking was his life, not just his livelihood, he took pride in each dessert he made and loved tinkering with each recipe to perfection. A shiny, kind review was appreciated, certainly, but Ren cared most about how his creations made people feel, and Akechi was no exception.
The foodie in front of him set down a clean fork with a pensive gaze. “Is there…” he moved a gloved fist up to gently rest against his chin. “Did you put almond in there?” As if Ren needed more evidence of Akechi’s discerning palette.
“Just a bit, and there is some almond flour in the crust as well.” He smiled proudly.
“It really is remarkable how you work with flavors…”
“So I take it that you enjoyed it? I’d love feedback, especially from someone with senses as sharp as yours.”
“I’m at a bit of a loss for words, frankly. It's really saying something when my biggest criticism is that it doesn’t work as well with the coffee. It’s fantastic, rich and dense, but not cloying.” at those words Ren’s stress level plummeted, and he leaned into the small circular table they were seated at.
“It’s the favorite amongst my friends, so I always feel happy when I make and serve it. And now I’ll have another happy memory to look back on.”
“Are you always disgustingly sentimental?” Akechi spit the words, but his eyes didn’t seem as repulsed.
“Absolutely. I need something nice to think about when I wake up at the ass crack of dawn every day. Might as well be you.” He added a wink, just in case Akechi needed confirmation that was finally returning his advances. He received a raised brow in return.
“I can do you one better.” Akechi’s eyes narrowed as his smirk smoldered. Ren felt alarmingly like prey, but found he didn’t really mind.
“Did you have something in mind?”
That was all the permission Akechi needed to loop his hands around the sides of Ren’s apron and pull their lips together. It was both what he was looking for, but also unbelievable; much like the rest of their encounter. Kissing Goro Akechi was very similar to speaking with him; both a game of tug and war and a show of dominance. He tasted like chocolate and coffee, and Ren wanted to consume it. Their mouths were eager and exploratory, Akechi deserved to be thoroughly mapped out. Hands pulled around necks and Ren savored the feeling of gloved hands lightly tugging his thick curls.
As they pulled apart for air, he saw that his companion’s cheek had a fine white dusting, answering a question that Ren had earlier. His hand lifted to gently wipe it away, only to be interrupted by Akechi’s hungry lips. That didn’t stop Ren from grasping his face, pulling him closer, indulging that growing craving--
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
Ren had to laugh as he stood up to turn off the alarm and check on his blue-balling muffins. They were perfect, of course. He turned to face the shop after placing them on their cooling shelf, to find Akechi gathering his things and standing to leave. Ren didn’t know how to feel, he hadn’t really had the chance to think about anything, but he didn’t want to let him go like this.
“Have I earned a repeat customer?” Ren kept his tone light and flirty, his critic seemed to respond best to that.
Akechi met Ren at the counter. “Do you treat all of your patrons like that?” His tone was also playful, but was probing in the same direction
“Only if they make unambiguous passes at me while holding my career in their hands.”
“I make myself clear. I see no issue here.”
“Conflict of interest?” Ren offered, just to be contrary.
“There isn’t an ethical code for food blogging. But if you want to get rid of me, I can certainly take the hint.” Akechi faltered for a moment.
“Not at all. I do have to get back to work though.” He reached up to gently brush the transferred flour from Akechi’s cheekbone, fingers lingering.
“I would consider staying here to work, but I think I would end up distracting you.”
“Oh you would. Who wants to work in such a shabby bakery anyway?” Ren grins at Akechi and leans further onto the counter. Not one to back down, the brunette meets him halfway for another languorous kiss. Less rushed, almost tender, but with the light scrape of teeth. A shiver worked through his body, garnering a laugh from Akechi.
“You’ll be able to upgrade soon if I have anything to say about it, and I do.” He punctuated with a wink as he righted himself.
“What's your final verdict? Did I waste your time, Goro Akechi?”
“I guess you’ll just have to read my post later. Mostly good things, of course.” He tapped his gloved fingers on his chin in faux contemplation.
“Mostly?” Ren asked with a laugh.
“The hot owner hasn’t given me his number yet, and I’m petty.” He blushed and was somehow more captivating.
“I guess we’ll just have to fix that.”